Established in 2012, the Equality Fund at the Boston Foundation works to advance the equitable treatment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) individuals and their families and support Greater Boston nonprofit organizations that serve and strengthen the LGBTQ+ community. The Fund is committed to investing in research, public forums and convenings, strategic partnerships, and grantmaking to nonprofit organizations that provide critical services to our diverse LGBTQ+ community.
Stewarded by the Boston Foundation, the Equality Fund's priorities are guided by an Advisory Committee of community members and allies who possess a depth and breadth of understanding about the most pressing issues affecting LGBTQ+ people today. The Equality Fund is the largest philanthropic fund exclusively dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ+ community in Massachusetts.
This unique fund is already having an impact on the LGBTQ+ community of Greater Boston, with a focus on innovative programming aimed at pressing and emerging issues. To date the fund has awarded over $2.2 million in grants to 104 non-profit organizations and projects.
Celebrating Pride is an annual tradition for the Equality Fund, a time when we announce new grantees, celebrate our nonprofit partners’ transformative work, and recognize our donors’ commitment to the Fund’s mission. We hope you'll join us on Thursday, June 12, 2025, 4:00 - 6:00 PM, at LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc.’s, The Pryde!
Any individual, family or organization can contribute to the Equality Fund in a variety of ways:
Founded: 2012 and is the largest endowed LGBTQ+ fund in Massachusetts
Grantmaking: Most grants made annually, with decisions announced in June
Read the 2024 Equality Fund grants announcement
50 organizations will share $552,875 across five priorities to strengthen and support LGBTQ+ communities. Equality Fund co-chairs Mike Dillon and Alex Schuman also announced the addition of three new members to the Fund’s Advisory Board.
Read the press release
The LGBTQ+ community in MA is a vibrant and growing population with unique identities, needs, and priorities. This report presents an examination of the experiences and challenges faced by LGBTQ+ people in the state, informed by population-based survey data and qualitative data from listening sessions held across the Commonwealth.
Read the report and release event video and recap
“. . .while some things have improved, there’s still a great deal of progress to be made.” — Charlie Walsh. Legacy donor Charlie Walsh is leaving a bequest to the Equality Fund’s endowment. Read more about Charlie and his connection to TBF and the Equality Fund in this excerpt from TBF's 2024 Annual Report.
Celebrating Pride is an annual tradition for the Equality Fund. On June 13th, 2024, the Equality Fund announced their new grantees and celebrated our nonprofit partners’ transformative work. We also recognized our donors’ commitment to the Fund’s mission: to advance the equitable treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals and their families and support Greater Boston nonprofit organizations that serve and strengthen the LGBTQ+ community.
Douglas M. Brooks, MSW, Senior Leadership Fellow, University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy & Practice
Eric Brown, Senior Vice President, Philanthropy, KeyBank
Amber Carroll, LCSW, Clinician at Innovative Social Solutions, LLC
Mike Dillon, Former PWC Partner and Chief Diversity Officer (Co-Chair)
Peter Epstein, Partner, Epstein & August, LLP.
Jude Erondu, Director, Responsible Investing, Nuveen
Shantel Alix Fernandez, Director of Community & Economic Development, North Shore CDC
Andrea Light, Senior Director, U.S. Knee Commercial Marketing, Smith & Nephew
Cameran Mason, Chief External Relations Officer, Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Alex Schuman, Corporate Sustainability & DEI Leader (Co-Chair)
theo tyson, Curator of Fashion Arts, Museum of Fine Arts
Ying Wang, Esq., Associate General Counsel, Massachusetts Gaming Commission & Captain, Judge Advocate General (JAG) Officer, United States Army Reserve
Derrick Young Jr., Co-founder & Executive Director, Leadership Brainery
Read past grant announcements:
On June 5, 2025, the Equality Fund at the Boston Foundation announced its largest single docket in history, awarding $552,875 to 50 Massachusetts nonprofits. The largest philanthropic fund exclusively dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ+ community in Massachusetts, the Equality Fund made grants along five general priority areas identified in the Fund’s recent community needs assessment and research project with the Fenway Institute, LGBTQ People in Massachusetts: Strengths, Challenges and Opportunities in a Diverse Community.
Grants were awarded in these priority areas:
The 2025 grants include:
BAGLY - Boston Alliance of LGBTQ Youth : $25,000
BAGLY: The Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth is a youth-led, adult-supported social support organization committed to social justice and creating, sustaining, and advocating for programs, policies, and services for the LGBTQ+ youth community.
GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, Inc. (GLAD Law): $25,000
Through strategic litigation, public policy advocacy, and education, the GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law) works in New England and nationally to create a just society free of discrimination based on gender identity and expression, HIV status, and sexual orientation.
LGBT Asylum Task Force: $25,000
The LGBT Asylum Task Force operates under the umbrella of Hadwen Park Congregational Church’s Missions and Social Justice Committee. Our mission is to provide support to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals who are seeking asylum in the U.S. because of homophobic persecution in their home countries.
LGBTQ+ Elders of Color: $25,000
The mission of LGBT Elders of Color is to empower LGBTQ+ older adults who identify as BIPOC by building community through creative programming that promotes social engagement, and providing access to resources for needed health care and aging services.
Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC): $25,000
Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition works to ensure the wellbeing, safety and lived equity of all trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive community members in Massachusetts. We educate the public, advocate at state, local, and systems levels, and through collective action, we mobilize community, engage in capacity building, and advance community wellness and prosperity.
Victory Programs, Inc.: $25,000
Victory Programs’ mission is to open doors to recovery, hope, and community to individuals and families facing homelessness, addiction, HIV/AIDS, and/or other chronic illnesses. VPI began in 1975 as a halfway house for men returning from the Vietnam War with alcohol and other addictions. Today, we operate 25 programs in the areas of housing/shelter, health and recovery, and prevention.
Fenway Health: $20,000
Fenway Health advocates for and delivers innovative, equitable, accessible health care, supportive services, and transformative research and education. We center LGBTQIA+ people, BIPOC individuals, and other underserved communities to enable our local, national, and global neighbors to flourish.
LGBTQ Health Center of Excellence: $20,000
Housed within Harvard Chan School of Public Health and the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, the mission of the LGBTQ Health Center of Excellence is to advance health equity for LGBTQ communities. Working with partners across Harvard, throughout Greater Boston, and around the world, we focus on 1) training to prepare the next generation of LGBTQ health leaders; 2) research to expand the evidence base of LGBTQ health; and 3) dissemination to inform policymakers, healthcare providers, and larger public about how to most effectively improve LGBTQ health.
The Theater Offensive, Inc.: $20,000
The Theater Offensive’s mission is to present liberating art by, for, and about queer and trans people of color that transcends artistic boundaries, celebrates cultural abundance, and dismantles oppression.
Chastity’s Consulting & Talent Group: $15,000
CCTG empowers Transgender individuals, specifically Transgender Women of Color, to learn the skills and tools necessary to move into stability while advocating for and with our community in a variety of settings.
Health Law Advocates, Inc.: $15,000
Health Law Advocates (HLA) is a 501(c)(3) public interest law firm whose mission is to provide pro bono legal representation to residents in low-income situations experiencing difficulty accessing or paying for needed medical services. HLA is committed to ensuring universal access to quality health care in Massachusetts, particularly for those who are most at risk due to such factors as race, gender, disability, age, or geographic location.
Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce: $15,000*
The Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce cultivates inclusive relationships between LGBT-owned businesses and the corporate sector to drive economic impact throughout the Commonwealth.
Boston Pride For The People: $12,500
Boston Pride For The People’s (BP4TP) mission is to amplify the beauty, rich diversity, unique culture, and intersectionality of the LGBTQ+ community. BP4TP produces and operates Boston’s annual LGBTQ+ community celebration during PRIDE month, as well as LGBTQ+ educational programming throughout the year.
HopeWell: $12,000*
As the original and still largest provider of Comprehensive Foster Care in Massachusetts, HopeWell’s mission is the driving force behind everything it does: To enrich the lives and expand the opportunities of children, adults and families in need of love, support, and safe places to grow and thrive. This grant will work to improve organizational competency as it pertains to SOGIE, Diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Expression within HopeWell. The result will be that HopeWell staff will improve their practice and affirm LGBTQ+ youth throughout their programs.
826 Boston, Inc.: $10,000
826 Boston is a nonprofit writing, tutoring, and publishing organization where students in grades K-12 and beyond can share their stories, amplify their voices, and develop as leaders in school and life. This grant will support 826 Boston’s Writers’ Rooms to provide both a physical space and a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment for students, including LGBTQ+ youth, to explore ways of creative self-expression, gain confidence in their writing, and create community by sharing their stories.
