Project Rainbow Utah is pleased to announce that applications are open for our Community Fund Grants for 2026!

Grants are available for events and programming that will take place between January 1 and December 31, 2026.

Applications are open now and will close at 11:59 p.m. on January 2, 2026. Click here to apply.

In 2026, we hope to expand our outreach and to support events and programming for more of our community in rural areas and smaller cities, in addition to major population areas.

We also strive to serve as an incubator for new projects and initiatives, helping such efforts with initial funding and resources to grow into sustainable programs. With that mind, we encourage new organizations and individuals to apply, especially folks in those more rural areas.

This post will outline the details of our Community Fund and the broad guidelines for eligibility, including grant categories for both the types of programming and the size of grants. We will also detail the specific criteria for eligibility and discuss the expectations and reporting requirements for those who receive grants.

Finally, we have a resource section on our website with documents that may help you with the process, an FAQ, and a 13-minute video overview of the guidelines and requirements.

About Project Rainbow and our CFG

Project Rainbow Utah was established in 2018, and we raise flags across Utah to support the LGBTQ+ community in March for Trans Day of Visibility, in June for Pride, and in November for Trans Awareness Week, which culminates with Transgender Day of Remembrance.

With the help of hundreds of volunteers, our team stakes pride flags at homes and businesses throughout the state. These flags also allow us to raise funds to support the programs selected for our Community Fund Grants, pride festivals, and other programming and collaborations.

Across the board, our goal is to increase inclusion and foster visibility. Since 2018, these efforts have allowed us to distribute more than $350,000 to various initiatives while raising more than 35,000 flags. Most flags are staked in Utah, but we also mail flags to supporters in other parts of the United States.

Our Community Fund Grants supported 32 individuals and organizations in 2025 with $36,685. These events covered a wide range of programming, from workshops on gardening and underwear making to art-centered gatherings and open mics. Click here to see a list of the events we funded in 2025.

We also support pride festivals and other long-term partners, with $18,000 in that category for a total of more than $54,000 allocated in 2025!

Overall, we strive to follow these guiding principles, and the CFGs are an important part of that effort:

We uplift belonging — We invest in connection and shared ownership.
Be a symbol of safety and love — We affirm, protect, and celebrate LGBTQ+ Utahns.
We are here, together — We believe in collective work and solidarity.
No gaps in the rainbow — We uplift those at the margins of our communities.
We invest in community — We prioritize sustainability and community-rooted leadership.

Broad Eligibility Guidelines

Grants are open to individuals, groups, and organizations. You do not need to be a nonprofit or formal organization to receive funding. What’s more important to us is expanding our reach and uplifting emerging projects and events, and helping them grow into sustainable additions to our LGBTQ+ community in Utah.

While we support events in major cities and will continue to do so, we are also invested in reaching rural areas of Utah and expanding access to community for people in areas that traditionally receive less support.

Grants must be for a specific and defined project or event in alignment with our mission to “provide crucial support for those who are building a more inclusive future.”

Grant funds are limited, and as such, there is a competitive application process. Our process favors small, community-led projects where our funding makes a significant difference in the success of the project or event. We also often prioritize applications where folks lack access to more traditional forms of funding.

While folks are welcome to apply if they have applied before, applications that received awards in the past are NOT guaranteed funding in future years.

The total pool of available funds varies by year in line with the success of our flag campaigns and other fundraising efforts, but is generally between $30,000 and $60,000 across all funding areas, including grants, sponsorships, and partnerships.

Grant Sizes

Our grants range from $500 to $5,000 based on the size of the event. Grants fall into one of three size categories.

Small awards ($500-$1,499) are for events or projects with an overall budget of less than $2,000.
Medium awards ($1,500-$3,499) are for events or projects with an overall budget between $2,000 and $5,000.
Large awards ($3,500-$5,000) are only for events or projects with an overall budget greater than $5,000 and where we are not the sole funder.

Events with a total budget of $10,000 and/or that charge an entry fee will have additional application questions to ensure PRU understands the intended impact of our contribution.

These categories are guidelines to help us reach as many events and projects as possible, and applying for a particular category doesn’t automatically guarantee you will be awarded that amount. It can be helpful to include specific details in your application outlining how funds will be used, especially when funds may cover multiple aspects of a project or an event.

Note that the category selected does not inherently guarantee the amount awarded. The Board may decide to allocate partial funds to projects and events to maximize the impact and diversity of awards. As such, it can be helpful to note in your application how funds will specifically be used–particularly when funds may cover multiple aspects of a project or event (such as venue, interpretation services, scholarships, etc).

Grant Categories:

Grants fall into three broad categories.

Arts & Creative Expression: This includes performances or gallery work, and also zines, storytelling events, film screenings, drag shows, coloring books, and mixed-media projects.

Healing, Wellness, & Visibility: This category includes projects that support safer spaces, youth and mental health programs, support circles, affirming wellness practices, and other community support that’s about belonging, resilience, and mutual visibility—not just accessibility enhancements.

