Opportunity Fund
- ARTS
- SOCIAL JUSTICE
- ECONOMIC JUSTICE
"TO CHAMPION THE LIBERTIES AND RIGHTS OF OUR COMMUNITIES' DIVERSE CITIZENS,
TREASURING THE ARTS"
TREASURING THE ARTS"
About Opportunity Fund
THE ARTS, AND SOCIAL & ECONOMIC JUSTICE
Mission Statement
Opportunity Fund awards grants to small to midsize arts organizations, and organizations and initiatives that advance social and economic justice.
At least 75% of our grants are awarded to projects that benefit the Greater Pittsburgh community.
Learn more about our Guiding Values here.
Funding Areas
Arts
- Performing Arts, with an emphasis on theatre, dance and music, especially classical chamber music and jazz, presented by small and mid-sized arts organizations
- Visual Arts, with an emphasis on craft and small to mid-sized organizations
Social & Economic Justice
with a focus on Racial Justice
- Black-Led Movement Work
- Civil Liberties
- Civil Rights, with special interest in Black and LGBTQ+ people, and other groups impacted by social injustice
- Human Rights
- Reproductive Freedom
- Safety Net Resources for people in need, including social services, economic independence, housing, tangible aid, transportation, healthcare
Information on applying for grants
For Applicants
Online Application
Opportunity Fund uses an online application for all steps of the grant making process. We do not accept mailed letters or paper applications. Applicants can submit a short video (2-3 minutes) for the “narrative” portion of the LOI.
Deadlines
Opportunity Fund’s Board meets to review Full Applications twice a year.
Cycle 1: LOI (preliminary application) is due by January 15, 2025.
If invited, a Full Application is due on March 7 for award notification in May.
Cycle 2: LOI is due by July 15, 2025.
If invited, a Full Application is due September 8 for award notification in November.
Please see our FAQs page for more information about who and what we fund, fiscal sponsorship, and additional details for applicants.
Applicant Support
Watch an on-demand video info session (22 min)
View info session slides
Two-Step Process
We have a two-step application process. Use our online grant system to complete both steps. First, submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI). An LOI, in this case, is basically a short application. Second, if approved, you will be invited to submit a longer Full Application.
Preliminary Application: Letter of Inquiry
Please visit the online application to create a user account or to return to an already-existing account where you can access the LOI form. If you are a previous grantee and have not yet completed your final report, there is a short section in the LOI to share your results and lessons learned. Once your LOI has been submitted, you will be notified of the timeline for next steps of your application. Applicants are urged to submit their LOI early. This tutorial provides step-by-step guidance on using the online application.
(Download a Word Doc of LOI Questions including all the questions in the online form.)
Full Application
You will receive a notification email from Opportunity Fund to inform you if your project is invited to submit a Full Application at least one month before the deadline. You will also be able to log in and track the status of your application via your online account. (Download a Word Doc of Full Application including all the questions in the online application form.)
Grants
History
Opportunity Fund was established upon the death of Gerri Kay to continue her life’s work. An advocate for civil rights, social justice and the arts, Gerri lived her life extending herself and opportunities to others. She lived her convictions with stunning purity.
Friends described her as “the most fierce, persistent and focused proponent of civil rights and racial justice I have ever met,” “essential to the flourishing of the arts in Pittsburgh, and “exceptionally passionate about supporting young or new artists.” “The depth and breadth of her knowledge was formidable.”
To learn more about Gerri’s life and career, click here.
Opportunity Fund’s seemingly broad focus is simply a reflection of what Gerri cared about. We seek grantees who champion the liberties and rights of our communities’ diverse citizens, treasure the arts and support the lives of artists, pursue social and economic justice, and proactively provide safety net resources for those in need. They provide people the opportunity to live up to their fullest potential and who, in turn, offer their unique gifts to contribute to society’s constant betterment.
We, in turn, offer our partners the opportunity to take risks to more fully achieve their mission.
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“Mama exhorted her children at every opportunity to ‘jump at the sun.’ We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground.”Zora Neale Hurston
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“The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by obvious realities. We need men and women who can dream of things that never were.”John F. Kennedy
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“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”Margaret Mead
Dana Bishop-Root
Board MemberIdy Goodman
Board ChairJake Goodman
Board MemberMedina Jackson
Board MemberMarge Petruska
Board MemberGillian Porter
Board MemberMichael Tikili
Board MemberAlisha Wormsley
Board MemberStuart Fisk
Advisory Board Member
Please contact us for more info on Opportunity Fund and our activities.
Contact Us
Opportunity Fund is based in Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh
