“This is a critical moment to do everything we can to support the LGBTQ community. 2017 was the deadliest year on record in terms of anti-LGBTQ violence. Thankfully, there are inspiring, strategic leaders and organizations across the South moving us toward lived and legal equality for LGBTQ people. The Laughing Gull Foundation Board is honored to be able to expand our investment in their work, and to provide multi-year, general operating support to the majority of our grantees. We encourage our peers to do the same.” - Meg Baesmith, LGF Board President
This commitment represents a 240% increase in annual grantmaking for LGF’s LGBTQ Equality Program, and the addition of 12 new grantees. The portfolio reaffirms LGF’s focus on North Carolina and Virginia, and on strategic opportunities to support the LGBTQ community across the US South. The expansion also allows LGF to make new commitments to emerging organizations focused on the transgender community, and to multi-issue organizations doing significant work in the LGBTQ community with an intersectional, racial justice lens.
LGF’s 2018 - 2020 LGBTQ grants will be made to the following organizations. (* = new grantee)
For further grant and organizational details, please visit LGF’s website or contact Cynthia Renfro, LGBTQ Program Consultant, at cynthia@laughinggull.org.
*ACLU-NC Legal Foundation. (North Carolina) $75,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
Astraea Foundation for Justice’s LGBTQ Racial Justice Fund. (Regional) $50,000
*Borealis Philanthropy’s Fund for Trans Generations. (Regional) $75,000
Campaign for Southern Equality. (Regional) $100,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
Campaign for Southern Equality’s Southern Equality Fund. (Regional) $50,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
*El Centro Hispano. (Durham, North Carolina) $25,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
Equality Federation’s Victory South Initiative. (Regional) $30,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
Equality Virginia. (Virginia) $100,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
Equality Virginia’s Transgender Visibility Initiative. (Virginia) $50,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
Freedom Center for Social Justice. (Regional) $100,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
Funders for LGBTQ Issues’ Out in the South Initiative. (Regional) $125,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
*Health Brigade. (Richmond, VA) $40,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
Horizons Foundation’s Give Out Day. (Regional) $20,000
LGBT Center of Raleigh. (Raleigh, NC) $50,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
LGBTQ Center of Durham. (Durham, NC) $30,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
*Lynchburg Diversity Center. (Lynchburg, VA) $20,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
*Nationz Foundation. (Richmond, VA) $30,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
*SHIFT NC. (North Carolina) $30,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
Side by Side. (Virginia) $75,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
Southerners on New Ground. (Regional) $100,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
*Southern Vision Alliance. (North Carolina) $40,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
*Southern Vision Alliance’s Frontlines Fund (North Carolina) $10,000
Time Out Youth. (Charlotte, NC) $100,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
*Trans Justice Funding Project. (Regional) $75,000
*Tranzmission. (North Carolina) $25,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
*Virginia Anti-Violence Project. (Richmond, VA) $50,000/yr. for 3 yrs.
*Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities. (Virginia) $40,000/yr. for 3 yrs.