Equality Fund announces $450,000 in grants to 37 LGBTQ+ organizations

Equality Fund

Boston – The Equality Fund at the Boston Foundation is pleased to announce that the Fund has made the largest distribution of grants in its history, a total of $450,000 in grants to 37 organizations, in its 2022 round of grantmaking. Grantees will be recognized as part of the Equality Fund’s 10^th Anniversary next month. The increased funding for 2022 was made possible in part by the allocation of $200,000 in funds from the Boston Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund, shared among seven LGBTQ+-serving organizations that have continued to work to address the ongoing impacts of the pandemic on the community.

“At a time when there are troubling new efforts nationwide to demonize and undermine the rights of LGBTQ+ people, we are pleased to be able to award this largest-ever group of grants to dozens of organizations that are working to support, protect and defend the rights of the community,” said Catherine D’Amato, CEO of the Greater Boston Food Bank and co-chair of the Equality Fund Advisory Committee.

“As we wrap up this Pride Month, it is so important that we recognize and support organizations throughout greater Boston that are doing remarkable work in support of the LGBTQ+ community,” added Elyse Cherry, CEO of BlueHub Capital and co-chair of the Equality Fund Advisory Committee. “These organizations are working across a wide spectrum of areas and issues to improve the lives of thousands of people across the state – and deserve all our support.”

With these grants, the Equality Fund has given more than $1 million in grants to Massachusetts organizations led by and serving the state’s LGBTQ+ communities. 

2022 Equality Fund grantees:

The Equality Fund Advisory Committee is pleased to announce the following grantees for 2022. All funds are given as general operating support. Those organizations listed with an asterisk (*) are receiving a $28,571 grant from the Equality Fund COVID-19 Response grantmaking program – in some cases, the COVID grant is in addition to a grant from the Equality Fund annual grantmaking program.

Bisexual Resource Center: $10,000

The Bisexual Resource Center works to connect the bi+ community and help its members thrive through resources, support, and celebration. We envision an empowered, visible, and inclusive global community for bi+ people.

(B)MEN Foundation: $11,000

(B)MEN is an inclusive group of Black men working to mobilize all Black men regardless of class, national origin, immigration status, age, sexual orientation, sexual identity, and gender expression. Our network provides support groups, conferences, and community action for black men, allowing them space to respond to their own experiences, as well as those in their community.

Boston Alliance of LGBTQ Youth – BAGLY: $38,571*

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. (Also funded via the Equality Fund COVID-19 Response Fund).

Boston GLASS: $28,571*

Founded in 1994, Boston GLASS is one of New England’s premier community centers serving and catering to LGBTQIA+ youth of color. The mission of Boston GLASS is to improve the wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ youth of color and their allies by providing a continuum of services that addresses their immediate needs, equips them with tools to make healthy decisions and live fulfilling lives, and helps create communities in which they can thrive.

Boys and Girls Club of Stoneham: $5,000 

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Stoneham & Wakefield has been building pillars in the local community and across Greater Boston for nearly 50 years. After opening its doors on September 27, 1973, the organization has served generations of children and families alike. Today, they provide fun experiences and educational programming to over 3,000 members across their two locations after school and throughout the summer. We are proud to work with young people from a wide range of economic, social and family circumstances, regardless of their gender, ethnic and racial background.

Breaktime United: $7,000

Breaktime is a Boston-based nonprofit working to end young adult homelessness through purposeful transitional employment and financial empowerment. This organization empowers young adults experiencing homelessness to secure stable employment and permanent housing while bolstering the health of their communities.

Children's Friend: $5,000

Children's Friend, an affiliate of Seven Hills, has been serving children and families in the greater Worcester community since 1849. Their mission is to improve the lives of children and those who love them by creating, supporting, and strengthening families. 

Coro Allegro: $10,000

Coro Allegro is dedicated to providing access to choral music to broad audiences, to performing and commissioning works by composers from underrepresented groups (BIPOC, LGBTQ+, women and gender minorities), and to serving as a model LGBTQ+ organization through artistic excellence and visibility. Through their performances, collaborations, and community partnerships, Coro Allegro strengthens community, builds bridges between disparate communities, and enriches lives in the Greater Boston area and beyond.

