Equity Action awards inaugural grants
Distributes $49,775 to strengthen nonprofits, support advocacy for marriage equality, strategic planning, and the arts

Equity Action, a fund established by The Rhode Island Foundation to provide support for the state’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities, has announced its first grants, totaling $49,775.

The inaugural grants should help ensure safe schools and youth services, advocate for civil rights and protections, and recognize the needs of elders, according to Foundation Program Officer Kris Hermanns.

“We’re pleased that we are able to distribute grants so early in Equity Action’s lifetime; nonprofits made good arguments for their projects or for strengthening their organizations,” she said.

Hermanns said an additional $50,000 will be available in October because Equity Action successfully met a match issued by the National Lesbian and Gay Community Funding Partnership. Equity Action has raised more than $100,000 and is, according to Hermanns, “on target” for reaching the entire $200,000 challenge by the end of the year. In addition, the Fund has secured pledges of $27,000 and bequests totaling $235,000.

“We’re excited that the quality, diverse proposals we received are tackling many of the priorities identified through Meet the Neighbors,” said Hermanns. The Meet the Neighbors report is a community scan of the LGBTQ community that the Foundation commissioned and released earlier this year, she said.

In addition to the needs of youth and of elders and for civil rights/ protections, the funded projects speak to priority needs of supporting families and addressing diversity within the communities.

Hermanns said some of the grants will also bolster “fragile organizations” that are providing LGBTQ services. “Despite the communities’ growing needs, just two of the funded organizations have paid staff and most have budgets of less than $50,000,” she continues, “Building the organizations’ infrastructures through project and capacity-building grants is essential.”

PROJECT AND CAPACITY-BUILDING GRANTS
The largest grant, $15,000, was awarded to Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) to support the Family Law Program in Rhode Island. Working with Rhode Island organizations, this Boston-based nonprofit’s Family Law Program works to ensure that the families of LGBTQ people are protected by Rhode Island state and city/town laws and policies.

A grant of $13,800 was awarded to Youth Pride, Providence, to support the PROUD (Powerful, Resilient, Outspoken, Unified, Determined) Leaders project which provides LGBTQ youth and young adults with youth development and leadership opportunities to build resiliency, self confidence, and community organizing skills.

Providence-based Senior Action in a Gay Environment/Rhode Island was awarded $9,975 to assess the needs of Rhode Island lesbian and gay elders.

Receiving a $2,500 grant is the Providence Youth-Student Movement (PrYSM) which will use the funds to build this Southeast Asian youth organization’s capacity for future LGBTQ programming and services.

A $2,500 grant also was awarded to Rhode Island Pride, Providence, to research and develop an on-line directory of LGBTQ and LGBTQ-friendly organizations, professionals, and businesses.

Other $2,500 grants went to the Rhode Island Alliance for Lesbian & Gay Civil Rights, Providence, to support the Rhode Island Campaign for Marriage Equality’s media advocacy campaign; and to the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Warwick, to support its LGBTQ Committee’s statewide strategic planning efforts.

WhamBamTrans Art Fest, Providence, received $1,000 to support a one-day multi-media event that showcases trans-identified artists within the LGBTQ community.

FUTURE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Grant applications for $2,500 or less to support short-term or one-time activities may be submitted at any time, with decisions within four to six weeks.

Larger project and capacity-building grant requests are reviewed twice a year; the next deadline is October 15, 2004. Proposed projects should address priority needs as presented in Meet the Neighbors. Capacity-building grants are intended to strengthen organizations serving the LGBTQ communities through new board development, strategic planning, program development, nonprofit business development, fundraising, or program evaluation. Both project and capacity-building grants will range from $2,500 to $15,000.

Equity Action will host a series of community outreach meetings throughout the state in September to assist prospective applicants prior to the fall deadline. Specific dates and locations will be on the Fund’s website, www.rifoundation.org/equity_action, as is additional information on Equity Action, its various grant programs, and other opportunities to get involved.