The Equality Fund, a grantmaking initiative of The Boston Foundation, is accepting applications for its FY25 funding cycle. Established in 2023 with a strategic focus on serving the LGBTQ+ community in Greater Boston, the fund prioritizes intersectional approaches to address racial and ethnic disparities within this community. The fund supports organizations and programs that work across diverse spaces and focus on urgent needs within the LGBTQ+ population. Grant applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM on Friday, March 7, 2025.

The funding is available for general operating support for organizations and projects serving LGBTQ+ individuals in Greater Boston and the Boston Foundation's designated service area. Eligible applicants include organizations whose primary mission is to serve LGBTQ+ populations, fiscally sponsored programs in which at least 60% of participants identify as LGBTQ+, and larger organizations housing LGBTQ+-serving programs that meet the same participant threshold. Preference will be given to organizations whose leadership, staff, and volunteers reflect the demographics and lived experiences of the LGBTQ+ communities they serve.

The Equality Fund will award grants at three levels: $1,000–$5,000, $10,000, and $25,000. Grants will support a variety of initiatives, including critical research, advocacy, and field-building efforts. Funding is also available for general services benefiting the LGBTQ+ community, such as community-building activities, capacity building, outreach and education, legal services, mentoring, cultural awareness campaigns, and health and human services. Larger grants will prioritize initiatives focused on marginalized subpopulations, such as LGBTQ+ people of color (particularly youth), transgender and gender-expansive individuals, refugees, asylum seekers, aging adults, and homeless individuals.

Priority funding areas include healthcare access, particularly mental and behavioral health support for LGBTQ+ youth, gender-affirming care, and training for healthcare providers working with older LGBTQ+ adults. Housing and economic stability initiatives are also a focus, with funding available for affordable housing, training for shelter and housing staff, food insecurity programs, economic mobility support, and anti-discrimination measures in employment and housing. Additionally, funding will support legal services and advocacy for structural and lived equity, public education about LGBTQ+ needs, and amplifying the voices of LGBTQ+ people of color. Other areas of focus include increasing safe and inclusive school environments and reducing social isolation through community-building efforts.

Grant recipients will be required to submit a brief impact report in early 2026. Interested applicants must submit their applications through The Boston Foundation's Grants Portal, ensuring their organizational operating budget is attached. Applicants should verify their accounts in advance, as the grant management system was updated in the prior year. If any login difficulties arise, the foundation recommends using the "Password Reset" feature or registering a new account. For assistance, applicants may contact Scott Knox, the Equality Fund Executive Director, at scott.knox@tbf.org.