Bisexual Resource Center, Inc.: $10,000
The Bisexual Resource Center works to connect the bi+ community and help its members thrive through resources, support, and celebration. Through this work, we envision an empowered, visible, and inclusive global community for bi+ people.
Boston LesBiGay Urban Foundation, Inc.: $10,000
The Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation’s mission is to develop strong, sustainable, LGBTQIA+ community functions and relationships. We are committed to improving social and emotional outcomes for our BI-POC LGBTQIA+ community by providing wellness support, coordinated services, safe space and trauma-informed care.
Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights: $10,000
The Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights embraces a dual mission: to educate students and the next generation of leaders from around the world in human rights policy and practice; and to convene and provide policy-relevant knowledge to international organizations, governments, policymakers, and businesses. Support from the Equality Fund will allow the Center to create robust, “shield state” policy solutions in response to harmful federal rollbacks and train LGBTQI+ advocates to implement them in Massachusetts.
Citizens for Juvenile Justice: $10,000
Citizens for Juvenile Justice’s (CfJJ) mission is to advocate for statewide systemic reform that achieves equitable youth justice. CfJJ’s LGBTQIA+ Youth Support Initiative serves LGBTQ+ identifying youth involved with the MA Department of Children and Families (DCF), MA Department of Youth Services, and those who are dually involved with DCF and the juvenile legal system.
History Project, Inc.: $10,000
The History Project is a volunteer-driven community archive dedicated to documenting, preserving, and sharing the history of Boston and New England’s LGBTQ+ communities. We acquire, care for, and provide access to LGBTQ+ archival collections, support research about local queer histories, and interpret and educate through public outreach, exhibits, events, and collaborations with local and national organizations. The History Project honors queer joy, supports the ongoing fight for liberation, and preserves the work of the past and present to inspire the future.
History UnErased, Inc.: $10,000
History UnErased’s mission is to put LGBTQ history in its rightful place - the classroom. We provide K-12 educators and schools with a wrap-around system to integrate LGBTQ-inclusive, intersectional history into K-12 education to ensure all students receive a complete and accurate understanding of the past. Our vision is a future where LGBTQ+ history is recognized as an essential part of the American story, fostering informed civic engagement, empathy, equity, and a more just society. We believe our mission is at the forefront of the next frontier in civil rights and is an issue of liberty and justice.
Home for Little Wanderers, Inc.: $10,000
Our mission is to help vulnerable children and their families build permanent, positive change. Support from the Equality Fund will help defray the costs of providing a wide range of behavioral health services to LGBTQ individuals who, by virtue of their sexuality and/or gender identity, have experienced trauma, been the victims of bullying, feel vulnerable given the current political environment, faced rejection by their families, and other negative and threatening experiences. This work supports the Home’s mission to help vulnerable individuals “build permanent, positive change.”
Keshet, Inc.: $10,000
Keshet works for the full equality of all LGBTQ Jews and our families in Jewish life. We strengthen Jewish communities. We equip Jewish organizations with the skills and knowledge to build LGBTQ+ affirming communities, create spaces in which all queer Jewish youth and queer Jews of color feel seen and valued, and advance LGBTQ+ rights nationwide.
LGBTQ+ Museum of Art History and Culture: $10,000
The mission of the LGBTQ+ Museum of Art, History & Culture is to research, collect, conserve, interpret, and exhibit arts that honor the history of the LGBTQ+ community in Boston and in Massachusetts, and celebrate the lives and narratives of LGBTQ people through the arts and culture by working with and creating opportunities for queer artists.
Massachusetts Asians and Pacific Islanders for Health: $10,000
Massachusetts Asian & Pacific Islanders (MAP) For Health aims to empower and uplift the QTAPI (queer trans Asian and Pacific Islander) population in Massachusetts. We are dedicated to fostering inclusivity, promoting social equity, and advocating for the overall wellbeing of the community.
MassEquality Education Fund: $10,000
MassEquality is the leading statewide grassroots advocacy organization working to ensure that everyone across Massachusetts can thrive from cradle to grave without discrimination and oppression based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. We do this by partnering across issues, identities, and communities to build a broad, inclusive, and politically powerful movement that changes hearts and minds and achieves policy and electoral victories.
