Arcus Foundation
Arcus Foundation is a private grantmaking organization headquartered in New York City that funds LGBTQ social justice and great apes & gibbons conservation. The official site provides grant program pages, an 'Apply for a Grant' section, publications (including a 2024 report), contact information, and a board & staff directory.
Source: Website · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
Organizations focused on LGBTQ social justice or great apes/gibbons conservation—often movement organizations, regional networks, sanctuaries, or conservation NGOs—seeking general operating support, capacity strengthening, or programmatic grants at the sizes reflected in recent awards.
Good Fit
- • Clear alignment with LGBTQ social justice or great apes/gibbons conservation priorities.
- • Requests for general operating support, capacity building, or movement-focused grantmaking.
- • Ability to operate at regional or international scale or to convene/coordinate networks.
- • Project budgets in the historically observed range (many grants cluster between $50K and $250K, with larger awards possible).
- • Demonstrated community- or movement-led approaches and partnerships in relevant geographies.
Geography
Observed grants in the latest year reached 39 distinct states and included international recipients and range-state work, and the foundation’s in-state share was only about 8% in 2024, indicating a broad national and international footprint.
Recipient Variety
The latest year shows 226 grants to 160 distinct recipients with a mix of small and large awards, many independent organizations funded, and a low top-five dollar share (17%), demonstrating a broad and diverse recipient set.
New Applicants
Direct access cues exist (public website, an 'Apply for a Grant' page and a Fluxx Initial Funding Concept submission route, plus listed program officers), and 58 new recipients were funded in 2024 (about 36%), so unfamiliar applicants have a realistic path to enter the portfolio.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
