The Boston Foundation is excited to announce the 2026 Equality Fund.
Donor Name: The Boston Foundation
State: Massachusetts
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/06/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Equality Fund’s 2026 grantmaking priorities are informed by this community-based research as well as ongoing actions at the federal level which affect legal protections and funding for programs in service to LGBTQ+ individuals and families living in Greater Boston. The Equality Fund’s grantmaking approach takes a proactive intersectional lens, as we work across the many diverse spaces that make up the LGBTQ+ community and in working to support the most urgent community needs.
Funding Information
Grants will be awarded at two (2) levels:
- $10,000
- $25,000
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible organizations and programs include:
- Organizations serving primarily LGBTQ+ populations.
- LGBTQ+ serving programs or projects, fiscally sponsored by another organization, in which at least 60% of the program’s participants identify as LGBTQ+.
- LGBTQ+ serving programs or projects, housed or operating within a larger organization, in which at least 60% of the program’s participants identify as LGBTQ+.
- Programs and organizations serving LGBTQ+ communities, and whose composition of boards, staff, and volunteers are representative of the demographics and lived experiences of their constituencies.
Priority consideration for larger grants will be for organizations and/or programs that starts with, and is centered around, the most marginalized groups in the LGBTQ+ community: people of color (particularly youth of color), transgender and gender expansive communities, refugees and asylum seekers, LGBTQ+ aging adults and senior populations, and homeless individuals, and whose work seeks to address:
- Healthcare access: healthcare access within underserved communities with a focus on a) mental and behavioral health (especially for LGBTQ+ youth to help address high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation), b) gender affirming care, and c) a healthcare workforce that is trained to work with older LGBTQ+ adults, including older adults living with HIV.
- Housing & economic stability: a) support for safe and affordable housing options for low and moderate-income LGBTQ+ individuals and families, b) trainings for shelter and housing staff to ensure consistent and affirming care, c) expanding initiatives to provide housing to prevent homelessness, d) programming that reduces food insecurity for LGBTQ+ individuals and families, e) work that supports upward economic mobility for LGBTQ+ individuals and families, and f) support to reinforce anti-discrimination measures in housing and employment.
- Legal rights protections, legal services, & advocacy: work that a) involves strategic litigation to eliminate discrimination based on gender identity and expression, HIV status, and sexual orientation, b) advocates for the structural and lived-equity for the most marginalized members of the LGBTQ+ community, b) educates the public about the LGBTQ+ community’s needs, and c) amplifies the voices of LGBTQ+ people of color who speak out against the current racial, economic, and legal disparities in own community.
- Safe schools & out-of-school time spaces: work that seeks to a) increase safe and welcoming school environments for LGBTQ+ students with supportive and inclusive general curricula and health education, b) provide safe and affirming out-of-school time youth development and mentoring programs, and c) support ongoing advocacy by parents, youth, educators, and community residents at the local and state-level.
- Decrease social isolation & increase community building: work that seeks to foster community building, relationships, and connections for individuals and groups at risk of social isolation.
- Structural support: initiatives and partnerships that help nonprofits explore organizational changes as they navigate this uncertain funding and legal environment including a) exploring reorganization, b) partnerships to increase community impact and organizational efficiencies, c) organizational mergers, d) significant changes to business models and revenue streams, e) and other efforts.
For more information, visit The Boston Foundation.
