2021 Movement Infrastructure RFP

Mosaic is a national grantmaking initiative strengthening the field-wide movement infrastructure that supports people working to ensure clean air and water, a safe climate, healthy and just communities for all, and thriving natural systems. By supporting movement infrastructure – vibrant connections and indispensable shared tools across the environmental field – Mosaic seeks to equip organizations and advocates to achieve the most important environmental victories.

In this second annual RFP, Mosaic will distribute $6M to fund projects that advance one or more of six types of field-wide movement infrastructure: communications, leadership development, advocacy tools & training, data & information, relationships & trust, and philanthropic innovation. Projects must be collaborative by design, engage and benefit multiple stakeholders, and create shared tools that are widely beneficial to movement members as opposed to narrowly focused on one or a small number of organizations. Specifically, Mosaic’s field-led Governance Assembly met this spring and identified the following goals for these six focus areas:

Communications Hexicon

Communications
Regional and national communications initiatives that develop holistic, equitable, and effective meta-narratives, messages, and messengers across the movement.

Leadership Development Hexicon

Leadership Development
BIPOC and other under-resourced community-focused initiatives (e.g., resourcing movement leaders, fellowships, mentorship programs, etc.) that tangibly develop and expand diverse leadership in the movement.

Advocacy Tools & Training Hexicon

Advocacy Tools & Training
Large-scale advocacy, organizing, and power-building training programs, including existing ones, that develop fieldwide, 21st-century advocacy capabilities.

Data & Information Hexicon

Data & Information
Initiatives that support data democratization and broader, equitable access to information about the field, environmental issues, and policy formulation that can build and diversify power.

Relationships & Trust Hexicon

Relationships & Trust
Cross-issue networks & initiatives focused on developing shared trust and connection and/or building alignment across differences (e.g., BIPOC and other under-resourced community-focused initiatives & centered frameworks/initiatives, rural-urban engagement, etc.) to unlock new strategic possibilities.

Philanthropic Innovation Hexicon

Philanthropic Innovation
Efforts that advance streamlined grantmaking processes, decentralized decision-making, and equitable funding across environmental philanthropy.

 

Please note that the 2021 application window has closed for Mosaic's Movement Infrastructure RFP.

Letters of inquiry have been reviewed by Mosaic’s Governance Assembly and final proposals have been invited of a smaller set of applicants. All applicants have been notified via email on the status of their application. Grantmaking decisions will be announced in February. Please reach out to info@mosaicmomentum.org if you have any questions.

Check out our 2-minute informational video on the RFP!

Funding Amounts
Mosaic will distribute $6,000,000; grants will range between $25,000 and $500,000. The size of the grant will not correlate to the size of the applicant’s budget, but we expect that larger grants will be dedicated to larger and broader collaborations or support large numbers of movement participants. Mosaic is accepting both single and multi-year proposals, and projects may be funded either partially or in full.

Eligibility
Mosaic will consider projects that are:

  • Led by a 501c3 non-profit public charity organization or fiscal sponsor (including a collaboration of organizations led by a 501c3 non-profit);
  • Based in and substantially focused on the United States, (including Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands, and other US affiliated territories),
  • Supportive of people and organizations who predominantly focus on healthy and just communities, clean air and water, a safe climate, the thriving natural systems , or other related environmental protection and justice topics, and
  • Advancing field-wide connections and shared tools across our six focus areas that are widely beneficial to multiple organizations (as opposed to one or a small few)

Grantmaking Values
In addition to the basic eligibility criteria described above, Mosaic will prioritize projects that:

  • Demonstrate leadership by and are supportive of BIPOC, low-income, women, LGBTQ+ , environmental justice, rural, immigrant, and other socially and economically disadvantaged movement members, organizations and communities.
  • Demonstrate a focus on developing the power and capacity of the environmental movement by supporting and connecting organizations and approaches that reflect the full breadth of the environmental field in all its richness, including political, cultural, geographic, economic, social, sectoral, and issue area diversity.
  • Are collaborative by design and engage and benefit multiple stakeholders.
  • Create shared tools that are widely beneficial to movement members as opposed to narrowly focused on one or a small number of organizations.
  • Express, in both design and intent, a commitment to building a more inclusive, equitable, and impactful environmental movement.
  • Provide relevant current value (i.e. supporting a current campaign, coalition, effort, etc.) while building long-term power in the environmental movement.
  • Build on existing efforts and initiatives when possible; or otherwise fill a current gap in the broader landscape or ecosystem.
  • Advance and share learning broadly with the field.

We recognize that proposed projects may not advance all of these values in equal measure.

How To Apply

Please note that the 2021 application window has closed for Mosaic's Movement Infrastructure RFP.

If you would like to access any previously submitted application, please log into your account in Mosaic's online portal. Please reach out to info@mosaicmomentum.org if you have any questions.

Application Timeline and Process

Letters of inquiry have been reviewed by Mosaic’s Governance Assembly and final proposals have been invited of a smaller set of applicants. All applicants have been notified via email on the status of their application. Grantmaking decisions will be announced in February. Please reach out to info@mosaicmomentum.org if you have any questions.

Letter of Inquiry Open Date: Monday, August 2, 2021
Letter of Inquiry Close Date: Friday, September 10, 2021
Final Applications Invited: December 2021
Grants Awarded and Announced: Late January - February 2022 

Applicant Resources

Full Request for Proposal Document (English, Español)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (English, Español)
Application Template (PDF) (Word Document)

Past Q&A Sessions

August 11, 2021: Video 

August 18, 2021: Video

August 25, 2021: Video

Presentation Slides

Interested in collaborating on projects?

Join us on Mosaic's public collaboration page to connect with other collaborations, organizations, and individuals.

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For any questions or more information about Mosaic, please contact our team at info@mosaicmomentum.org.

Si desea que este formulario se traduzca al español, comuníquese a info@mosaicmomentum.org. ¡Gracias!