Overview
Equity Action is committed to enacting social change by championing initiatives and organizations that encourage justice for, provide support to and improve the quality of LGBTQ Rhode Islanders. We strongly encourage applications from all-volunteer and grassroots organizations, and we acknowledge that many may not have grantwriting experience. To assist these and all potential applicants…

• You are encouraged to contact Alex McCray, Community Philanthropy Associate, at The Rhode Island Foundation to set up a one-on-one meeting or have a conversation.

Grant award recommendations are made by the Equity Action Advisory Council to The Rhode Island Foundation Staff and decisions ratified by the Foundation's Board of Directors.

To help you with the process of applying for a grant, follow these steps:

Step 1: Read the Grant Guidelines
In this document you will learn about…

1. Funding Priorities of Equity Action
2. Who is Eligible for a Grant
3. Type and Size of Grants
4. Grant Proposal Review
5. Reporting Process

Download the  Grant Guidelines (203 kb).

Step 2: Choose one of three grant types
Once you have chosen the grant that best fits your organization, simply download and complete the application.*

Small Grants [requests up to $2,500]
For short-term projects or one-time activities
Deadline: applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Project Grants [requests from $2,500 to $15,000]
For meeting the community’s priority needs
Deadline: applications are reviewed biannually and are due either April 15 or October 15.

Capacity-Building Grants [requests from $2,500 to $15,000]
For building the capacity of organizations
Deadline: applications are reviewed biannually and are due either April 15 or October 15.

* Note: The above Grant Applications are writable PDFs: you may download them, fill them out directly on your computer, print them out, then mail them in to The Rhode Island Foundation. Please do not email or fax your application forms! For help with filling these forms on your computer, click here.

Step 3: Review the Grant Selection Criteria
In developing your proposal, you will want to keep these criteria in mind which will be used by Equity Action in making grant decisions.

Download the Grant Selection Criteria.

All PDFs require the free Adobe Reader.
If you need help working with PDFs, please click here.

If your organization either is not a 501 (c) as determined by the IRS or a unit of government, read our Requirements for grant proposals involving a fiscal agent.