Grant and Funding Programs Offered by The Tegan and Sara Foundation (TSF)

The Tegan and Sara Foundation (TSF) is a U.S.-registered 501(c)(3) charitable foundation created by musicians Tegan and Sara Quin to invest in the potential of 2SLGBTQ+ communities. Working primarily across the United States and Canada, the foundation focuses on historically excluded people within the broader 2SLGBTQ+ umbrella, including trans women, people of color, rural youth and grassroots community organizers. TSF combines philanthropy, convening power and advocacy to move flexible financial resources to small organizations that are often overlooked by major funding institutions.

TSF administers several recurring funding streams. Its Community Grants program provides microgrants, typically between USD 1,500 and 5,000, to community-led 2SLGBTQ+ organizations and small nonprofits with limited annual budgets. These grants support a diversity of projects, geographies and approaches, and aim to build a peer network of leaders and organizations across North America.

The foundation also funds 2SLGBTQ+ Summer Camps through scholarships and other financial support, enabling queer youth—especially from low-income, BIPOC, Indigenous and rural communities—to attend affirming camps that build confidence, leadership and community. In addition, TSF supports queer health initiatives, notably Queer Health Access and the LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory, a free searchable database of LGBTQ-inclusive healthcare providers in the U.S. and Canada developed in partnership with GLMA.

TSF’s grantmaking philosophy emphasizes trust-based philanthropy, rapid response and minimal barriers. The foundation explicitly aims to provide funding quickly and without overly restrictive requirements, allowing community-based organizations to define their own solutions. Community Grants calls are opened in rounds, with clearly stated eligibility criteria such as 2SLGBTQ+ leadership, budget thresholds and, for U.S. groups, 501(c)(3) or fiscal sponsorship. Canada-based organizations can apply even without formal charitable status, though those with such status may be prioritized.

Across its portfolio, the Tegan and Sara Foundation centers communities facing economic and healthcare inequities and increased political and social pressure. Its impact materials highlight support to Black-led organizations, trans youth-serving groups, organizations working with 2SLGBTQ+ survivors of intimate partner violence, and many other grassroots initiatives. TSF convenes grantee town halls to understand challenges on the ground and publishes outcomes reports, reinforcing learning and accountability while advocating for more flexible, unrestricted funding in the wider philanthropic sector.

Beyond direct grants, TSF undertakes research projects such as an LGBTQ+ COVID-19 vaccine attitudes survey and produces community-focused publications like its zine “In Our Image,” amplifying queer creativity, resilience and organizing. Together, these activities position the foundation as both a financial backer and a vocal champion of 2SLGBTQ+ communities.