COIL Foundation
OVERVIEW: The COIL Foundation supports LGBTQ organizations with a strong focus on the San Francisco Bay Area.
IP TAKE: The COIL Foundation supports organizations that support the rights and well-being of LGBTQ people. Most of its grants remain under the $20,000 mark and support organizations operating in the San Francisco Bay Area. COIL accepts letters of inquiry at any time via mail.
PROFILE: Based in San Francisco, California, the COIL Foundation supports organizations that work toward eliminating “prejudice and discrimination against LGBT people” and “[p]romote their well-being through emotional, intellectual and spiritual growth.” The foundation’s executive director, Peter Drake, lived his life as a heterosexual, born-again Christian until midlife, and has spoken out against conversion therapy, which he underwent prior to coming out as a gay man.
COIL makes about $50,000 a year in grants ranging in amount from $1,000 to $15,000. The foundation’s average grant size is about $5,000, but grants generally go to smaller organizations, where small amounts can have a large impact. More than half of COIL’s grantees serve the San Francisco Bay Area, but organizations in other areas of the U.S. have also received funding in recent years. Past grantees include the ARC of San Francisco, Freedom to Marry, Many Voices and Gaylesta. To learn more about select COIL grantees, explore its projects page.
COIL accepts unsolicited letters of inquiry via mail. Should the applicant’s work align with the foundation’s goals, COIL may request a formal proposal. For additional information about grant requests, see the foundation’s Giving Guidelines page.
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