Our mutual aid fund began five years ago, in May 2018, after the Fosta-Sesta legislation was passed. We increased our funding at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and over the past three years alone, we have given out over 700 grants! Since then, so much has changed, and our small team is constantly evolving to meet our community’s changing needs.
Our team needed some TLC and time to rest, reflect on, and restructure our mutual aid program to ensure longevity and sustainability. A huge thank you to our donors, partner organizations, and community members who keep us going. After a much-needed break, grants are back!
Much of our grants program is the same:
You can reapply for a grant every two months.
You’ll still have to complete a verification process. Be sure to check your emails regularly!
Applications do not carry over to the next month. We do not review new applications after applications close.
For your security: We use Google products to collect and store information. The data will be wiped every few months from our online accounts. Please factor this into your decision to apply for a grant and what information you include.
We’ve made some big changes to our mutual aid program:
The application is open the first week of each month.
You’ll have more time to verify your work status and Bay Area residency.
Apply using this form only. We will no longer accept applications via email.
We have a new email: bawsgrants@proton.me. We will reply to all emails using Proton mail. Any emails sent to our former gmail will be forwarded automatically to Proton mail.
Option to apply for crowdfunding
We are piloting a crowdfunding process for our mutual aid fund! This decision comes out of many constraints from our original program. We can only send grant funds through our fiscal sponsor via PayPal, check, and direct deposit. These methods are not always easily accessible or possible for grant recipients. In addition, PayPal takes a percentage of our donations and recipients’ grants and sometimes even freezes grant payments for up to 2 weeks. Crowdfunding can help our community members receive funds directly and immediately without fees. This is a new program, so if there are delays or unexpected obstacles, please be patient with us.
We are so thankful for your support and to be able to continue to serve our community. To sustain our mutual aid program, we rely on the generosity of our supporters and community. Your donation is an act of solidarity and care that makes a tangible difference in sex workers' lives. We have a high demand for funds during this pandemic.
The best way for you to support us is to become a monthly donor to our Bay Area Worker Research (BAWR) fund. You can sign up to make a monthly donation- $5, $10, $25, $50, or more. Re-occurring donations allow us to provide sustainable resources to local workers and are tax-deductible, or you can make a one-time donation here.
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For more information on navigating COVID-19 as a sex worker and additional support options, please check out our latest SW resource page.
We want to thank Lysistrata Mutual Aid Fund for inspiring our grant language and protocol and for supporting the BAWS Emergency Grants initiative. Be sure to check out their website here and support their efforts if you can.