Community Building, Inclusion & Collective Learning: These projects focus on building shared space, community memory, learning, and leadership—across generations, geographies, or identities. They don’t always fit neatly into art or wellness, but they still reflect PRU's core values of participation, solidarity, and visibility. They may also be applications that focus primarily on inclusion & accessibility.

Specific Eligibility Criteria

We’ve seen an increase in applications in recent years, so, in the interest of transparency and greater clarity, Project Rainbow Utah has developed specific guidelines for which projects are eligible for grants.

The statements below outline the major eligibility criteria; please review each carefully. You will be asked to confirm each component before beginning the application.

Attestation to these criteria will be a requirement to receive funding disbursements if awarded.

Your programming primarily serves the LGBTQ+ community in the state of Utah.

Your project is taking place in the calendar year 2026.

Your organization has an annual budget of less than $200,000.
Rationale: PRU is focused on funding grassroots organizations and projects that are unable to access other forms of resources or revenue from traditional methods, often due to the structural barriers faced by LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized communities.

You have the ability to submit a W-9 on behalf of an individual, organization, or a fiscal sponsor who can accept the disbursement of this grant. Grant funds MAY be taxable if the grantee is not tax-exempt, such as a 501(c)(3).
Note: While organizations do not need to be 501(c)3 classified to submit or receive awards, please be aware that for non tax-exempt entities (including individuals), your award will be considered taxable income and you should expect to receive a form 1099 from PRU.

You ARE NOT applying on behalf of a pride parade, pride festival, or resource fair.
Rationale: Project Rainbow funding of pride parades/festivals and sponsorships is to be handled directly by the sitting Executive Director. If you represent a pride festival, please email jacey@projectrainbowutah.org to discuss your needs for 2026.

The primary purpose of your project/event IS NOT a fundraiser
Rationale: We focus on funding programs and events that are primarily designed to have an impact on our community versus raising additional funds for a cause. This limitation includes requests to lower ticket costs for the purpose of alleviating budget constraints for fundraisers for the same reason. (Please note this does not imply that all funded events/projects must be free to the public). Fundraisers may be eligible for a sponsorship outside of this grant program if they align with our mission and priorities; please email jacey@projectrainbowutah.org with inquiries.
Your project DOES NOT primarily provide direct mutual aid.
Rationale: Although mutual aid initiatives (such as funds for transition-related care or travel etc) are very important to our community, they are not possible to fund sustainably and at scale with PRU’s current resources. This grant is specifically for projects that are tied to our mission of widespread visibility and inclusion.
Your project HAS NOT received funding from PRU for the same project for 3 years in a row.
Rationale: PRU seeks to vary its funding across different communities and organizations over time while supporting long-standing initiatives in becoming financially viable beyond PRU’s grant awards. If your organization is beyond this timeline, please email jacey@projectrainbowutah.org to discuss options for continued support outside of the community fund grant application/process.
Your project or event IS NOT associated with a political campaign or candidate for public office or to influence legislation in any way
Rationale: As a 501(c)3 non-profit, PRU must remain non-partisan in the distribution of funds.

Lastly, grant recipients from 2025 who have not filed their required Final Report will not be considered for 2026 grant funding.

Expectations & Project Completion Requirements

For those who receive grants, there are some requirements for reporting as well as recognizing our contribution in posts and other assets promoting your events. Please review these carefully before applying.

Timely acceptance: You must complete a grant letter & contact form, as well as complete a W-9 form for the awarded person or organization.
Project completion: You must fill out a summary report detailing how and when this grant money was spent. You must submit your summary report by December 31, 2026. The Final Report will briefly summarize (300-500 words with photographs when possible) if and how the project met each of the grant selection criteria, described in the section below.
Timely use of funds: All funds must be spent in 2026. Any unspent or leftover funds must be returned to Project Rainbow, unless you request and are granted an extension for the funds to be spent in 2027. If a grantee wishes to request a time extension or to cancel the project and return the grant funds, you can do so via the final report and indicate which of these options you wish to pursue.
Disbursement of funds: Funding will be disbursed within 30 days of grants being awarded, and can be received via either paper check (which may add an additional 10 business days for processing) or via PayPal.
Share learnings: You will be invited - but not required - to attend a kickoff meeting to deepen connections across our awardees. This meeting will also cover the expectations for your final report and how to show impact, as well as opportunities to collaborate on PRU’s flag campaigns. You will also be invited to join a private Slack community to share events, ideas, and ask for help.
Recognition and promotion: You will include Project Rainbow Utah as a sponsor/donor when advertising your event/project, including using the media kit/assets provided whenever feasible for your digital and in-person marketing materials

Failure to meet the above expectations may bar you or your organization from applying for Project Rainbow’s Community Fund in future years.

Final Thoughts And Useful Links

We are excited to collaborate with you in 2026. Thank you for considering a grant from Project Rainbow Utah!

As a reminder, applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on January 2 to be considered. You can find the form and submit it here.

We also have more details about the criteria for grants, an FAQ section, and insights into our review process on this page, which includes other documents and a webinar you may find helpful as you compile your submission.

Applications Open For Community Fund Grants in 2026