2026 REV UP Movement Grants

What is REV UP?

REV UP’s mission is to build the power of the disability vote through increasing civic engagement in the disability community and improving the accessibility of elections. REV UP stands for “Register, Educate, Vote, Use your Power!”

 

What is a REV UP Movement Grant?

Formerly called “REV UP Small Grants,”  REV UP Movement Grants are amounts of money given to an organization or group to support a project that works to engage disabled voters and make our democracy more accessible. The grants are intended to support work in the United States at the state and local level. Projects must take place between April 2026 and December 2026. In 2026, AAPD will be giving out REV UP Movement Grants in amounts of up to $10,000.

 

What is the application process?

Organizations applying for a grant should complete this application. You can review the full list of questions below. If the application is not accessible to you and you need to submit your application in a different format, please reach out to revup@aapd.com.

 

Applications are due by midnight on February 27, 2026. Use this form to apply.

 

An information session will be held on February 11, 1-2PM ET. Register here for the February 11 webinar. An example application and guidance on strong answers will be provided in the webinar.

If you’d like additional support or feedback, you can sign up for Movement Grant office-hours using this link. These are opportunities for you to learn more about how to submit a strong application and to ask questions.

Notifications on grant awards will be made by the end of March. Awarded grantees will be required to attend a kick-off meeting on April 8, 3-4PM ET.

 

What can the grant be used for?

To apply for a 2026 REV UP Movement Grant, you will be asked to propose a specific project that works to increase civic engagement in the disability community or improve election accessibility. Your project could be a voter registration event, a candidate forum on disability, providing accessible rides to the polls, doing advocacy around election accessibility, training and recruiting poll workers, or something else entirely! All grant activities must be nonpartisan and based in the U.S.  Projects must be completed by December 2026.

 

Who can apply for a REV UP Movement Grant?

The REV UP movement was founded by grassroots disabled activists. The REV UP Movement Grants are designed to continue to support organizing and outreach at the local level. 

Organizations and grassroots groups can apply for REV UP Movement Grants. To be eligible to apply for a grant, applicants must:

• Have an annual budget of less than $2.5 million
  • Note: If you are a grassroots group that is working with a nonprofit partner to hold your funds, you do not need to include the partner’s annual budget. The budget requirement applies only to the entity that is applying for the grant and will be directly using the funds. 
• Focus on reaching the disability community and historically excluded communities in their civic engagement work
• Be nonpartisan in their voter outreach, engagement, and advocacy work  

Priority will be given to organizations and coalitions that are led by disabled people and/or staffed by a majority of disabled people, and particularly by Black, Latinx/Hispanic, Indigenous, Asian American Pacific Islander, or LGBTQIA+ disabled people. Leadership is defined by decision-making authority within the organization or group’s strategic plans and programming. 

Grassroots organizations who do not have their own 501(c)(3) status are encouraged to apply. You can work with a “fiduciary partner” to hold the funds for you. 

 

Reporting and Engagement Requirements

• Grantees will join one kick-off call on April 8, 3-4PM ET.
• Grantees will schedule one mid-term check-in between July-August.
• By December 11, 2026, the Grantee will share final products, photos, and outcomes in a brief report.

Grant Application Questions

 

Section 1: Organization Budget

Organization/Applicant Name

What is the annual operating budget of the organization applying for a grant?

(multiple choice, if $2.5 mil or above, the application ends)

 

Section 2: Point of contact

The first person listed is the individual who will be on the listserv to receive updates about the grant requirements. The best person to list here is the person who will be managing the grant activities. 

First Name

Last Name

Email 

(option to add additional contacts)

Mailing Address

Street Address

City

State

Zip Code

Billing Address

• Same as above

Street Address
City
State
Zip Code
Billing Contact

First Name

Last Name

Email

 

Section 3: Fiduciary Partner Name

Fiduciary Partner Point of Contact 

First Name

Last Name

Email

Check here to confirm you have a working relationship with this organization and they have agreed to sponsor your grant, should you be awarded.

 

Section 4: Organization Information

We are particularly interested in supporting organizations and groups that are led by disabled people and/or staffed by a majority of disabled people, and particularly by Black, Latinx/Hispanic, Indigenous, Asian American Pacific Islander, or LGBTQIA+ disabled people. Leadership is defined by decision-making authority within the organization or group’s strategic plans and programming.

Please share a brief description about your organization or group. What is your mission? What communities do you reach in your work?

Is your organization or group led by people with disabilities?

Yes
No

Is your organization or group led by Black, Latinx/Hispanic, Indigenous, Asian American Pacific Islander, or LGBTQIA+ people?

Yes
No

Is your organization staffed by a majority of people with disabilities, members of marginalized communities, and people that reflect the communities you seek to serve?

Yes
No

Is there any additional information you wish to share about your leadership and staff structure? (optional)

Have you been awarded a REV UP grant before? If so, what year(s)?

 

Section 5: Movement Grant Project Proposal

In a few sentences, please describe your project idea.

Who is your target audience for this project? Please be specific; note: “disabled voters” is too broad. You can describe more than one audience.

Please share the SMARTIE goal for your project. SMARTIE stands for Strategic, Measurable, Ambitious, Realistic, Time-bound, Inclusive, and Equitable. Use this resource to work through writing your goal. A google document and word document are available at the link. Or use this plain language resource on SMART goals from Autistic Self Advocacy Network.

Specific: What will your project accomplish? (around 50 words)

Measurable: How will you know if your project was successful? Hint: Your measurement should include specific number goals. You can include more than one way of measuring success!  (around 50 words)

Ambitious: How is this project adding something new to your community? Why do you need a grant to do this work? (around 50 words)

Realistic/Relevant: Why is this project the right approach to achieve your goal and reach your target audience? Describe how your organization’s expertise, experience, and connections make this project both feasible and impactful. (around 50 words)

Timebound:  Please describe your project timeline. If your project involves hosting a specific event, what is the target date for your event? If your project has multiple phases, when will those phases take place? (around 50 words)

Inclusive: How does your project include people with disabilities and multiply marginalized people in the decision-making process? (around 50 words)

Equitable: What supports will you provide to ensure your project reaches people who may have accessibility needs or experience barriers? (around 50 words)

 

What challenges will you face to complete your project?

 

What grant amount are you applying for? Note: Depending on the volume of requests and scope of projects, grant amounts may shift.

• $2,500
• $5,000
• $7,500
• $10,000

 

Please describe how you will use the full amount of funding. 

If you are awarded this grant, what additional support would you like to receive from AAPD?