The Boston Foundation applauds Supreme Court decision on DOMA
June 26, 2013
Boston – Boston Foundation President and CEO Paul S. Grogan today applauded the decision of the United States Supreme Court in the case of United States v. Windsor, which affirmed a lower court’s finding that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court’s decision was handed down this morning.
“Today’s ruling removes an unjust double standard thrust upon businesses and legally married employees in Massachusetts and other states,” said Grogan. “The Boston Foundation was proud to sign on to the amicus brief calling for the overturning of the Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional, and applaud the majority of justices for recognizing and removing this two tier system.”
The Boston Foundation was one of 278 businesses, cities and other employers, along with other organizations that represent employers, who signed an amicus brief in an effort to advise the Supreme Court of the detrimental impact of DOMA on their organizations and their workers.
Last week, the Foundation announced the first round of grants to be distributed from the Equality Fund, established at the Boston Foundation last year as a permanent, committee-advised, Field of Interest fund with a mission to provide ongoing support to advance the equitable treatment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) people and their families in Greater Boston, and improve their quality of life over the long term.
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The Boston Foundation, Greater Boston’s community foundation, is one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the nation, with net assets of more than $900 million. In 2012, the Foundation and its donors made $88 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and received gifts of close to $60 million. The Foundation is a partner in philanthropy, with some 900 separate charitable funds established by donors either for the general benefit of the community or for special purposes.
The Boston Foundation also serves as a major civic leader, provider of information, convener and sponsor of special initiatives that address the region’s most pressing challenges. The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI), an operating unit of the Foundation, designs and implements custom philanthropic strategies for families, foundations and corporations around the globe. Through its consulting and field-advancing efforts, TPI has influenced billions of dollars in giving worldwide. For more information about the Boston Foundation and TPI, visit www.tbf.org or call 617-338-1700.