Ethos: $28,571*

Ethos is a community-based nonprofit dedicated to helping Boston’s seniors and adults with disabilities live at home with dignity and independence. Founded by a grassroots group of seniors and providers in 1973, Ethos has a detailed understanding of what Boston’s seniors want and need to age healthfully and safely in place, and expertise in delivering high-quality, cost-effective programs and services. Ethos is a recognized leader in spearheading new initiatives for seniors, particularly LGBTQ elders and seniors of color, and for providing the leadership to firmly establish them in our community.

Family Equality: $5,000

Family Equality’s mission is to advance legal and lived equality for LGBTQ families, and for those who wish to form them, through building community, changing hearts and minds, and driving policy change.

Fenway Health: $37,571*

Fenway Health advocates for and delivers innovative, equitable, accessible health care, supportive services, and transformative research and education. They center LGBTQIA+ people, BIPOC individuals, and other underserved communities to enable local, national, and global neighbors to flourish. (Also funded via the Equality Fund COVID-19 Response Fund).

GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, Inc. (GLAD): $10,000

Through strategic litigation, public policy advocacy, and education, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) 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.

Greater Boston Legal Services: $5,000
Greater Boston Legal Services provides free legal assistance to as many low-income families as possible to help them secure the most basic necessities of life. GBLS plays a unique role in the social service delivery system. It is the agency to which other providers refer clients when no one else can help and legal assistance is needed.

Greater Boston PFLAG: $5,000

Greater Boston PFLAG is a group of parents, families, friends, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. We help change attitudes and create an environment of understanding so that our LGBTQ family members and friends can live in a world that is safe and inclusive. We accomplish this through support, education, and advocacy.

Health Law Advocates: $10,000

Health Law Advocates (HLA) is a public interest law firm whose mission is to provide pro bono legal representation to low-income residents 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 factors such as race, gender, disability, age, or geographic location. With its partner organization, Health Care For All, HLA combines legal expertise with grassroots organizing and policy reform to advance the statewide movement for universal health care access.

History Project: $11,500

The History Project is the only organization focused exclusively on documenting and preserving the history of New England’s LGBTQ communities and sharing that history with LGBTQ individuals, organizations, allies, and the public.

Home for Little Wanderers: $7,000

The mission of the Home is to help vulnerable children and families build permanent, positive change. They do so by ensuring the healthy behavioral, emotional, social and educational development and physical well-being of children and families living in at-risk circumstances.

Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston: $5,000

JBBBS believes that everyone deserves to have a friend or mentor in their lives that can have a long-lasting and transformative impact. JBBBS offers two main programs that deliver on this life-changing impact - its Children’s Program and Friend 2 Friend Program.

Massachusetts LGBT Business Network: $5,000

The services of the Business Network are designed to foster the growth of the LGBTQ+ business community and provide people with the tools necessary for financial success. The organization provides and cultivates educational programs and training, advises and mentors organizations and individuals, and serves as a resource for economic equity among LGBTQ+ people.

Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC): $11,500
MTPC works to ensure the wellbeing, safety and lived equity of all trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive community members in Massachusetts. They educate the public, advocate at state, local, and systemic levels, and through collective action, they mobilize community, engage in capacity building, and advance community wellness and prosperity.

Outstanding Life: $10,000

The mission of Outstandinglife.org is to improve the quality of life of LGBTQ older adults in Massachusetts. They seek new creative ways to connect older adults: engaging hearts, transforming lives, and breaking down boundaries. People can still be creative and vital, no matter their age!

My Life My Choice: $5,000

My Life My Choice is a survivor-led pioneer in the fight to end the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Their comprehensive, field-tested programming empowers exploited youth to take ownership of their lives and builds a strong network of responsive providers in their communities. We provide a unique continuum of survivor-led services, including survivor-led mentoring, intensive case management, job readiness, and leadership development, mental health services, prevention education, consultation, training, and advocacy.

North Shore Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth (nAGLY): $10,000

Founded in 1992, NAGLY's mission is to honor, respect, educate, and empower LGBTQ+ youth. Serving more than 40 towns and cities north of Boston, NAGLY remains the only organization dedicated exclusively to meeting the needs of LGBTQ+ youth on the North Shore.

OUT MetroWest: $12,500

OUT MetroWest builds communities where LGBTQ+ youth thrive. They do so by offering social, supportive, and educational programs for LGBTQ+ youth from pre-K through high school.

