Who Made the 2016 Trans Funding Honor Roll?
Who Made the 2016 Trans Funding Honor Roll?
By: Lyle Matthew Kan on August 9, 2018
In 2016, 115 U.S.-based foundations awarded nearly $17 million dollars to trans communities in the United States, representing a 22 percent increase from 2015 and a record high mark in funding for trans communities.
Acknowledging that of every $100 dollars awarded by foundations less than 3 cents benefits trans communities, there are still several funders who we would like to applaud for significantly stepping up their support for trans communities.
The following 41 grantmakers increased their funding of trans issues by 25 percent or more in 2016:
| Akron Community Foundation* | Arcus Foundation* |
| Bread and Roses Community Fund | Brother Help Thyself* |
| David Bohnett Foundation* | Calamus Foundation (New York)* |
| Campaign for Southern Equality* | Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan* |
| Cream City Foundation* | Crossroads Fund |
| Elton John AIDS Foundation* | Foundation for the Carolinas –
Charlotte Lesbian and Gay Fund* |
| G.E. Foundation* | Gill Foundation |
| Groundswell Fund* | Hollyfield Foundation* |
| Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund* | Keith Haring Foundation* |
| William and Flora Hewlett Foundation* | John Steven Kellett Foundation* |
| Laughing Gull Foundation* | Leeway Foundation* |
| Left Tilt Fund* | Levi Strauss Foundation* |
| M.A.C. AIDS Fund* | Amy Mandel and Katina Rodis Fund* |
| Miami Foundation* | New York Women’s Foundation* |
| The Overbrook Foundation* | Palette Fund* |
| Pride Foundation* | San Diego Human Dignity Foundation* |
| San Francisco Arts Commission* | San Francisco Foundation |
| Small Change Foundation* | Social Justice Fund Northwest* |
| Third Wave Fund* | Tides Foundation |
| Trans Justice Funding Project* | H. van Ameringen Foundation* |
| The Women’s Foundation of California* |
[NOTE: Foundations marked with an asterix increased their grantmaking by 50% or more]
Included in this list are all types of funders – community foundations, corporate funders, LGBTQ private foundations, non-LGBTQ private foundations, LGBTQ public foundations, and non-LGBTQ public foundations. Additionally, 36 funders made grants to support trans communities in 2016 who did not contribute in 2015.
“While significant increases in trans funding and palpable momentum are encouraging signs that we are making important progress, I am all too aware that there is much work yet to be done given all the challenges our community faces,” said Alexander Lee, Project Director of Grantmakers United for Trans Communities (GUTC). “To that end, I look forward to partnering with these and other grantmakers to explore the many ways in which philanthropy can still improve the lives of trans people.”
To learn more about trends in trans funding, check out our latest infographic. Furthermore, we invite you to partner with GUTC to inspire a philanthropic culture that is inclusive and supportive of trans people through grantmaking and decision-making.
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