DIF 2026 Collaborative Request for Proposals (RFP)

Introduction

Welcome to the Disability Inclusion Fund (DIF) 2026 application! We recommend that you read through the DIF RFP and FAQs as well as the Instructions below before proceeding with the application. Application Instructions The deadline for this application is Wednesday, May 20, 2026 by 8:59pm PT or 11:59pm ET. Eligibility Quiz: This application begins with a four-question Eligibility Quiz. If your organization does not meet the eligibility criteria, you will not be able to proceed with the application. If your organization does meet the eligibility criteria, you will be able to proceed with the application.

The DIF 2026 Application consists of 4 pages:

Organization Information and Fiscal Sponsor Information (if applicable)
Impact Mapping
Narrative Questions
Attachments

Required Fields: Any fields marked with an asterisk are required. You will need to provide a response to proceed with the application.

Saving & Resuming: If you would like to save your progress on the application and return to it later, please use the "Save my progress and resume later" checkbox at the top of the application page. When you return to your application, please use the "Resume from a previously saved form" link.

Support and Questions

If you have questions, need technical assistance, or have technology issues in submitting your application, please email grants@borealisphilanthropy.org.
If you have questions for the DIF Team, including what we fund or eligibility for grants, please email DIF@borealisphilanthropy.org.

Alternative/Accessible Applications Process

The DIF is committed to making all application materials available in multiple forms to be accessible to all. This application is in Form Assembly. Alternative application options include (Zooms, phone conversations, Word doc, PDF, etc). If you need application in an alternative format please contact the Disability Inclusion Fund at dif@borealisphilanthropy.org with the subject line: DIF RFP 2026

🚨 Please Read Before Proceeding with Application

Prior to applying to the DIF 2026 Collaborative RFP, collaborating partners must determine which organization will be the "Applying Organization" to complete the following application form.

In the event of an awarded grant, the "Applying Organization" will be the formal grantee organization receiving funds on behalf of the entire collaborative partnership. All collaborating partner organizations will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to define each partner's role in the collaborative project.

While not a requirement, Borealis' preference is that the "Applying Organization" is its own 501(c)(3) organization.

Eligibility Quiz

Are your organizations' combined annual operating budgets with all partners less than $3 million for the most recent completed fiscal year, or your projected 2026 operating budget?

YesNo

Is the applying organization's work US-based?

YesNo

Is the applying organization a 501(c)(3) or have a fiscal sponsor?

YesNo

Is your organization disability-focused and disability-led, and does the project align with Disability Justice principles? Please refer to this link.

YesNo

Based on your responses, your organization is not eligible for funding at this time. Thank you for your interest.

Individual Application ID

Here is the link to the DIF 2026 Collaborative RFP for your reference as you complete the application.

Organization Information

Application Contact

Application Contact: The Applicant Contact is the person who will receive a PDF copy of the application and who Borealis will reach out to if we have any questions.

Application Contact First Name

Application Contact Last Name

Application Contact Title

Application Contact Email

Organization Information

Organization Name
Please enter the name of the applicant organization.

Organization Legal Status

If Non-501(c)(3), please describe the legal and or tax status of this non-501(c)(3) entity (e.g., C4, LLC, Other)

EIN/Tax ID Number
Enter your organization's EIN/Tax ID Number in the format 00-0000000

Year Founded

Organization Website Link

Organization Facebook

Organization X (formerly Twitter)

Annual Operating Scale

$

Enter the board-approved total operating budget for the organization's current fiscal year. If the current fiscal year budget has not yet been approved, use the prior year's total expenses.

Organization Address

Street Address

City

State / Province

Postal Code

Executive Contact

Executive Contact: In the event of an awarded grant, the Executive Contact will sign the grant agreement letter, unless the organization is fiscally sponsored.

Executive Contact First Name

Executive Contact Last Name

Executive Contact Title

Executive Contact Email

Executive Contact Phone Number

Finance Contact

Finance Contact: In the event of an awarded grant, the Finance Contact is the primary contact for any questions or issues with grant payments.

Finance Contact First Name

Finance Contact Last Name

Finance Contact Title

Finance Contact Email

Fiscal Sponsor Information

Is your organization fiscally sponsored?

YesNo

Fiscal Sponsor Information

Fiscal Sponsor Legal Name

Fiscal Sponsor EIN

Annual Operating Scale

$

Enter the board-approved total operating budget for the Fiscal Sponsor's current fiscal year. If the current fiscal year budget has not yet been approved, use the prior year's total expenses.

Fiscal Sponsor Address

Fiscal Sponsor Street Address

Fiscal Sponsor City

Fiscal Sponsor State / Province

Please respond with the two letter State/Province code.

Fiscal Sponsor Postal Code

Fiscal Sponsor Executive Contact

Fiscal Sponsor Executive Contact Full Name

Fiscal Sponsor Executive Contact Title

Fiscal Sponsor Executive Contact Email

Fiscal Sponsor Finance Contact

Fiscal Sponsor Finance Contact Full Name

Fiscal Sponsor Finance Contact Title

Fiscal Sponsor Finance Contact Email

Narrative Questions

If you would like to submit your responses via Word Doc or PDF, please email those responses to DIF@borealisphilanthropy.org.

Proposal Title: Please enter: DIF2026 Collaborative Application - {Your Organization Name}

Upload Field for Word Doc / PDF
If you would like to submit your narrative responses via Word Doc or PDF, please upload your document here.

Please list the formal name and a brief description of each organization involved in the collaboration. Additionally, please share what excites you about doing work in a collaborative manner and why do you think you are the best candidates to do this work at this time? (300 words or less)

The DIF uses an anti-ableist framework in all aspects of our work. Give one concrete example of how your work uses an anti-ableist framework (250 words or less).

If your project is selected to receive this two-year grant, what are some of the key project plans and activities for the next two years? We understand that plans may shift over the course of two years, and would be interested to know the potential direction, planned activities, and future growth of the project (250 words or less).

What challenges do you anticipate coming up working in collaborating with others, and what types of support do you think you may need for the project and collaboration to be successful? (250 words or less)

Does the project have a clear ending period or do you anticipate continuing the project beyond this funding period? (250 words or less)

How does your project measure change? How will your team know progress is happening during this time? Please briefly describe the kinds of indicators or evidence of progress your team considers for the work that is being done(250 words or less).

Please provide a list of current funders (250 words or less).

What is the total combined (all organizations involved in collaboration) operating budgets for your most completed fiscal year, or your projected 2026 operating budget?

$

Project Budget: Please provide a budget that shows the projected income and expenses for the collaborative work as described in this application.

Is there anything else you would like the grantmaking committee to know? (250 words or less)

Attachments

To view the attachments needed for your application, please select the applying organization's Legal Status under Applicant Organizational Information.

FormAssembly has a limit of 30MB for all attachment uploads. If you're unable to upload any attachments, please email those files to grants@borealisphilanthropy.org and dif@borealisphilanthropy.org.

Attachments for 501(c)(3) organizations

If the applying organization is a 501(c)(3) organization, please use the fields below to upload:

Financial Documents*:

Most recent 990
One of the following for the last fiscal year:

Audited financial statements (if available)
Internally produced Statement of Activities AND Statement of Financial Position

Additional Non-Financial Documents:

IRS Determination Letter

* If your organization does not have any of the below listed documents, please upload whatever financial documents that would provide Borealis a general understanding of your organization’s financial position and health.

IRS Determination Letter: Please upload your organization's IRS Determination Letter letter here.

Most Recent 990: File Upload or Link: Please upload your organization's most recent 990 as a file or use the link field below if the 990 is available on your organization's website, Pro Publica's Nonprofit Explorer, or the IRS's website.

Most recent 990 File Upload:

Most recent 990 Link Field:

Financial Documentation: Please use the File Fields below to upload one of the following for the last fiscal year:

Audited financial statements (if available)
Internally produced Statement of Activities AND Statement of Financial Position

Financial Documentation Upload #1

Financial Documentation Upload #2

Organizational Budget: Please upload your current fiscal year organizational budget

Attachments for Fiscally Sponsored Organizations

If the applying organization is fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3), please use the fields below to upload:

Financial Documents:

Fiscal Sponsor's most recent 990
One of the following for the last fiscal year from fiscal sponsor:

Audited financial statements (if available)
Internally produced Statement of Activities AND Statement of Financial Position

Additional Non-Financial Documents:

Fiscal Sponsor's IRS Determination Letter
Fiscal Sponsorship agreement letter/MOU/contract

Fiscal Sponsor's most Recent 990: File Upload or Link: Please upload the fiscal sponsor's most recent 99 as a file or use the link field below if the 990 is available on the fiscal sponsor's website, Pro Publica's Nonprofit Explorer, or the IRS's website.

Fiscal Sponsor's most recent 990 File Upload Field:

Fiscal Sponsor's most recent 990 Link Field:

Please use the Financial Documentation File Fields below to upload one of the following for the last fiscal year from the fiscal sponsor

Audited financial statements (if available)
Internally produced Statement of Activities AND Statement of Financial Position

Fiscal Sponsor's Financial Documentation File Upload #1

Fiscal Sponsor's Financial Documentation File Upload #2

Project Budget: Please upload the applying organization's organizational budget for the current fiscal year.

Additional Non-Financial Documentation

Fiscal Sponsor's 501(c)(3) Letter: Please upload the fiscal sponsor's 501(c)(3) letter here.

Fiscal Sponsorship Agreement: Please upload your fiscal sponsorship agreement here.

Attachments for Non-501(c)(3)s

If the applying organization is a non-501(c)(3), please use the fields below to upload:

Articles of Incorporation
Financial Documentation such as:

Balance Sheet and Statement of Activities of the current fiscal year OR LAST YEAR?
OR Prior Year Tax Return

Articles of Incorporation: Please upload your Articles of Incorporation.

Project Budget: Please upload a project budget that

Financial Documents: Please use the fields below to upload one of the following:

Balance Sheet and Statement of Activities of the current fiscal year OR LAST YEAR?
OR Prior Year Tax Return

Financial Document File Upload #1

Financial Document File Upload #2