January 19, 2021
JPMorgan Chase Donates $5 Million to LGBTQ Organizations Amid Pandemic
Kevin Schattenkirk READ TIME: 2 MIN.
JPMorgan Chase is donating $5 million to LGBTQ organizations that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, The Hill reports.
Five nonprofits will be the recipients of $1 million each over the next four years to help support initiatives to build greater economic inclusion among LGBTQ youth, workforce and elder communities.
Brian Lamb, the Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion for JPMorgan Chase, said in a statement, "Together, we can do more to build a culture of respect and inclusion around the world. 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 recipients, and how they will use their donations, include:
GLSEN – This nonprofit combats anti-LGBTQ discrimination, harassment, and bullying in schools. GLSEN will develop programs for student leaders and educators as well as "racial equity capacity-building" throughout their organization.
Out & Equal Workplace Advocates – Based in California, the organization advocates for workplace equality. Money received will fund a new program designed to promote transgender employees into executive and senior leadership positions.
Services & Advocacy for LGBT Elders (SAGE) – One of the oldest nonprofits specifically dedicated to older LGBTQ people in the U.S. SAGE will use their donation to fund the SAGE Center Intergenerational Hub at its Crotona Pride House in the Bronx borough of New York City.
The San Francisco AIDS Foundation – Founded at the beginning of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the money from JPMorgan Chase will help fund free and accessible health care for the transgender community and develop the transgender health workforce.
The Center – Based in New York, this nonprofit aims to provide LGBTQ people with opportunities for economic advancement, among other avenues of support. The Center will use its donation to fund a new career planning and economic advancement program.
While only three percent of JPMorgan Chases' total workforce in 2019 identified openly as LGBTQ, the company has enacted pro-LGBTQ policies and believes that corporations should lead the way toward greater equality in the U.S. and abroad. Last year, the company's CEO, Jamie Dimon, spoke out against the Trump administration's roll-back of protections for the transgender community.
Among a clutch of LGBTQ-related awards in recent years, JPMorgan Chase has been recognized by the LGBTQ100 ESG Index (in 2020) as "one of the top 100 companies that Advance Equality for the LGBTQ community in Corporate America," and by the Hispanic Network Magazine (in 2019) as "Top Employers; Top Supplier Diversity Programs; and Top LGBTQ+ Friendly Companies."
Kevin Schattenkirk is an ethnomusicologist and pop music aficionado.