OUT MetroWest, Inc.: $10,000
OUT MetroWest builds communities where LGBTQ+ youth thrive.
OutstandingLife: $10,000
OutstandingLife’s mission is to create a diverse, thriving online senior center for LGBTQ+ older adults in Massachusetts where participants can connect, learn, and grow.
Pride in Our Workplace, Inc.: $10,000
Pride in Our Workplace helps all LGBTQ+ professionals and allied businesses drive positive change in the workplace.
Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy, Inc.: $10,000
The Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy’s mission is to improve public education through well-informed decision-making based on deep knowledge and evidence of effective policymaking and practice. By providing an opportunity for LGBTQ+ students in Greater Boston to voice their priorities for in-school support, this grant will advance the Rennie Center’s mission of informing education policymaking and practice that is grounded in student voice, and that leads to better outcomes for all students, especially those who are most marginalized.
Samaritans, Inc.: $10,000
Samaritans mission is to prevent suicide and offer hope and support to those affected. We envision a world without suicide. Support from the Equality Fund is supporting Samaritan’s Safe Place Suicide Grief Support Group Services for LGBTQ+ individuals who are grieving the loss of loved ones following suicide. As exposure to a suicide loss increases suicide risk by 14% to 49%, depending on the presence of other risk factors, the earlier a person gets support and help after a suicide loss, the less likely their own pain will turn into suicidal ideation. These groups will be led by LGBTQ loss survivors trained to lead these supportive groups.
South Coast LGBTQ Network Inc.: $10,000
The South Coast LGBTQ+ Network is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create and support a thriving LGBTQ+ community on Massachusetts’ South Coast where individuals can freely, safely, and joyously celebrate their true selves and realize their full potential. Every day, The Network is dedicated to building and maintaining a comprehensive support network for LGBTQ+ individuals and families across the age spectrum, with an emphasis on the most vulnerable within the LGBTQ+ community: LGBTQ+ youth, transgender and nonbinary individuals, and older adults. The Network offers a wide range of services and events that promote LGBTQ+ awareness and education, health and wellness, social interaction, professional development, and much more.
SpeakOUT Boston: $10,000
SpeakOUT is a community of speakers and volunteers working to create a world free of bias and prejudice by telling the truths of LGBTQ+ lives.
The Queer Neighborhood Council: $10,000
TQNC is a queer community collective fostering queer joy, advocacy, and arts for Greater Boston’s LGBTQIA+ and ally community. TQNC hosts queer community events where we can safely exist as our whole selves, advocates for our queer community, and provides support services for queer community members facing threats to their basic physical and mental health.
Trans Community of New England: $10,000
The Trans Community of New England provides a range of community supports to Trans/Gender Diverse (T/GD) populations, including monthly support groups, educational groups, employment groups, and First Event (the largest T/GD conference in the country). Our mission this year is to extensively expand outreach to and involvement of minority and economically disadvantaged T/GD groups.
Allston Brighton Food Pantry: $5,000
We believe that food access is a basic human right. Our vision is a safe, just, and welcoming community where all members’ needs are met, and no one is faced with suffering alone. Our approach to feeding our community is “human-first,” so we welcome everyone to join us in our mission to feed those in need in body, heart, and soul. This grant will allow the Allston Brighton Food Pantry to scale operations to meet the sharp rise in food insecurity in vulnerable populations—seniors, immigrants, refugees, and LGBTQIA+ persons.
BAMS Fest, Inc.: $5,000
We are a nonprofit organization that breaks down racial and social barriers to arts, music, and culture across Greater Boston. Through edutainment (education + entertainment), strategic partnerships and cultural programming, we celebrate and support both artists and audiences, with an emphasis on Black and Brown voices, perspectives, and artistry. Support from the Equality Fund will help fund a partnership program with The Theater Offensive, called the “Audacity of Being Oneself: A Conversation with Durand Bernarr.”
Boston Gay Men’s Chorus: $5,000
The BGMC creates musical experiences that inspire change, build community and celebrate difference. Funds supporting BGMC will expand our reach into LGBTQ+ communities, particularly older adults and youth, by fostering connection and belonging through live performances, commissioned works, and community partnerships that amplify LGBTQ+ voices and preserve our culture.
