Beyond the Check: How Borealis Philanthropy is Redefining Disability Justice Funding

Introduction: A Paradigm Shift in Philanthropy

In the landscape of modern social justice, the Disability Inclusion Fund (DIF) at Borealis Philanthropy stands as a radical departure from traditional grantmaking. Since its inception in 2020, the DIF has moved $19 million into the hands of disabled activists, artists, and organizers. But the significance of the fund lies not just in the volume of capital distributed, but in the methodology behind it. By centering the voices of those with lived experience and prioritizing community-led decision-making, the DIF is dismantling the paternalistic structures that have long defined institutional philanthropy.

At the helm of this movement are leaders like Brown-Booker, a disability justice practitioner whose own intersectional identity—as a Black and Filipino individual living with a disability—informs the core philosophy of the fund. This article explores how Borealis is shifting the power dynamic between funders and grantees, fostering a culture of accountability, and building an ecosystem that values long-term sustainability over short-term project outcomes.

The Philosophy of Community-Led Grantmaking

Putting the Community in the Driver’s Seat

The genesis of the DIF was not a top-down executive decision but the result of a rigorous landscape analysis. Brown-Booker explains that the fund began by asking a singular, vital question: "What does the community actually want?"

"Originally when the DIF started, we did a landscape analysis and really asked the community what it is that they wanted," Brown-Booker says. "The DIF is really unique. It’s the only fund that’s doing what we’re doing."

This uniqueness stems from a refusal to mimic the status quo. In many philanthropic circles, funding is disproportionately funneled into direct service providers or medical research—often ignoring the cultural and structural work required to achieve true disability justice. The DIF intentionally pivots away from these saturated areas. Instead, it prioritizes:

Technological Equity: Providing tools that enable disabled people to navigate a digital and physical world.
Arts and Culture: Supporting organizations like Sins Invalid that use creative expression to challenge ableist norms.
Rest and Sustainability: Offering "joy grants" that provide disabled leaders with the financial freedom to rest, a radical act in a movement that often demands constant labor.
Collaborative Grants: Encouraging groups to pool resources and tackle systemic barriers collectively.

General Operating Support: Trust as a Currency

One of the most disruptive aspects of the Borealis model is the transition from project-based funding to general operating support. Traditional funders often require grantees to tie every dollar to a specific, measurable deliverable. This can stifle innovation and create administrative burdens that burn out grassroots organizers.

Borealis rejects this, providing flexible funding that allows organizations to pay for rent, staff salaries, and overhead. Furthermore, the organization employs a participatory grantmaking process, where community members—not just institutional donors—make the final decisions on where capital is deployed. By maintaining an "open-door policy," program officers ensure that the relationship is one of partnership rather than surveillance.

"I think that makes us unique," Brown-Booker notes. "We really do believe that we want to hear and listen to the community. Because that’s all about the accountability to the movement space."

Chronology: The Evolution of the Disability Inclusion Fund

To understand the current impact of the DIF, one must look at its trajectory since 2020:

2020 (The Inception): The Disability Inclusion Fund is established at Borealis Philanthropy. The initial phase is marked by intensive, deep-dive landscape analysis to identify gaps in existing disability funding.
2021 (The Mobilization): The fund begins its first wave of significant grants, focusing on organizations that had been historically ignored by mainstream foundations.
2022 (The Shift to Sustainability): Recognizing that "a check is not enough," the fund begins to incorporate capacity-building and executive leadership transition support into its offerings.
2023–2024 (Scale and Influence): Having moved $19 million to date, the DIF shifts its focus toward educating the broader donor community, aiming to influence how other philanthropic institutions approach disability justice.

Supporting Data and Impact Analysis

The impact of $19 million in the disability justice space cannot be measured solely by the number of grants issued. The true metric is the stabilization of an ecosystem.

Many of the organizations supported by the DIF operate in under-resourced, marginalized communities. Before the intervention of the DIF, many of these groups faced "funding deserts," where the only available money was tied to narrow medical or charitable agendas. By providing unrestricted, multi-year support, Borealis has allowed these organizations to:

Retain Staff: Preventing the high turnover that often occurs when funding is unstable.
Scale Advocacy: Enabling organizations to move from reactive survival to proactive policy advocacy.
Cross-Pollinate: Facilitating networks where disabled leaders can share resources and strategies.

Donor Accountability: The Art of "Moving Differently"

While Borealis is accountable to the disability community, it functions as an intermediary, which necessitates a sophisticated fundraising strategy. For those like Dozan, who leads donor engagement, the process is not about "selling" a cause, but about transforming the donor’s mindset.

Beyond Donor Education

Dozan views donor engagement as a process of "invitation." She argues that traditional donor education is often insufficient; true change requires a shift in how donors perceive their own capital.

"There is an intentionality in inviting donors and funders to ‘move differently,’" Dozan says. "We think about them as invitations because, also, people don’t really come to understanding in the same way. If I share a rapport with a donor that doesn’t move them, my first instinct isn’t necessarily, ‘well, they don’t care.’ My question that I also really encourage across my team is, ‘What are three other ways that they may need to have this information?’"

This patient, curiosity-led approach is designed to create long-term allies. The goal is to reach a point where, when a donor is sitting in a room making a decision about capital allocation in the future, they ask questions that reflect the lessons learned through their engagement with Borealis.

"And that is how we hold each other accountable," Dozan adds. "That’s when I know the engagement’s working."

Implications: Building Infrastructure, Not Just Programs

The most pressing question for the future of the Disability Inclusion Fund is how to sustain its gains. As Dozan notes, "We are constantly asking what the ecosystem needs besides a check."

The answer lies in infrastructure investment. For many grassroots organizations, the barriers to success are not just financial. They are organizational. This includes:

Leadership Development: Supporting the transition of power within organizations to ensure the next generation of disabled leaders is ready to step up.
Mentorship Programs: Connecting veteran activists with emerging leaders to ensure the transfer of institutional knowledge.
Administrative Support: Providing the backend infrastructure necessary for small, community-run organizations to manage grants, HR, and legal compliance.

By focusing on these areas, Borealis is creating a resilient network of organizations that can survive even if the funding climate changes.

Conclusion: A Blueprint for the Future

The work of the Disability Inclusion Fund serves as a beacon for the broader philanthropic sector. It proves that when funders move from a posture of authority to one of partnership, the results are more equitable, more sustainable, and more effective.

By centering the disabled community, refusing to impose restrictive project requirements, and engaging donors in a process of profound internal change, Borealis Philanthropy is not just funding a movement—it is helping to build a world where the disability community has the resources and the autonomy to define its own future. As the fund continues to grow, its success will undoubtedly serve as a case study for what happens when we stop trying to "fix" communities and start empowering them to lead.