Grants to Gay Issues Focus on Civil Rights and Youths

Efforts to promote gay marriage and civil-rights issues received the largest share of the nearly $30-million given to gay causes in 2002 by foundations included in a new survey.

Sixty-five percent of the 214 grant makers surveyed, or 139 foundations, awarded a total of 1,570 grants to help gay people, with an average grant amount of $19,122. Of the 50 foundations in the United States with the most assets, 14 made such grants.

The report, by Funders for Lesbian and Gay Issues, a New York organization that advocates support for gay causes, found that 10 of the foundations that gave money to gay issues awarded more grant dollars than the 129 other foundations combined. The top 10 foundations awarded 518 grants for gay causes that totaled $17.1-million. The California Endowment, in Woodland Hills, was the biggest supporter of such groups, awarding $3.54-million to them.

Grants from private foundations started by gay and lesbian donors, like the David Bohnett Foundation, in Los Angeles, and the Gill Foundation, founded in Denver by Tim Gill, who created the publishing-software company Quark, accounted for 29 percent of the money given to gay organizations in 2002.

The majority of grant dollars (57 percent) went to specific programs, as opposed to operating or other support. More than 24 percent of all grant money went to efforts to promote civil rights and marriage rights, with an average grant of $35,000. Projects serving children and youths received 22.6 percent of total grant dollars.

Although the report covered only grants made in 2002, Nancy Cunningham, executive director of Funders for Lesbian and Gay Issues, said that projects to push same-sex marriage are receiving even more support now that some states have considered measures to prohibit gay marriage.

Funds to other grant-making programs have probably grown as well, she said, as more established foundations are now awarding grants to groups working on gay issues, and donors continue to form collaboratives and foundations that give specifically to gay causes.

Funders for Lesbian and Gay Issues plans to release a report this summer on 2003 grant making.

A free copy of the report, “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Grantmaking by U.S. Foundations,” can be downloaded from the organization’s Web site, http://www.lgbtfunders.org, or may be obtained by contacting Funders for Lesbian and Gay Issues, 116 East 16th Street, Seventh Floor, New York, N.Y. 10003; (212) 475-2930; fax (212) 982-3321; info@lgbtfunders.org.