Annual Report 2017

We invested

over $16 million in 2017 to advance equality nationwide, increasing our total investment since inception to $322 million.

We fund efforts

  • 1 To inform the public about the urgent need and broad support for equal treatment of LGBT people.

  • 2 In states to advance equal treatment where LGBT Americans are not protected from discrimination.

  • 3 In Colorado to ensure everyone has access to our home state’s tremendous economic opportunities.

The Gill Foundation works to secure equal opportunity for all LGBT people.

The Gill Foundation invested

in efforts in 2017 to advance LGBT equality through public education efforts with important allies, including conservative leaders, people of faith, and the business community.

LGBT Americans

aren’t fully protected from discrimination in 31 states.

Public Religion Research Institute

found that 67% of Americans in states without explicit equal treatment laws support protecting LGBT people from discrimination, compared to 70% nationwide.

The Ad Council

began development of the nationwide public education campaign, Beyond I Do, to educate Americans about the real-life discrimination LGBT people face.

Over 45 amicus briefs

were submitted in the Supreme Court case, Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, in support of upholding the right of same-sex couples to be served on the same terms as everyone else.

Freedom for All Americans Education Fund

supported public education campaigns in nine states by providing communications, field, and digital expertise and organizing businesses to sign onto amicus briefs.

Everyone can serve

thanks to GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders and National Center for Lesbian Rights, who sued when the administration tried to ban 15,000 transgender people who are currently serving in the military.

654,596 transgender people

in 11 states have received rights that ensure they can live every day as who they are thanks to the work of the National Center for Transgender Equality and state equality groups.

One Community Foundation

put up 17 billboards in Phoenix featuring Arizona businesses that are open to all, calling on the state to stop discriminating against LGBT people.

35,000 conservatives

in four priority states told decision-makers they support LGBT equality thanks to efforts by Equality Florida Institute, Equality Foundation of Georgia, Equality Texas Foundation, and One Community Foundation.

190,072 LGBT youth

are now protected from the harmful practice of so-called “conversion therapy” in five more states thanks to public education work done by grantees.

Colorado is our home

and in 2017, we invested $1.3 million to make sure everyone in the state has the same opportunity to thrive.

Over 3,000 students

now have hands-on STEM education at Englewood Schools, the first school district in Colorado to have SmartLabs in grades K-12.

The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado

became the largest chapter in the country with 460 congregational members representing more than 75,000 people from diverse religious backgrounds.

14 public broadcasting stations

across the state brought quality programming to over 80% of Colorado counties.