Our Work
PFund Foundation is a community-led foundation founded by and for the LGBTQ+ community. We work toward our mission by directing resources to LGBTQ+ individuals and communities through scholarships, business grants, and emergency funds; amplifying the leadership of emerging queer changemakers; and mobilizing donors and partners who believe in a more equitable future. Together, we strengthen the systems of care, support, and opportunity that help LGBTQ+ people thrive.
What We Do
Mission
PFund Foundation builds equity with LGBTQ+ communities across the upper Midwest by providing grants and scholarships, developing leaders, and inspiring giving.
Vision
PFund Foundation invests in thriving and more equitable communities for queer people in the upper Midwest.
Our Values
The LGBTQ+ community of the upper Midwest is not monolithic. Factors such as age, race/ethnicity, geography, disability, income, and gender all influence the challenges facing queer individuals. PFund Foundation recognizes that some subpopulations of the queer community may need elevated levels of support to achieve equitable outcomes. To address this need, PFund Foundation has identified three prioritized communities who are especially important to our work.
$15M+
Total grants awarded since 1987
500+
Organizations and individuals funded
5 States
Across the Upper Midwest region
PFund builds community and provides resources for LGBTQ+ individuals across the upper Midwest and the First Nations therein.
Prioritized Communities
Queer People of Color
LGBTQ+ people who also belong to minority racial and ethnic groups experience additional oppression and discrimination including chronic disinvestment and economic exclusion.
PFund demonstrates its commitment to queer people of color through its programs. 59% of last year’s grantees and scholars identified as as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color. PFund’s Equity Fund invests over $300,000 annually in BIPOC LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs.
Gender-Expansive People
Transgender, gender-expansive, and nonbinary individuals are being made the targets of discriminatory legislation and scapegoating at the regional and national levels. In response, PFund launched the TRANSCEND Campaign, which was funded by over 300 individuals and a handful of foundations, and distributed 16 grants totaling $95,000 across North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota between April 2023 and June 2024. 52% of last year’s scholars and 45% of last year’s grantees identify as transgender or gender expansive.
Queer People in Rural Areas
LGBTQ+ people living in rural areas face a unique set of challenges, including political environments actively hostile to queer and trans individuals, and fewer nonprofit resources for queer communities (especially outside of large cities). PFund estimates there are at least 82,000 queer individuals living in the Dakotas and the foundation created a grant program for LGBTQ+ organizations in rural areas the upper Midwest. 25% of PFund’s funds grants and scholarships going to rural individuals or organizations last year.
Our History
Since 1987, PFund Foundation has distributed millions in grant funds to hundreds of LGBTQ+ students in the Upper Midwest.
PFund Foundation is a hub for queer engagement and advocacy, inspiring philanthropy across the Upper Midwest so LGBTQ+ people and places have sustainable financial resources to do their important work.
From 2023 to 2024, PFund doubled its grantmaking to $1 Million in total LGBTQ+ grants and scholarships. This rapid increase in support has been in response to the changing landscape for queer and trans+ people across the Upper Midwest, as well as due to the recognition of increased barriers for BIPOC and queer entrepreneurs and rural organizations. A state-based appropriation from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development of $603,000 over two years increased grantmaking through the Equity Fund. Community-led fundraising generated over $140,000 in funds for trans+ serving organizations over the past 18 months.
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