Funding a Movement
Equity Foundation marks 20 years of social justice
by James Maxwell
Equity Foundation promotes philanthropy throughout Oregon by funding organizations and individuals that work to eradicate prejudice based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
The Human Rights Campaign, Oregon Food Bank, Cascade Aids Project and Lane Community College are examples of the numerous grantees Equity has helped. Each must “promote social justice and advance the dignity and worth of all people,” said Kevin Easton, the foundation’s executive director.
This year marks Equity’s 20th anniversary of social advocacy in Oregon.
“It has been amazing to see how stable and successful Equity Foundation has become over these decades and how actively involved we are with numerous communities in Oregon,” said Jim Vegher, who co-founded the foundation in 1989 with his partner, John Grigsby.
According to Easton, the organization’s long-term investment strategy helps maintain stability in the economic recession. Although Equity’s endowment, currently at $110,000, has taken a hit in the downturn, a portfolio of stocks heavily invested in green technology has performed 5 percent to 10 percent above the market for the past six months.
“We’re not immune from the market. We have taken a hit like everyone else, but we are involved in long-term investing so when the market does rebound, so will we,” said Easton.
Equity is scaling back on sending glossy mailers and sponsoring events by individual community groups to tighten its organizational belt.
One year prior to Equity’s founding, Oregonians passed Ballot Measure 8, which revoked a ban on anti-gay workplace discrimination in the state executive branch. “The passing of that measure was really traumatic for both John and I, and we knew we needed to showcase how many LGBT philanthropists were in Oregon and how much they care about their communities,” said Vegher.
With help from board members of the Right to Privacy political action committee, the couple ran the foundation in their guest bedroom and held Equity’s first benefit at an activist’s 40th birthday party. “For the first four years, John and I did almost everything with the help of a small, dedicated staff of board members,” said Vegher.
Seed money came in the form of several $10,000 donations by individual founders.
One influential member was Thomas Aschenbrener, who not only served on Equity’s board but also became the foundation’s volunteer executive director during the startup years.
“I came from California and saw a real divide between lesbians and gay men in the workplace,” he said. “I wanted Equity to be an example that the entire LGBT community could really come together and contribute to the broader community. It has been great to see such a modest foundation evolve into such a helpful facilitator.”
In 1994 the founders, board members and staff wanted to move Equity forward as a foundation. At the advice of consultants, it provided funding to a broader spectrum of organizations beyond the queer community.
Equity, which has more than 6,000 donors, is the only Oregon-focused sexual minority grants foundation. According to Easton, Equity grants range between $50 and $10,000, averaging approximately $1,500. A glance at its 2007 annual report reveals dozens of funds named after sexual minority donors, including George Eighmey and Peter Livingston, Lynn Nakamoto and Jocelyn White, Don Powell, Mark Clift and Terry Bean.
“Both Matthew Nelson and Linda Traeger did an amazing job as previous executive directors,” Easton said. “They both really helped make Equity Foundation statewide and demonstrated to so many donors how important philanthropy is to achieve a healthy and productive community.”
Equity has five major granting categories, which disbursed $320,000 in the last fiscal year to organizations and individuals. Donor Advised Funds, which granted $157,000 last year, allow philanthropists to place money in a savings account and choose where their money is directed, with advice from the foundation. The second-largest program, responsible for more than $90,000 in grants last year, is Workplace Giving Grants, in which individuals across the state donate deductions from their paychecks to help the greater community. More than $40,000 was donated last year through 14 scholarships to help recipients with higher education. The foundation’s most well-known program is General Grants; anyone can apply for financial support, and the staff chooses who gets funded. More than $35,000 was granted to individuals and community groups last year. The smallest program is Pride Festival Grants to support events throughout the state. These five programs helped Equity grant more than $3 million in 20 years..
One of last year’s grateful grantees is Q Center, which received $11,274 in the last fiscal year.
“I cannot tell you how much Equity has helped and really championed for the center,” said Kendall Clawson, Q Center’s executive director. “Equity saw how influential Q Center could be to the entire community and, with their support, helped us hire our operations coordinator, Glenn Goodfellow, which has helped us get through such a pivotal stage of the center.”
A new grantee in 2008 was Write Around Portland, which received $1,700. The group offers free writing workshops for underserved demographics and organizations in the city.
“One of our goals this past year was to conduct a free 10-week writing workshop for transgender adults,” said Robin Steeley, director of Write Around Portland. “With the help of the Equity Foundation, we were able to do so. The workshop took place in February and March, and the group really came together by sharing their stories and struggles.” Writings from the workshop were published last May in the book A Rare and Necessary Time, which can be found at Powell’s.
“When you hear about the amazing things our grants have achieved it just makes, not only us at Equity, but all the philanthropists who donated, proud,” said Easton.
Vegher and Grigsby will attend Equity’s upcoming Investments in Dignity Gala, which will honor six recipients who have stood by the foundation for the past 20 years, including Secretary of State Kate Brown, the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court, former Multnomah County Commissioner Maria Rojo de Steffey and Portland business Witham and Dickey. The theme is “20 Years in Oregon, Then and Now!”
“We want to show guests how far Equity has come and what their charitable donations have done throughout the state,” said Easton. “During these next few years I want to bring in even more funding and spotlight the importance of social justice, philanthropy and equality in both small and large communities throughout the entire state.”
Equity Foundation presents the
2009 Investments in Dignity Gala 5:30 p.m. March 9 in Gerding Theater at the Armory, 128 N.W. 11th Ave. Tickets are $65 from www.equityfoundation.org.
James Maxwell plans to pursue a master’s degree in media and cultural studies from the New School in New York City.
