In honor of Black History Month, we thought we’d take a closer look at the $5.9 million awarded specifically for African American LGBTQ communities between 2011-2012. During that time, the top 10 funders were:

1. Elton John AIDS Foundation ($ 1,342,950)
2. Ford Foundation ($ 949,000)
3. Arcus Foundation ($ 687,811)
4. Gill Foundation ($ 575,300)
5. Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr. Fund ($ 390,000)
6. H. van Ameringen Foundation ($ 330,000)
7. Open Society Foundation ($ 300,000)
8. Levi Strauss Foundation ($ 155,000)
9. Liberty Hill Foundation ($ 150,250)
10. Healthcare Foundation of NJ ($ 150,000)

Nearly half of this funding – $2.5 million – went towards addressing HIV/AIDS. This reflects the philanthropic response to the reality that among gay and bisexual men who have sex with men, African American men currently account for the largest number and percentage of both new HIV infections and AIDS diagnoses.

Of the $5.9 million, nearly $1.9 million was awarded to organizations in the D.C. area and $1.4 million was awarded to California-based organizations. No other state or region received more than $1 million expressly for African American LGBTQ communities between 2011-2012.

According to the Williams Institute, there are approximately 1 million “out” LGBT African American adults. As such, the annual LGBTQ grant dollars per African American LGBT adult work out to $2.90. This is less than half the national annual average of $5.78 in LGBTQ grant dollars per LGBT adult for 2011-2012.

Seeking to address the unique needs of LGBTQ African Americans and other communities of color, several funders have recently come together to establish the LGBTQ Racial Justice Fund. This new fund will support efforts to drive structural, policy and cultural change that ensure core public institutions are welcoming and capable of serving diverse LGBTQ populations. The fund is being implemented by the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, the Ford Foundation, the Arcus Foundation and an anonymous donor.

Click here for more information on the LGBTQ Racial Justice Fund. (Letters of Inquiry are now being accepted for LGBTQ Racial Justice Fund grants. The deadline is March 3rd.)

At Funding Forward, our annual gathering of grantmakers committed to LGBTQ issues, the partners of the LGBTQ Racial Justice Fund will host a breakfast meeting for those interested in learning more about the fund. Click here for more information about Funding Forward. Click here to register for Funding Forward.