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Abstract

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community has made notable progress in many key equality areas nationally. Issues impacting the local LGBT community have been relatively unnoticed with the national progress on marriage equality, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and other social reforms. Despite the bittersweet progress, organizations like Funders for LGBTQ Issues, the Horizons Foundation, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and others have collected information on the disparities in LGBT foundation funding and the findings are quite alarming. Furthermore, the findings presented indicate that equitable foundation support is key to advancements in LGBT equality efforts. While some of the largest national LGBT organizations receive a majority of LGBT funding, local LGBT organizations continue to struggle to address key issues, including LGBT homelessness and social services. At the same time, local LGBT organizations struggle with capacity-building efforts and often fail to acquire 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Loose organizational structures (Magnus, 2008) create risks for community foundations in funding LGBT programs and projects. Many funders lack LGBT competency, or a basic understanding of the issues impacting LGBT persons, and this creates confusion while local LGBT organizations do not receive adequate support. Furthermore, the lack of optimal funding environments for LGBT organizations creates vulnerable youth and elderly populations. The research and findings presented are the core of understanding LGBT issues and the disparities in funding, and policy recommendations address areas of progress to create a more inclusive and equitable future tomorrow.

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