JPMorgan Chase Announces Latest $5 Million Commitment to Advance Equity for LGBT+ Community

As part of the firm’s commitment to advance equity for the LGBT+ community, today JPMorgan Chase announced their latest $5 million support for nonprofit organizations dedicated to the work. The funding targeted for GLSEN, Out & Equal, SAGE, San Francisco AIDS Foundation and The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (The Center) is intended to break down barriers to economic inclusion for the most vulnerable members of the LGBT+ community.

“JPMorgan Chase is committed to advancing equity for the LGBT+ community. Our firm is better and more inclusive because of our diversity. When more people of any race, sexual or gender orientation, or age have a better shot at opportunity, our economy and communities are stronger,” said Stacey Friedman, General Counsel and senior sponsor of the Firm’s LGBT+ Executive Committee, JPMorgan Chase. “We’re proud of these partnerships, and grateful to provide them assistance as they push for positive change.”

Led by a firmwide commitment to integrity, fairness and responsibility to the customers and communities we serve, JPMorgan Chase has supported 20 LGBT+ non-profits across five countries, with partnerships stretching back 15 years. The five organizations receiving new funding this year include:

• GLSEN – $1,000,000 ($250,000/year over four years) GLSEN, located in New York City, is the leading national organization dedicated to ending violence, harassment and discrimination against LGBTQ+ youth in K-12 schools. Research shows that 8 in 10 LGBTQ+ students are harassed or assaulted at school, and that they suffer greater levels of depression, lower self-esteem, and are more likely to skip school as a result. GLSEN partners with students, educators, and other school stakeholders at the local, state, and federal level to ensure that all LGBTQ+ youth can learn and thrive, with LGBTQ+-affirming programs, policies, and initiatives across the country. New funds will be used to deepen the impact of student leadership development programs and racial equity capacity-building across the GLSEN network, and to expand the reach of educator professional development programs.

• Out & Equal – $1,000,000 ($250,000/year over four years) Based in San Francisco and Washington, DC, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates is the global convener, thought leader and catalyst actively working to achieve workplaces of equality and belonging – supporting LGBT+ employees and leaders who thrive in their careers and lives, and achieve greater impact on the world. More than 20 percent of LGBT+ employees report workplace discrimination with even higher numbers for members of the Transgender community. JPMorgan Chase will fund a new program aimed at creating visible transgender executives and senior leaders.

• SAGE – $1,000,000 ($250,000/year over four years) Located in New York City, the mission of SAGE is to work to address and solve challenges facing the aging lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. LGBT+ elders are twice as likely to live alone, four times less likely to have children to help them as they age, half as likely to be partnered, less likely to have relatives to call for help, and at an increased risk for experiencing financial insecurity. In partnership with its constituents and allies, SAGE works to achieve a high quality of life for LGBT+ older adults, supports and advocates for their rights, fosters a greater understanding of aging in all communities, and promotes positive images of LGBT+ life in later years. With additional staff in Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and Washington DC, SAGE coordinates a growing network of SAGE Affiliates that provide local services from coast to coast. New funds will be used to create the SAGE Center Intergenerational Hub at its Crotona Pride House in the Bronx.

• San Francisco AIDS Foundation – $1,000,000 ($250,000/year over four years) San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF) envisions a future where health justice is achieved for all people living with or at risk for HIV. Established in 1982, SFAF’s mission is to promote health, wellness, and social justice for communities most impacted by HIV, through sexual health and substance use services, advocacy and community partnerships. The new funding will advance SFAF’s innovative model of free, highly accessible health care for Transgender people while supporting the community’s leadership development through Transgender health workforce development.

• The Center – $1,000,000 ($250,000/year over four years)New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center empowers LGBTQ people to lead healthy, successful lives. The Center celebrates diversity and advocates for justice and opportunity by providing economic advancement initiatives, recovery and wellness programs, family and youth support, advocacy, arts and cultural events, and space for community organizing and connection. The grant will fund a new program for LGBTQ New Yorkers focused on career planning and economic advancement, including case management and individualized work-readiness plans for each constituent.

“Together, we can do more to build a culture of respect and inclusion around the world,” said Brian Lamb, Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, JPMorgan Chase. “These partnerships are a top priority because now, more than ever, we need to lock arms with our LGBT+ employees, customers and partners to promote equality and better serve our communities when they need it most.”

The LGBT+ Executive Council, comprising ‘out’ senior leaders who serve as advocates to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, was formed in 2017 as a key component of the Firm’s Diversity and Inclusion strategy. The Council’s mission, in partnership with the PRIDE Business Resource Group, is to create a “surround sound” approach with LGBT+ non-profit partners which, in addition to financial support, provides board service by JPMorgan Chase employees, builds sustainable software solutions to advance the organization’s mission through its Force for Good program and provides consulting services through it Field Service Corps program.

To learn more about JPMorgan Chase’s diversity and inclusion efforts to advance equity around the world, please visit our website: https://www.jpmorganchase.com/about/people-culture/diversity-and-inclusion