Introducing M. Scott Knox
Leading the Equality Fund Through This Moment in Time
This spring, M. Scott Knox was named the first Director of the Equality Fund, TBF’s endowed fund that supports Greater Boston nonprofits serving and strengthening the LGBTQ+ community. He takes on the role with more than two decades of experience in Boston-area nonprofits, including education-focused organizations such as Steppingstone Foundation and Jumpstart. He joins the Fund at a watershed moment for the LGBTQ+ community—a time when hard-fought-for rights are being reversed by legislatures throughout the country.
“Promise is not progress,” says Knox, “and clearly even the gains we have achieved are not guaranteed. Massachusetts has the honor of being the ‘first’ in many areas, gay marriage being one of them. But we can’t be too complacent, even here, because there are so many people in our community who are struggling. I’m thinking about asylum seekers and homeless youth and those in the trans community.”
Knox sees the fund as “one arrow in the quiver” of TBF’s central goal of advancing equity. “Knowing that what we’re doing is an integral part of TBF’s drive for equity is motivating and inspiring,” he explains.
With more than a decade of work by the Equality Fund, he has a lot to build on: $1.8 million in grants made over the last 11 years, nearly $7 million in estate and planned gifts committed, a strong and deeply committed Advisory Committee, and a growing community of supporters.
“As I look to the work ahead, I’m particularly committed to uplifting and investing in the intersectional needs within Boston’s LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities,” says Knox. “The Equality Fund is perfectly positioned to collaborate with the Asian Community Fund and the Latino Equity Fund at TBF, as well as other partners, to bring greater visibility and recognition to the rich diversity of the Greater Boston’s LGBTQ+ communities.”
