The Equality Fund announces $705,000 in grants to LGBTQ+-serving organizations

Ethos: $10,000
Ethos promotes the independence, dignity and well-being of older adults and disabled individuals through the coordination and delivery of high-quality, affordable home and community-based care. In all aspects of its work, Ethos supports family caregiving, fosters social interaction, and respects cultural diversity. Ethos develops and expands access to safe and inclusive programming for LGBTQ+ older adults in Boston, including LGBTQ Cafés that address hunger, food insecurity, and social isolation, as well as LGBTQ peer support groups that provide access to resources for caregivers and solo agers.

Fenway Institute: $25,000*
The mission of The Fenway Institute is to optimize health and well-being for sexual and gender minorities (SGM) and those affected by HIV.  With this grant funding, the Fenway Institute at Fenway Health will lead a community-based participatory research (CBPR) project to better understand the experiences and priorities of LGBTQ+ Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities in Greater Boston and Massachusetts.

GLAD Law: $25,000
Through strategic litigation, public policy advocacy, and education, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law) works in New England and nationally to create a just society free of discrimination based on gender identity and expression, HIV status, and sexual orientation.

Greater Boston PFLAG: $25,000
Greater Boston PFLAG (GBPFLAG) is dedicated to creating a caring, just, and supportive world for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals and those who love them. Founded in 1978, our first support group was launched by a courageous group of parents in Cambridge who believed their LGBTQ+ children deserved safety, inclusion, and equal rights. Over the past four decades, we have grown into a leading voice for LGBTQ+ inclusion in Massachusetts, with a particular focus on the Greater Boston area.

Health Law Advocates: $25,000
Health Law Advocates (HLA) is a public interest law firm whose mission is to provide pro bono legal representation to residents with low-income experiencing difficulty accessing or paying for needed medical services. Support from the Equality Fund will help preserve access to gender-affirming care through HLA’s Gender Diverse Health Care Access Project, which provides direct legal representation and systemic advocacy for transgender and gender-diverse individuals who have been denied medically necessary gender-affirming health care.

HELP by AMG: $10,000
HELP by AMG empowers QTBIPOC and historically marginalized communities through mutual aid, essential resources, and community care, bridging access to stability and well-being with integrity, collaboration, and a deep commitment to equity and dignity.

Home for Little Wanderers: $10,000
Our mission is to help vulnerable children and their families build permanent, positive change. Support from the Equality Fund will help defray the costs of providing a wide range of behavioral health services to LGBTQ individuals who, by virtue of their sexuality and/or gender identity, have experienced trauma, been the victims of bullying, feel vulnerable given the current political environment, faced rejection by their families, and other negative and threatening experiences. This work supports the Home’s mission to help vulnerable individuals “build permanent, positive change.”

Justice Resource Institute / Boston GLASS: $25,000
The mission of GLASS is to improve the wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ youth of color and their allies by providing a continuum of services that addresses their immediate needs, equips them with tools to make healthy decisions, live fulfilling lives, and helps create communities in which they can thrive.

Keshet: $10,000
Keshet envisions a world in which all LGBTQ+ Jews and our families can live with full equality, justice, and dignity. We strengthen Jewish communities. We equip Jewish organizations with skills and knowledge to build LGBTQ+ affirming communities, create spaces in which all queer Jewish youth feel seen and valued, and advance LGBTQ+ rights nationwide.

LGBT Asylum Task Force: $25,000
The LGBT Asylum Task Force (Task Force) operates under the umbrella of Hadwen Park Congregational Church’s Missions and Social Justice Committee. Our mission is to provide support to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals who are seeking asylum in the U.S. because of homophobic persecution in their home countries.

LGBTQ+ Senior Housing, Inc.: $25,000
The mission of LGBTQ Senior Housing is to facilitate access to welcoming, safe and affordable housing for low-income LGBTQ seniors, including through a formal role in the development of such housing; to define onsite housing services and programming that addresses the needs of LGBTQ seniors; and to support community space that serves seniors in the Greater Boston community. Through four core programs at The Pryde, we are able to increase housing stability and food security and dramatically decrease isolation among our residents.

Massachusetts Commission for LGBTQ+ Youth: $10,000
The Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth advances policies, programs, and partnerships that improve outcomes and well-being for LGBTQ+ youth across the Commonwealth. The Safe Schools Program for LGBTQ Students, operated in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), strengthens school climate by building educator capacity, supporting inclusive policy implementation, and elevating youth leadership, with a strategic focus on priority districts where LGBTQ+ students and families face overlapping inequities and systemic barriers to opportunity.

Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition: $25,000*
Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition works to ensure the wellbeing, safety and lived equity of all trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive community members in Massachusetts. We educate the public, advocate at state, local, and systems levels, and through collective action, we mobilize community, engage in capacity building, and advance community wellness and prosperity. The Equality Fund grant will support implementation of Working for Lived Equity 2026, a comprehensive community needs assessment designed to identify and understand the needs, priorities, and lived experiences of transgender and nonbinary residents across Massachusetts.

Multicultural AIDS Coalition / LGBTQ+ Elders of Color: $25,000
The mission of LGBT Elders of Color is to conduct outreach to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender older adults of color for the purpose of building community through social engagement events, creative programming and providing needed resources for health care and aging services. 

The Network / La Red: $10,000
The Network/La Red is a survivor-led, social justice organization that works to end partner abuse in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, BDSM, polyamorous, and queer communities. Rooted in anti-oppression principles, our work aims to create a world where all people are free from oppression through organizing, education, and the provision of support services. Equality Fund support will help strengthen long-term organizational capacity and revenue sustainability while continuing to provide trauma-informed, empowering services in English and Spanish for LGBTQ+ survivors of partner abuse.

North Shore Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Youth (NAGLY): $10,000
The mission of NAGLY is to empower LGBTQ+ youth to thrive as their authentic selves.” As such, the organization is committed to preserving, protecting, and enhancing the lives of North Shore LGBTQ+ youth from kindergarten through age 23, providing social/emotional and mental health support and a clear and safe path to becoming the authentic persons they know themselves to be.

OutstandingLife: $10,000
OutstandingLife creates a safe, welcoming online community where LGBTQ+ older adults can connect, learn, have fun, and feel less alone as they age. Through free, live programs and shared experiences, we help members deal with isolation and loneliness and supports physical and emotional well-being, and belonging, especially for diverse LGBTQ+ older adults who have faced isolation, discrimination, or limited resources.

OUT MetroWest: $10,000
OUT MetroWest fosters communities where LGBTQ+ youth thrive.

Pathway to Better Health: $10,000
Our mission at Pathway to Better Health is to provide compassionate, stigma-free, gender affirming care to Queer members of the community with a focus on those who have traditionally been stigmatized and marginalized by the healthcare system. We believe healthcare is a basic human right and everyone deserves access to high-quality healthcare and support, regardless of their HIV status, gender identity or substance use history.

Pride in Our Workplace, Inc.: $10,000
Pride in Our Workplace connects LGBTQ+ talent to create thriving workplace cultures. By centering the LGBTQ+ perspective within our most important conversations, we help LGBTQ+ talent and allied organizations enjoy the benefits of celebrating pride in the workplace. We spotlight important, often unheard points of view on timely issues, help connect LGBTQ+ talent with one another, and provide organizations with the tools they need to grow and thrive.

Project Beacon: $25,000
Project Beacon exists to establish and operate accessible, high-quality healthcare services — including clinic and telehealth models — that deliver comprehensive patient care, advance medical education and research, and collaborate with community partners to improve health outcomes for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual/Aromantic, Two-Spirit, and questioning (LGBTQ+) individuals and communities.

Queer History Boston: $10,000
Queer History Boston is a community archives that documents, preserves, and shares LGBTQ+ histories of Greater Boston and New England through collections, collaboration, and public education. Queer History Boston envisions a world where every LGBTQ+ person can see themselves in history; where queer communities in Boston and beyond are emboldened by the past to shape a future of collective liberation.

The Queer Neighborhood Council: $25,000
The Queer Neighborhood Council is a trans-led, grassroots nonprofit committed to creating spaces where LGBTQIA+ folks can celebrate queer joy and creativity, while also empowering our members to take tangible action in their communities. We host a variety of events, primarily free to attend, including organizing to promote community health and wellbeing, supporting local community artists, nonpartisan civic education, and social gatherings to build community and promote mental and physical health.

Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy: $10,000
The Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy’s mission is to improve public education through well-informed decision-making based on deep knowledge and evidence of effective policymaking and practice. Building on a research project uplifting the voices of LGBTQ+ teens in Greater Boston, the Rennie Center is developing an action-oriented toolkit grounded in research and student input that schools can use to assess strengths and gaps in supporting LGBTQ+ students and identify resources to strengthen support strategies for LGBTQ+ youth across Massachusetts and beyond.

