February 1, 2006

Equity Action Fund at RI Foundation awards $39,000 to five nonprofits serving LGBTQ populations

In its latest round of grantmaking, the three-year-old Equity Action Fund, an initiative of The Rhode Island Foundation, has awarded five grants “to advance the equitable treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) residents of Rhode Island.”

Two of the recipient organizations – the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender (GLBT) Helpline of Rhode Island, and Gay and Lesbian Options of Rhode Island – largely serve the LGBTQ communities, while the three other grantees – Providence Youth Student Movement, Community Preparatory School, and Rhode Island College – have designed specific programs and outreach efforts to address unique LGBTQ needs.

Gay and Lesbian Options moves from volunteer to professionally staffed
With a second-year Equity Action grant of $15,000, Gay and Lesbian Options of Rhode Island will continue its efforts to transition from a volunteer-based organization to one that is professionally staffed. The grant provides salary support for a production manager for Options Newsmagazine, Rhode Island’s only publication dedicated to the needs of the state’s LGBTQ populations. Representatives of the 24-year-old organization note of their publication, “It is one of the few places where local LGBTQs can see themselves represented in a positive, affirming way and also find the information they seek to live their lives better.”

Providence Youth Student Movement assists Southeast Asian Americans
Also receiving a $15,000 award, the Providence Youth Student Movement will use its grant to provide a safe and supportive space for LGBTQ Southeast Asian American youth to learn about issues affecting their lives and to develop their leadership potential. The organization notes, “We want to provide a space free from drugs and alcohol, one that introduces conflict resolution, works on healthy relationships and positive sexual development, supports their mental health, and develops their capacity to become change agents for their families and community.”

GLBT Helpline expands resources via web
The GLBT Helpline of Rhode Island has received a $4,000 grant to expand its services from a telephone helpline to include a website containing local LGBTQ and LGBTQ-friendly resources. Serving the LGBTQ community for the past 30 years, the organization notes that its present volunteer pool allows for Helpline calls to be answered only three times a week for three hours per evening. “Because the population in general, and our traditional clientele (males; ages 17-40) are more inclined to look for information and resources by way of the internet, we feel that by creating this interactive web tool, we have the opportunity to reach a broader spectrum of the community,” the organization notes.

Small grants help special projects
Grants of $2,500 were awarded to the following:

• Community Preparatory School for the “Promise Respect” program which seeks to make the school a safer place for gay and lesbian students, as well as students from gay and lesbian families; and
• Rhode Island College for the Climate Change Program which seeks to raise awareness and educate the college community about LGBTQ issues.

Future opportunities for Equity Action funding
Equity Action has two funding cycles per year for project and capacity-building grants. The next application deadline is April 13 for programs which provide grants of $2,500 to $15,000. In addition, applications are accepted on a rolling basis for grants for projects up to $2,500. Interested organizations can obtain further information by visiting Equity Action in the “Specials” section of www.rifoundation.org.