With virtually every lesbian, gay, or other gender identified Rhode Islander experiencing an act of harassment each and every year of his or her life,* The Rhode Island Foundation convened an advisory group in 2002 to determine how philanthropy could best address the issues of homophobia.

The advisory committee became Equity Action, a permanent endowment at the Foundation dedicated to advancing the equitable treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) residents of Rhode Island

Equity Action has made significant inroads in each of its three target areas of advocacy, fundraising, and grantmaking:

• Issued Meet the Neighbors, the first major study of the LGBTQ communities of Rhode Island
• Met and surpassed a $100,000 fundraising challenge from the National Lesbian and Gay Community Funding Partnership
• Awarded more than $250,000 in grants

Even before Equity Action, the Foundation had committed significant resources to organizations and projects serving the LGBTQ communities, among them AIDS Care Ocean State, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), Youth Pride, and AIDS Project Rhode Island.

Learn more about Equity Action.

*According to “Meet the Neighbors”