Rogerson Communities: $10,000
The mission of Rogerson Communities is to enhance the well-being of older adults by elevating housing, community, and care to address their needs as they age. Our vision is a world where every older adult feels valued and can age with dignity in their community. With the Equality Fund’s support, Rogerson Communities will upgrade exercise spaces and increased socialization at its Joy Street residence, which serves low-income individuals in Boston living with HIV/AIDS.

Samaritans: $10,000
Samaritans mission is to prevent suicide and offer hope and support to those affected. We envision a world without suicide. Support from the Equality Fund will help continue and expand Samaritans SafePlace Suicide Grief Support Groups for the LGBTQ+ community, which provide affirming and trauma-informed peer support spaces for LGBTQ+ suicide loss survivors facilitated by trained LGBTQ+ loss survivors.

Silver Lining Mentoring: $10,000
Silver Lining Mentoring empowers youth in foster care to thrive through committed mentoring relationships and the development of essential life skills. Support from the Equality Fund will help expand Silver Lining Mentoring’s LGBTQ+ initiative, which matches LGBTQ+ youth in foster care with LGBTQ+ or ally-identified mentors through its Community Based Mentoring program.

South Coast LGBTQ Network: $10,000
The South Coast LGBTQ+ Network is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create and support a thriving LGBTQ+ community on Massachusetts’ South Coast where individuals can freely, safely, and joyously celebrate their true selves and realize their full potential. Every day, The Network is dedicated to building and maintaining a comprehensive support network for LGBTQ+ individuals and families across the age spectrum, with an emphasis on the most vulnerable within the LGBTQ+ community: LGBTQ+ youth, transgender and nonbinary individuals, and older adults.

The SpaceMakers Society / Womxn of Color Weekend: $10,000
The mission of the SpaceMakers Society is to consistently cultivate spaces rooted in celebration, knowledge-sharing and capacity-building with and for BIPOC folx who identify with the LGBTQIA2S+ communities (lovingly referred to as “Fam”). Through a series of carefully curated events, we honor the lived experiences and intersectionalities of our Fam to center joy, foster community and exercise agency in our lives.

SpeakOUT Boston: $10,000
SpeakOUT Boston is a community of speakers and volunteers working to create a world free of bias and prejudice by telling the truths of LGBTQ+ lives.

The Theatre Offensive: $25,000
The Theatre Offensive’s mission is to present liberating art by, for, and about queer and trans people of color that transcends artistic boundaries, celebrates cultural abundance, and dismantles oppression.

Trans Week: $10,000
TransWeek is an educational and social conference for its attendees. It is the LONGEST running transgender conference in the country marking its 52 years in existence.

Transgender Emergency Fund of Massachusetts: $25,000
The mission of the Transgender Emergency Fund is to provide critical assistance and support for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming individuals in Massachusetts. The Transgender Emergency Fund (TEF) was founded in 2008 by a trans man as a mutual aid resource. Today, in addition to the Transitional Housing program, TEF continues to provide assistance with homelessness prevention, rental, nutrition, prescription co-pay assistance, transportation, and escorting to medical appointments, among other services.

Trans Health HQ: $25,000
Trans Health HQ accelerates equitable access to gender-affirming care for the transgender community by building digital infrastructure that helps us navigate complex healthcare systems and connect with affirming providers. We work at the intersection of gender health equity, public health technology and health system transformation to reduce barriers to care and ensure continuity of care for trans patients across Boston and beyond.

Urban College of Boston: $25,000
Urban College of Boston empowers immigrant, first-generation, and working-adult learners through accessible, multilingual higher education and workforce pathways that lead to family-sustaining careers and economic mobility. We prepare learners to thrive in high-demand industries while strengthening the communities they serve. Support from the Equality Fund will help train LGBTQ+ young adults for careers in community health and elder care through a program that combines Community Health Worker competencies with specialized training to support LGBTQ+ older adults and seniors.

Victory Programs: $25,000
Victory Programs’ mission is to open doors to recovery, hope, and community to individuals and families facing homelessness, addiction, HIV/AIDS, and/or other chronic illnesses. Today, Victory Programs operates 27 programs in the areas of housing/shelter, health and recovery, and prevention. Equality Fund support will help sustain Boston Living Center meals and nutrition, education and prevention, socialization, and wellness services for food insecure LGBTQ individuals, with a focus on serving highly marginalized and intersectional communities including LGBTQ+ older adults and LGBTQ+ people of color.

YW Boston: $25,000
YW Boston’s mission is to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. Equality Fund support will help develop a new community leadership program designed by and for transgender individuals while building partnerships that strengthen opportunities for trans community leadership and engagement.

*-Two grants, to the Fenway Institute and the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, were awarded prior to the announcement of this full docket to support critical community-based research.