By Savannah Sly, founder and co-director of New Moon Network
“We take care of us.”
I was reminded of this phrase by an experienced sex worker and community organizer who was remarking on the lack of funding or institutional support for our movement. As sex workers, we know we can’t depend on wider society to help us, so we help each other. From mutual aid to info-sharing, and peer support. We distribute harm reduction supplies, circulate bad date lists (ugly mugs), paint protest signs together, and coordinate ride-shares to the state house. We undertake these efforts because they are essential to our collective safety and wellbeing, and because nobody else is going to do it for us. Most of us have used money earned from sex work to fund our community projects out-of-pocket. Our organizations are largely led by volunteers with varying levels of organizing experience, and burnout rates are high. Having to rely only on ourselves is exhausting and unsustainable. It’s time to strategize new ways to support our critical work, particularly where funding is concerned.
At first glance, the funding landscape for sex workers rights looks pretty bleak. 2019 data reveals that sex workers received less than 1% of all human rights funding from foundations, globally. That equates to roughly $7 million out of a potential $4 billion for our entire global movement. Truely a drop in the bucket. To make matters worse, Open Society Foundation, which represented two of the top ten sex work funders in 2019, has closed it’s global offices and essentially withdrawn funding for sex worker initiatives. A recent report published by the Sex Work Donor Collaborative illustrates the impact of OSF’s withdrawal, finding that sex worker organizations in southern and eastern Africa were hit hardest. Not only did OSF offer significant funding to our movement, but it acted as a thought partner and convener to support sex worker leadership and initiatives.
While the data on global funding for sex workers rights isn’t exactly encouraging, that doesn’t mean we should throw in the towel and stop applying for grants. If your organization is considering applying for grants, here are some tips to consider:
- Watch this “Get in Yo Bag! Grant Writing 101” video! Carlton Bell from the Sex Worker Giving Circle at Third Wave Fund recently taught a class for sex workers on philanthropy and how to apply for grants. It’s really good! For more classes designed for sex worker advocates, check out Spokes Hub.
- Scan AAIR-Directory for grant opportunities! Simply researching foundations to find grant opportunities can be a LOT of work. Good news is that AAIR-Directory has been created to help you find information on grants relevant to sex work! Visit AAIR-Directory.org and click “Do It”. Under “Action Type”, click “Open Calls”. Doing this will pull up a list of grant opportunities for you to explore. If a grant opportunity has passed, consider signing up for that foundation's newsletter so you know when they are accepting applications again.
- Demonstrate how sex work is relevant to other issues. Sometimes funders don’t realize that sex work is closely tied to issues they care about, such as addressing poverty, HIV/AIDS response, LGBQT+ rights, or mitigating gender-based violence. Talking about your work in a way that makes it relatable may help traditional funders understand how our values are aligned. Make sure your organization’s website and social media demonstrates the links between sex work and the major issues of our day.
- Start small and demonstrate success. Funders frequently want to see a track record of responsibility and impact before investing deeply in an organization. They want to know that their financial investment in your organization won’t be squandered. Applying for smaller grants can be a great way to demonstrate your organization’s ability to deliver results. For example, numerous sex worker-led groups have applied for $1,000 microgrants from New Moon Network and used it as “springboard funding” to bigger opportunities.
Winning grants can be a powerful way to fuel our work, but it’s not our only option. As sex workers, we have a unique funding source in our clients. Some clients are interested in supporting the movement, but don’t know how. Talking to them about the importance of community care and including them as stakeholders in decriminalization efforts can open the door to meaningful contributions, both financially and also in the form of pro-bono skills volunteering (think bookkeeping, lawyering, website maintenance, etc). If this method of fundraising feels comfortable for you, consider exploring it.
As our movement gains momentum and “sex work” becomes a phrase more people are familiar with, doors will open for us. However, political winds change, and economies shift. We must learn lessons from the Open Society Foundation withdrawal from our movement, and never become too dependent on any single source. We must remember that our power and resilience comes from forging community networks of care, and sharing our precious resources with each other.
In this spirit, you are invited to explore and participate in the New Moon Giving Circle, which is a way to collectively raise funds and decide as a community how those funds are spent. Everytime the giving circle raises $10,000, you will get the opportunity to nominate a sex worker-led organization and vote.
We must also appreciate and support organizations such as Tryst.link who have programs such as the TLC Donation Matching program, which rewards sex worker philanthropy by providing additional dollars to fund sex worker initiatives. We at New Moon are deeply thankful to Tryst.link and to everyone who has contributed to our programming through the TLC Donation Matching program. We value your trust and are committed to stewarding your hard earned money responsibly! We know that together, we can fuel our own movement, because we take care of us.
SOCIAL LINKS:
Savannah Sly Twitter - Instagram
New Moon Network Twitter - Instagram
Are you a sex worker with a story, opinion, news, or tips to share? We'd love to hear from you!
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