Holding a Sister Initiative

The Holding a Sister Initiative (HASI) was launched in 2021 as a joint effort between G4GC and Black Trans Fund. We came together to build a container for cis and trans girls and gender-expansive youth of color to dream new futures together, build solidarity and deepen relationships with one another.

This initiative has mobilized funding and shone a spotlight on organizations centering the wisdom of trans and nonbinary youth across the country, including Black, Indigenous, Latina, Asian, Arab, Pacific Islander, and other communities of color. Through these efforts, we aim to show what’s possible when we invest in their leadership, safety, economic access, and vision.

Funding priorities

Holding A Sister Initiative directs funding to organizations that center, serve, and/or are led by trans and nonbinary youth. This work includes:

Healing spaces and retreats
Housing
Advocacy
Directly resourcing trans youth through cash-in-hand programs
Leadership training
Convenings
Education
Mental health
Narrative work

Advocacy and Support

Beyond directing funding, this initiative also engages in advocacy to support trans and nonbinary youth through:

Philanthropic education and organizing
Grantee partner support
Participatory learning and distribution of scholarship
Narrative and policy change

Highlights

$2.2m

Awarded a total of about $2.2 million to 20 grantee partners since 2022

Sponsored trans and gender non-conforming young people of Color (ages 18-25) from across the country to participate in a fellowship that was seeded at TransformationsKC’s Trans Liberation Camp in the summer of 2023.

Hosted a Trans Day of Visibility 2024 virtual celebration called “Trans Day of Video Games,” where we connected with grantee partners on Instagram Live about intergenerational perspectives on trans visibility through the concept video gaming as a means of self affirmation, joy, and world building.

We’re grateful for our partnerships through the Holding a Sister Initiative, past and present, that continue to invest and donate to organizations serving trans communities of color. We encourage people to check out and learn about queer and trans led funds and intermediaries who are leading philanthropic efforts to support trans communities, including the Third Wave Fund, Black Trans Travel Fund, the Fund for Trans Generations, and Grantmakers United for Trans Communities (an initiative of Funders for LGBTQ Issues).