About
Threats to the LGBTQ community have increased across the globe in recent years–including a rise in national legislation to block access to gender-affirming care for trans youth and the continuous stigma, discrimination, and violence experienced by LGBTQ people and their families. Funders for LGBTQ Issues conducts timely and impactful research projects that support our programs and initiatives, as well as inform our members and create increased avenues for transformative changes in LGBTQ grantmaking across the United States.Â
The foundation of the research portfolio at Funders for LGBTQ Issues is the annual Resource Tracking Report. For more than two decades, these reports have analyzed the latest LGBTQ grant data to identify gaps in funding and present recommendations for U.S. foundations. It is the hope of Funders for LGBTQ Issues that this report can aid funders in building grantmaking strategies to more effectively support LGBTQ and allied movements given the lived realities and unique needs of our communities across the country.
The 22nd iteration of this project, entitled: 2024 Resource Tracking Report: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Grantmaking by U.S. Foundations was published on June 8, 2026 and provides an analysis of grantmaking data from calendar year 2024.
To dig into the key findings from the 2023 Resource Tracking Report, as well as visualize the data in new and interactive ways, please check out the Resource Tracking Data Explorer.Â
Data from the Resource Tracking Reports also help produce specialty reports, articles, blogs, infographics, and other analyses that provide a deep dive on LGBTQ-specific funding based on particular issue areas, populations, and geographic areas. Â
A full library of past research projects can be found below. This library also includes previous versions of the Global Resources Report, an international tracking report led by our partner, the Global Philanthropy Project (GPP).Â
Research Focus
For inclusion in the Resource Tracking Report, Funders for LGBTQ Issues considers whether there is sufficient evidence to suggest that 50% or more of the support provided through a grant was for LGBTQ+ communities and issues. Any one or more of the following can be considered sufficient evidence that a grant specifically supported LGBTQ+ communities and issues:
- If the submitting foundation indicated that all their grantmaking was LGBTQ-specific.
- If the individual grant entry indicated that it was awarded for the specific purpose of supporting LGBTQ communities or issues (through the grant description or the selection of LGBTQ population categories in the direct submission template).
- If the grant was awarded to an organization whose mission was solely focused on LGBTQ communities or issues.
Submitting highly detailed grant descriptions along with complete grant-level data (e.g., grantee name, total award amount, type of support, LGBTQ population of focus, and geographic focus) help ensure that our reporting is as accurate and impactful as possible.
Methodology
For many years, Funders for LGBTQ Issues has relied on grant-level data submitted directly by grantmakers, as well as publicly available data, including from foundation annual reports, grant databases like CANDID, and 990 forms from the IRS to develop various research publications in addition to the annual Resource Tracking Report. These include specialty reports, articles, infographics, blogs, and new online tools.
Funders for LGBTQ Issues continues to review and update the methodologies we use to produce informative and impactful research publications that meet the needs of LGBTQ communities in the current moment. With an increased quality and quantity of data, Funders for LGBTQ Issues is able to improve reporting on the true nature of grantmaking for LGBTQ communities and causes in the United States, as well as inform strategic philanthropic organizing initiatives to create avenues for transformative changes in LGBTQ grantmaking.Â
Data Collection
To produce the Resource Tracking Report each year, we conduct a data collection campaign to gather detailed information on grants awarded by U.S. based foundations in a specific year for LGBTQ communities and issues across the country.Â
The annual data collection process for LGBTQ grants awarded during calendar year 2025 is now open! Please submit your foundation’s LGBTQ grant data to us by Friday, October 16, 2026. Submission instructions can be found below.
Background
The next Resource Tracking Report will document grants awarded by U.S.-based foundations for LGBTQ communities and issues in calendar year 2025 (CY2025). The data you provide are invaluable not only for Funders for LGBTQ Issues’ annual Resource Tracking Report but also for producing other specialty reports, including the biennial Global Resources Report produced by the Global Philanthropy Project (GPP). Data collection for the next Global Resources Report covering LGBTQ grants awarded in 2025 and 2026 will begin in Summer 2027. Check out the 2023-2024 Global Resources Report, which was just launched in June 2026.
Data Submission Instructions
Funders for LGBTQ Issues has updated the CY2025 LGBTQ grants data submission template to collect vital information that will be used to produce the 2025 Resource Tracking Report. Submitting highly detailed grant descriptions along with complete grant-level data (e.g., grantee name, total award amount, type of support, LGBTQ population(s) of focus, and geographic focus) helps ensure that our reporting is as accurate and impactful as possible.
Please download the updated CY2025 LGBTQ grants data submission template, which includes additional instructions to help you prepare and submit your institution’s grantmaking data.Â
Â
Data Sharing
Funders for LGBTQ Issues and GPP have worked together to develop this joint LGBTQ grant data template to streamline the submission process for grantmakers. Any non-US LGBTQ grant data submitted to Funders for LGBTQ Issues will be shared with GPP for inclusion in the next Global Resources Report; you do not need to submit your institution’s LGBTQ grant data to both organizations.Â
Similarly, any grants related to HIV/AIDS programming will be shared with our research partners at Funders Concerned About AIDS (FCAA) for inclusion in their annual resource tracking project. Grantmakers that have both HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ-specific grantmaking portfolios may choose to submit their grants to both organizations. Please visit FCAA’s website to learn about their data submission process.
Completed LGBTQ grant spreadsheets must be emailed to [email protected] by Friday, October 16, 2026, to be included in the next Resource Tracking Report.Â
Data Submission Office Hours
Our research team will be hosting virtual office hours on Wednesday, September 23rd, to provide more information about how to complete the CY2025 LGBTQ grants data submission template and answer questions about the submission process. A recording of this session will be posted here after the event if you are unable to join live.
Â
If you have any questions, want to discuss your submission, or would like to share feedback with us, please email our Research Team at [email protected]. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
Data Security
While expanding the research portfolio, Funders for LGBTQ Issues has recognized the importance of developing a transparent data security policy to help grantmakers understand how Funders for LGBTQ Issues will use and protect their data, as well as allow members of the public to understand what data are available to them. Please see the updated Data Security Policy and reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns.