( New York, NY - December 18, 2014 ) Funders for LGBTQ Issues has today released the 2013 Tracking Report: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Grantmaking by U.S. Foundations. This twelfth annual edition of the Tracking Report finds that foundation funding for LGBTQ issues reached a record high of $129.1 million in 2013.
The 2013 Tracking Report: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Grantmaking by U.S. Foundations ( 2014 ) explores the scope and character of foundation funding for LGBTQ issues in the calendar year 2013. The report analyzes 4,146 grants from 331 U.S.-based foundations, making it the most comprehensiveness assessment of LGBTQ funding available.
While the growth in 2013 represented a 6.3 percent increase, slightly outpacing the 5.5 percent increase in foundation funding in general, LGBTQ issues still only received 24 cents for every $100 foundations awarded.
Some highlights from the report include:
Funding for trans communities reached a record high of $8.3 million, up from $5.3 million in 2012.
For the first-time, a grantee from the Global South made the list of top ten grantees. Located in Johannesburg, South Africa, African Men for Sexual Health and Rights ( AMSHeR ) received $1.5 million in funding for LGBTQ issues.
California was the top funded state, receiving $11 million in funding for LGBTQ issues. Last year, New York was the top funded state.
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Sub-Sahara Africa was the top funded international regional, receiving nearly $6.9 million in funding for LGBTQ issues. While Sub-Saharan Africa was the top funded international region last year, in 2012 it only received $3.4 million in funding for LGBTQ issues.
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Seven of the top twenty funders for LGBTQ issues increased their funding for LGBTQ communities by 25 percent or more.
"I'm delighted 2013 proved to be a record year for foundation funding of LGBTQ issues," said Ben Francisco Maulbeck, president of Funders for LGBTQ Issues. "However, e still have a lot of work to do to expand LGBTQ funding - to make sure that the resources reaching our communities are commensurate with the tremendous challenges that we face and with the great scale of our dreams for the future. At Funders for LGBTQ Issues, we look forward to engaging the philanthropic community in the coming months and years to significantly increase the scale and scope of funding for LGBTQ people."
This Tracking Report recorded a data from a record number of grants - 4,146. While stylized like last year's edition to aid in year to year comparison, the report does feature several enhancements with new issue categories, improved population tracking, and a closer look at the geographic scope of funding for organizations outside the U.S.
The report also includes an infographic that visually summarizes the findings. Both the infographic and full report are now available for download at www.lgbtfunders.org .