The Equality Federation Institute is a left-of-center nonprofit that works on LGBT issues. It is the strategic arm of the Equality Federation. The organization works with related organizations to help promote LGBT causes, primarily on the state and local level. It also serves as a coordinator for its various member organizations. ¹

The organization is best known for its annual survey of LGBT rights that it conducts with the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. The survey scores state governments based on an arbitrary set of issues that the two organizations view as important for the LGBT community. ²

In the 2022 survey, the organization’s executive director lamented increasing state restrictions on the ability of children to have sex-reassignment operations, which it calls “gender affirming care”; the ability of natal males to play in girls’ sports; and the teaching of left-of-center gender ideology to young children in public schools. ²

Overview

The Equality Federation Institute is a left-of-center nonprofit that works on promoting LGBT issues. It serves as the strategic arm of the Equality Federation. The organization primarily works to promote LGBT issues on the state and local level. ³

State Equality Index

The organization is best known as the co-author of the State Equality Index series of surveys with the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, which is another left-of-center organization with a focus on LGBT issues. The surveys measure the status of laws favoring the LGBT community in states and cities across the country. ⁴

In the introduction to the 2022 edition survey, the organization’s executive director lamented increasing state-level restrictions on the ability of children to obtain sex-reassignment operations or so-called “gender affirming care,”  the ability for natal males to play girls sports, and the ability to teach young children left-of-center gender ideology in public schools. ⁴

The organization’s executive director alleged that these laws were related to increasing acts of violence against the LGBT community. It also claimed those proposed restrictions on transgender people were rooted in bigotry. ²

The organization praised what it called proposed “HIV modernization” laws that decriminalize the intentional spreading of the HIV virus. ²

The organization reported, along with the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, that 91% of what it called anti-LGBT bills failed on the state level. ⁵

Leadership

The current executive director of the organization is Fran Hutchins. She became executive director in 2021. She has been with the organization since 2012. Before she joined the Equality Federation, she was a field director for Mainers United for Marriage, which she worked for between 2009 and 2012. The organization successfully campaigned for state recognition of same-sex marriages in the state of Maine, which resulted in a successful referendum in 2012. A major focus of hers was increasing voter engagement and turnout, which she wants to bring over from her experiences in Maine. ⁶

Hutchins claims credit for helping Democrats win the 2021 U.S. Senate runoffs in Georgia. She helped coordinate volunteers among the organization’s network to send texts and make phone calls on behalf of the Democratic candidates in those races. ⁷

Eric Paulk is the chair of the board of directors for the organization. He also serves as the chief of staff for the left-of-center organization ProGeorgia. Before that, he served as deputy director of Georgia Equality. He is also the recipient of a Soros Justice Fellowship. ⁸

Finances

According to the organization’s 2020 tax returns, the organization had $3,200,186 in revenue and $1,621,854 in expenses. It had $2,779,467 in assets. ⁹

Among the organizations that have given grants to the organization are the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which gave $50,000 in April 2022. ¹⁰

The Evelyn & Walter Hass, Jr. Fund is also a major contributor to the organization. ¹¹

The Tides Foundation has also awarded it an undisclosed grant. ¹²

1. “About: Equality Federation.” We accelerate advocacy in the LGBTQ community. Accessed April 3, 2023. https://www.equalityfederation.org/about.
2. “2022 State Equality Index.” HRC Digital Reports. Accessed April 3, 2023. https://reports.hrc.org/2022-state-equality-index.
3. [1]“About: Equality Federation.” We accelerate advocacy in the LGBTQ community. Accessed April 3, 2023. https://www.equalityfederation.org/about.
4. [1]“2022 State Equality Index.” HRC Digital Reports. Accessed April 3, 2023. https://reports.hrc.org/2022-state-equality-index.
5.  Ring, Trudy. “91 Percent of Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills Failed in 2022: Report.” Advocate. Advocate, January 30, 2023. https://www.advocate.com/news/anti-lgbtq-bills-failed-2022.
6. [1]Ferrannini, John. “LGBTQ Agenda: Voter Engagement Goal of New Equality Federation Ed.” Bay Area Reporter, January 14, 2021. https://www.ebar.com/story.php?301072.
7. Ferrannini, John. “LGBTQ Agenda: Voter Engagement Goal of New Equality Federation Ed.” Bay Area Reporter, January 14, 2021. https://www.ebar.com/story.php?301072.
8. “Eric Paulk.” Equality Federation. Accessed April 3, 2023. https://www.equalityfederation.org/board-of-directors/eric-paulk.
9. [1]“Equality Federation Institute, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed April 3, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/810670151/202142809349301234/full.
10. [1]“Equality Federation Institute.” Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Accessed April 3, 2023. https://www.gatesfoundation.org/about/committed-grants/2022/04/inv044634.
11. [1]“Equality Federation Institute.” Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund. Accessed April 3, 2023. https://www.haasjr.org/grants/grantee/equality-federation-institute.
12. [1]“Equality Federation Institute.” Tides. Accessed April 3, 2023. https://tides.org/project/grantee/equality-federation-institute/.