Peter DiMuro Public Displays of Motion (PDM): $5,000

PDM illuminates the extraordinary and humane qualities of individuals and communities by creating works of dance/theatre through collaborative processes that create community, advocacy and shared values. PDM is a dance/theatre producing company comprised of a core group of intergenerational, interracial, queer to straight dance/theatre-makers, and often augmented by communities who are brought into processes for programs that are simultaneously creating new works of performance while creating deeper relationships and awareness.

Political Asylum Immigration Representation Project - PAIR Project: $7,000

Founded in 1989, PAIR ensures the due process rights of asylum seekers and detained immigrants through high-quality and reliable pro bono programs so that they have equal protection of the law and access to legal counsel without charge. Currently, PAIR supports its clients with 19 staff members; they also recruit, train, and mentor a network of over 1,500 volunteer lawyers to take PAIR cases.

Pride in Our Workplace: $5,000
Pride in Our Workplace helps all LGBTQ+ professionals and allied businesses drive positive change. By centering the LGBTQ+ perspective within important conversations, they help professionals and allied businesses create thriving workplace cultures. They spotlight impactful, often unheard, points of view on timely issues, help connect LGBTQ+ professionals with one another, and provide businesses with the tools they need to grow and lead with pride.

Quincy Pride: $5,000

Quincy Pride was created to be an organization dedicated to awareness and education, highlighting the personal rights and civil liberties of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary, and gender-fluid individuals who are marginalized and sometimes live without access to resources and information. Through their events, special presentations, and partnerships, they seek to raise awareness and showcase the wonderful and diverse individuals throughout Massachusetts. 

Respond: $28,571*

RESPOND is the first domestic violence agency in New England. Established in 1974, RESPOND has provided hundreds of thousands of individuals in Greater Boston with pioneering victim services, including the first domestic violence program serving inmates in a Massachusetts jail/prison, one of the few emergency shelters in Greater Boston to accept families of all shapes and sizes (e.g. live-in grandparents), the only homelessness prevention program in Somerville exclusively serving survivors, and unique partnerships with local Police Departments to improve outreach to victims in underserved communities.

Roxbury Youthworks: $37,571*

Roxbury Youthworks, Inc. (RYI) is a 40-year-old minority non-profit organization whose mission is to help youth caught in cycles of poverty, victimization and violence transition successfully into adulthood. (Also funded via the Equality Fund COVID-19 Response Fund).

Silver Lining Mentoring: $7,000

Silver Lining Mentoring empowers youth in foster care to thrive through committed mentoring relationships and the development of essential life skills. They are one of only a few mentoring organizations in the country exclusively focused on youth impacted by foster care.

SpeakOUT Boston: $5,000

SpeakOUT is a community of speakers working to create a world free of homo-bi-transphobia and other prejudice by telling the truths of their lives. They train individuals and organizations to use public speaking to create positive cultural change.

Teach Plus: $5,000

Teach Plus’s mission is to empower excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that advance equity, opportunity, and student success. They are driven by their Student Opportunity Mandate: all students should have the opportunity to achieve their potential in an education system defined by its commitment to equity, its responsiveness to individual needs, and its ability to prepare students for post-secondary success (in college and career) in an innovative economy.

Trans Community of New England (TCNE): $12,500
TCNE's primary mission is to provide support, personal growth opportunities, and social connections for transgender people and their allies in the Greater Boston area, southern NH and throughout New England. They do so in a confidential, respectful, and safe space for individuals to engage in full self-expression of their gender.

Together Estranged: $5,000

Together Estranged (TE)'s mission is to support and empower those estranged from family members while enhancing social understanding for the de-stigmatization of estrangement. They primarily support women and the LGBTQ+ community ages 24 to 44 who've been abused, neglected, or unaccepted by family for being LGBTQ+.

Translate Gender: $5,000

Translate Gender is a collective-based, consensus-run, nonprofit organization that works to generate community accountability for individuals to self-determine their own genders and gender expressions. They accomplish this goal through workshops, consultations, mediations, and facilitated discussions in agencies, organizations, schools, universities, at conferences, and in the workplace.

Victory Programs: $28,571*

The mission of Victory Programs, founded in 1975, is to open doors to recovery, hope and community to individuals and families facing homelessness, addiction, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, and/or other chronic illnesses.