Sex worker giving circle
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We're excited to launch Third Wave Fund's first giving circle, inspired by radical giving projects housed at like-minded foundations and organizations across the country.*
Aplicación y Información en español
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Third Wave Fund is a youth-led activist fund focusing on gender and reproductive justice, run by and for young women of color and queer and trans people of color. Third Wave has been funding sex worker-led organizations since we began over 20 years ago, because we know that sex workers and people in the sex trade are the experts on their own lives and livelihoods, including the best strategies to confront and transform oppressive social conditions.
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That’s why we’re organizing this giving circle. We’re building this giving circle as a space for folks to mobilize resources, strengthen community and political power, engage directly in grantmaking, and have support to bring their voices and leadership into philanthropy. We’ve structured participation in the project as a fellowship in recognition of the time, effort, and learning that will go into being a part of it.
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A giving circle is a group of people that come together to pool and raise money in support of a cause. Under the leadership of current and former sex workers, we’re launching a cross-class, multiracial, intergenerational giving circle for women, queer, and trans folks with current or past experience in the sex trade.
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The first round of the giving circle will be based in the NYC-area, but we will be making grants nationally.
*Many thanks to everyone at these projects for sharing their wisdom with us, especially The Giving Project of the Headwaters Foundation, which generously allowed us to draw on their application for inspiration.
*Many thanks to everyone at these projects for sharing their wisdom with us, especially The Giving Project of the Headwaters Foundation, which generously allowed us to draw on their application for inspiration.
Want to get a sense of the people behind this project,
and get a few questions answered before you continue?
how will this work?
The giving circle will run from late April through early August. It requires a significant time commitment: attendance at seven meetings and two events, plus more independent work. The exact dates are listed on the first page of the application form.
A key part of this project is collective study. Fellows will learn together and from movement leaders about topics like the racial wealth divide, mainstream philanthropy, grassroots fundraising, grantmaking and more as we prepare to raise money and distribute it to sex worker-led projects across the United States.
We’re super excited about raising money by us and for us, and Third Wave is committed to raising outside funds to expand our impact. So, we’ve been working with major donors to kickstart the pot of money, and we’re thrilled that we’ve already raised 150K.
Each Fellow will make a personally meaningful financial gift to the circle’s grant fund, and receive training and support to fundraise from your networks. Fellows will have opportunities to engage in grassroots fundraising projects as decided by the group.
You’ll receive training and support to lead all steps of the grantmaking process, including outreach to prospective grantee partners, application review, and collective decision making about grant awards.
You’ll also have opportunities to engage with the broader philanthropic field and create guidelines and principles for funders with the goal of shifting how they engage with sex workers and sex trade issues.
All Fellows will receive a $500 stipend in recognition of your labor.
A key part of this project is collective study. Fellows will learn together and from movement leaders about topics like the racial wealth divide, mainstream philanthropy, grassroots fundraising, grantmaking and more as we prepare to raise money and distribute it to sex worker-led projects across the United States.
We’re super excited about raising money by us and for us, and Third Wave is committed to raising outside funds to expand our impact. So, we’ve been working with major donors to kickstart the pot of money, and we’re thrilled that we’ve already raised 150K.
Each Fellow will make a personally meaningful financial gift to the circle’s grant fund, and receive training and support to fundraise from your networks. Fellows will have opportunities to engage in grassroots fundraising projects as decided by the group.
You’ll receive training and support to lead all steps of the grantmaking process, including outreach to prospective grantee partners, application review, and collective decision making about grant awards.
You’ll also have opportunities to engage with the broader philanthropic field and create guidelines and principles for funders with the goal of shifting how they engage with sex workers and sex trade issues.
All Fellows will receive a $500 stipend in recognition of your labor.
who should apply?
Participation in this giving circle is limited to people with current or former experience in the sex trade and/or doing sex work. This means trading sex or sexual services for money, shelter, or anything else of value. This can include escorting/full service sex work, stripping/erotic dancing/go-go dancing, porn star/cam work, fetish work, dom/domme work, etc. We also welcome participation from people with experiences of coercion. If you do not have this experience but want to support the giving circle, that’s great! Email us to find out other ways to support.
This giving circle will be cross-class. Among other things, that means that we welcome participation from people from all class backgrounds and income levels. You do not have to be wealthy or even have savings to join; we are centering participation from working class and low income people as a part of this giving circle.
We recognize that people of all genders participate in the sex trade and are sex workers. For that reason, we encourage men, women, and non-binary, genderqueer, and/or gender non-conforming people to participate.
This giving circle will be multiracial and intergenerational. We strongly encourage Black people, Indigenous people, and/or people of color; young people, older people and elders; LGBQ+ people, trans and/or gender non-conforming people; immigrants, including people who are undocumented; people with HIV/AIDS; people with experience with substance use; people with experience with the criminal legal system; and disabled and/or chronically ill people to apply. The people who make up the giving circle organizing team reflect these priorities.
Participation is limited to people who are based in or within a couple hours of the NYC area. Small travel stipends will be available to cover ground transportation (buses/subways/cars) as needed.
This giving circle will be cross-class. Among other things, that means that we welcome participation from people from all class backgrounds and income levels. You do not have to be wealthy or even have savings to join; we are centering participation from working class and low income people as a part of this giving circle.
We recognize that people of all genders participate in the sex trade and are sex workers. For that reason, we encourage men, women, and non-binary, genderqueer, and/or gender non-conforming people to participate.
This giving circle will be multiracial and intergenerational. We strongly encourage Black people, Indigenous people, and/or people of color; young people, older people and elders; LGBQ+ people, trans and/or gender non-conforming people; immigrants, including people who are undocumented; people with HIV/AIDS; people with experience with substance use; people with experience with the criminal legal system; and disabled and/or chronically ill people to apply. The people who make up the giving circle organizing team reflect these priorities.
Participation is limited to people who are based in or within a couple hours of the NYC area. Small travel stipends will be available to cover ground transportation (buses/subways/cars) as needed.
We’re especially interested in hearing from potential giving circle Fellows who:
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What about my confidentiality?
We know that many of us aren’t public with our experiences with sex work and trading sex for lots of different reasons.
The application form uses secure encryption to protect your data, which will be kept confidential. You do not have to use your real name, email address or other identifying information in order to participate. We will not be publicizing any names, images, or other identifying information of Fellows unless you explicitly give us permission to do that. And, we’ll have ways for you to fundraise from your communities without claiming membership in the giving circle.
We will take all steps necessary to protect Fellows’ identities and will work with each Fellow to identify what works best for each of you in terms of confidentiality practices.
Please note: If you wish to receive the $500 stipend, you will have to use your legal name on the paperwork; however, all legal names will be kept confidential between yourself and the staff involved with cutting your check.
The application form uses secure encryption to protect your data, which will be kept confidential. You do not have to use your real name, email address or other identifying information in order to participate. We will not be publicizing any names, images, or other identifying information of Fellows unless you explicitly give us permission to do that. And, we’ll have ways for you to fundraise from your communities without claiming membership in the giving circle.
We will take all steps necessary to protect Fellows’ identities and will work with each Fellow to identify what works best for each of you in terms of confidentiality practices.
Please note: If you wish to receive the $500 stipend, you will have to use your legal name on the paperwork; however, all legal names will be kept confidential between yourself and the staff involved with cutting your check.