Creative Haverhill: $5,000
Creative Haverhill is a 501(c)3 whose mission is to support Haverhill arts and culture by providing experiences and access at the intersection of art, culture, and community and by developing high-quality spaces as platforms for community and cultural expression. Haverhill Pride is housed within Creative Haverhill and is led by local LGBTQ+ advocates and community leaders with a mission to celebrate love, identity, and community by uplifting LGBTQ+ voices and creating a safe, joyous space where everyone can be their true selves.
Greater Lawrence Family Health Center: $5,000
The Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, Inc. (GLFHC) is a Federally Qualified Health Center located in Lawrence, Massachusetts, providing comprehensive primary health care services to patients from Lawrence and the surrounding communities. Since 1980, GLFHC has been fulfilling its mission to “improve and maintain the health of individuals and families in the Merrimack Valley by providing a network of high quality, comprehensive health care services and by training health care professionals to respond to the needs of a culturally diverse population.” This grant will support the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center’s Gender Care Clinic, helping us strengthen our dedicated program to address gender-related concerns and focus on reducing healthcare disparities that disproportionately affect trans and nonbinary individuals.
North Shore Pride: $5,000
North Shore Pride promotes the general welfare and unity of members of the LGBTQ+ community throughout the North Shore and advocates for their acceptance.
On the Rise, Inc.: $5,000
On The Rise’s work begins with individuals experiencing homelessness and continues if and when they secure housing. From our origin as a women’s organization, our programs have evolved toward inclusion of those historically and structurally oppressed on the basis of gender (women, trans, and nonbinary individuals). For those with the fewest options, we cultivate long-term relationships that foster safety and belonging.
Speakeasy Stage Company: $5,000
SpeakEasy produces intimate, entertaining plays and musicals that are new to Boston and compel thoughtful conversation. We champion new talent and future arts leaders alongside a diverse community of experienced local theatre professionals who share our devotion to excellence. We treat our artists, audiences, and supporters as collaborators, working with us to make Boston a city that is sustainable for artists. Support from the Equality Fund will allow Speakeasy Stage Company to ensure access for LGBTQ+ individuals and reduce barriers to entry -- making our art equitable, representative, and accessible for all who wish to partake.
The SpaceMakers Society, Inc. - Womxn of Color Weekend: $5,000
The SpaceMakers Society, Inc. is dedicated to creating environments that prioritize celebration, knowledge-sharing, and capacity-building specifically for BIPOC individuals who identify with LGBTQIA+ communities, affectionately known as our “Fam.” We accomplish this through a variety of thoughtfully organized events that honor the lived experiences and intersectional identities of our community members. Our mission is to center joy, foster belonging, and promote agency, allowing individuals within our Fam to thrive and support one another. This grant will support Womxn of Color Weekend
Trans Resistance MA: $5,000
Trans Resistance MA advocates for the safety, joy, and liberation of Trans, Queer, Black, Indigenous People of Color (TQBIPOC) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In working towards that vision, we value and center racial justice, accessibility, abolition, decolonization, restorative justice, rest, and collaboration.
TransWeek: $5,000
TransWeek is a learning, social, and reunion experience for attendees. It is the longest-running transgender event in the United States and just celebrated its Golden Jubilee 50th Anniversary. This year will mark its 51st year.
First Congregational Church of Randolph: $2,500
“Sharing an experience of belonging, with God’s music and the love and justice of Jesus at the heart of what we do.” This Mission Statement, adopted in 2023, says much about who we are as a faith community today and what you will find when you come alongside us in shared work and ministry. As an open and affirming congregation, we are committed to serving the needs of our Queer neighbors. Part of that need is a sense of community and the sharing of Queer cultural expression with our neighbors, all within a safe space for communication and reflection.
Verna Felton: $2,500
Verna Felton’s mission is to empower the LGBTQIA+ and Gender Expansive community to live in their most authentic light by connecting them to the transformative art of drag.
Boston Dyke March: $2,000
The Boston Dyke March offers a non-commercial, intersectional, grassroots alternative to traditional Pride events.
City of Watertown, Watertown Pride Committee: $1,375
The all-volunteer Watertown Pride Committee was recruited and appointed in 2025 by the City of Watertown to plan and execute the City’s annual Pride parade and festival. We are dedicated to fostering a welcoming, inclusive, and affirming community for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies. Through advocacy, community-building and celebration, we strive to promote equity, visibility, and a more inclusive future for our city.
*-Two grants, to the Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce and HopeWell, were awarded prior to the full docket announcement.
