Author: Paul Di Donato
Publisher: Paul Di Donato
Publication Date: March 2, 2009

Full Text:
2008 CMC GRANTS

Equality California Institute, California $430,000 To support Equality California Institute’s integrated strategy of education, community outreach and field activities coordinated through the Let California Ring campaign – a coalition comprised of over 45 organizations. After the landmark California State Supreme Court marriage equality victory in marriage cases, the Let California Ring campaign will continue to educate and mobilize the LGBT community on marriage equality as well as the larger California population, including a special focus on dialogue and collaborations with people of faith and people of color communities as well as other civil rights and progressive groups. An $80,000 grant to Equality California Institute’s 501c4 sister organization, Equality California, provided direct support to the “No on 8” Campaign to stop efforts to amend the California constitution to restrict the legal recognition of marriage and overturn the recent landmark win in the California courts.

Love Makes a Family, Connecticut $180,000 In support of educational, media, and organizing/ally building work. This includes building momentum and message consistency around the pending Connecticut Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage, including collaboration with GLAD. It also involves efforts to move public opinion to majority support of marriage, identify new marriage supporters and organize specific communities from faith and people of color communities to unions and business as well. Love Makes a Family is also working with MassEquality Education Fund and GLAD under the umbrella of the campaign “Winning New England, Leading the Nation.”

Lambda Legal Defense Fund, Iowa $100,000 To support the Lambda’s Director of Marriage Equality Education staffer working at One Iowa Education Fund to advance a coordinated and compelling campaign for marriage equality statewide and to continue education and other organizing work around Lambda’s marriage equality case in Iowa, Varnum v. Brien.

One Iowa Education Fund, Iowa $100,000 In support of polling and research, public education and organizing campaigns and grassroots efforts to advance the momentum toward marriage equality. Working with Lambda, One Iowa will continue to organize efforts leading up to what will hopefully be a win in the marriage lawsuit pending before the Iowa Supreme Court. One Iowa will focus its organizing with the Families First in Iowa Coalition, the Friends in Faith Coalition, the Cultural Connections Coalition and the Aging Coalition in an effort to win marriage equality in America’s heartland.

Equality Maine Foundation, Maine $75,000 To support coalitional work and a comprehensive organizing, research, public education and communications campaign to build public support for marriage equality through the Maine Freedom to Marry Coalition, co-chaired by Equality Maine Foundation and GLAD. Equality Maine Foundation is also working with MassEquality Education Fund and GLAD under the umbrella of the campaign “Winning New England, Leading the Nation.”

Equality Maryland Foundation, Maryland $125,000 To provide support for operations, staff, and outreach programs, with special focus on religious communities and communities of color (for example the Maryland Black Families Alliance), with the goal of securing full and equal marriage rights through judicial or legislative approaches.

Garden State Equality Education Fund, New Jersey $275,000 To support expanded grassroots organizing, research, communications and other work to educate New Jersey residents, the media and public officials about the shortcomings of New Jersey’s civil union law and the need for real marriage equality. Garden State Equality Education Fund is placing special emphasis on organizing within the union movement and people of color and faith communities via its ten demographic caucuses as well as expanding its work geographically to ensure a full state-wide campaign in its three regions of the state: North, Central and South New Jersey.

Empire State Pride Agenda Foundation, New York $250,000 To win marriage equality in New York State through education, organizing and advocacy programs aimed at creating popular support for marriage equality across the entire state. Through its “Pride in Action” and “Marriage Ambassador” programs, Empire States Pride Agenda works to create a broadly diverse alliance of LGBT people and allies in communities across the state and with a wide array of social justice movement leaders, government officials and other opinion leaders.

Basic Rights Education Fund, Oregon $80,000 To support comprehensive public education and earned media to broaden support for marriage among large sections of the Oregon population. Key elements of this effort include a Speakers Bureau, “Voices for Equality” which engages LGBT allies and media skills training for marriage advocates.

Marriage Equality Rhode Island $70,000 To support expanded outreach, public education, paid media activities and coalition work maintain Rhode Island as one of the few DOMA-free states and win marriage equality in the not-to-distant future. Marriage Equality Rhode Island is also working with MassEquality Education Fund and GLAD under the umbrella of the campaign “Winning New England, Leading the Nation.”

Vermont Freedom To Mary Task Force, Vermont $110,000 To support expanded field organizing and other activities to educate Vermonters regarding the issues surrounding the freedom to marry and to advocate forcefully for full marriage equality in Vermont. Vermont Freedom to Marry is also working with MassEquality Education Fund and GLAD under the umbrella of the campaign “Winning New England, Leading the Nation.”

Equal Rights Washington, Washington $150,000 To support public education, research and polling, grassroots organizing, coalition-building and media work across four key regions of the state to better mobilize marriage equality activists, grow popular support on the issue and continue to educate potential allies, government officials and opinion leaders. Strategies include work within the Legal Marriage Alliance and Religious Coalition for Equality as well as tools such as “Get Active” training kit and “Marriage Equality Post Carding” project.

Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders $120,000 Within the framework of GLAD’s mission to end discrimination based on sexual orientation in all forms, this grant supports GLAD’s marriage equality work in partnership with state equality organizations in Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont. Working in coalition with MassEquality Education Fund, GLAD will support the leading marriage equality organizations in each of these four states with targeted technical assistance in the areas of communications, legal expertise and strategic partnerships under the umbrella of the campaign “Winning New England, Leading the Nation.”

MassEquality Education Fund, Massachusetts $120,000 To support MassEquality’s new expanded mission to advance marriage equality throughout New England. MassEquality will work in partnership with state equality organizations in Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont. Working in coalition with GLAD, MassEquality will support the leading marriage equality organizations in each of these four states with targeted technical assistance in the areas of organizing, message and campaign strategy development, and coalition building under the umbrella of the campaign “Winning New England, Leading the Nation.”



2008 TOTAL………………….………………...............................................................$2,235,000

Category(s): Philanthropic Sector