Black Queer Equity Index
Our flagship program is the Black Queer Equity Index (BQEI), a Black LGBTQ+ community-led participatory action research project to evaluate nonprofit cultures for Black LGBTQ+ staff and board members.
The BQEI GRADES ARE here!
The Black Queer Equity Index (BQEI) grades are a culmination of meticulous evaluation and analysis conducted by Lighthouse Foundation, showcasing the performance of four notable Chicago nonprofits: AIDS Foundation Chicago, Center on Halsted, Chicago House, and Howard Brown Health. These grades are meticulously crafted based on five essential categories: Resource Allocation, Giving Voice and Power, Professional Development, Systemic Action, and Data Collection. They provide a detailed look into the organizations' dedication and impact, highlighting areas of strength as well as opportunities for growth and improvement.
More than just a presentation of scores, the BQEI Grades represent a celebration of progress, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to creating inclusive and empowering workplaces for Black LGBTQ+ individuals.
These grades are a direct outcome of the BQEI rubric, which was carefully developed over three years through extensive interviews, surveys, and comprehensive research involving Black LGBTQ+ employees and board members. The rubric serves as a comprehensive report card for nonprofits, empowering them with actionable insights to foster environments where Black LGBTQ+ individuals can thrive, contribute meaningfully, and lead with authenticity and purpose.
What is the BQEI?
The Black Queer Equity Index (BQEI) is a Black LGBTQ+ community-led participatory action research project that evaluates nonprofit cultures for Black LGBTQ+ staff and board members. The BQEI will improve organizational inequity by publishing an annual report card and offering actionable interventions like our Workforce Development Conference. Lighthouse Foundation contends that when Black LGBTQ+ employees and board members are centered and empowered in their organizations, those organizations are best positioned to serve communities.
Why is the BQEI needed?
As we saw with COVID-19 and mpox, health disparities between Black communities and their white counterparts are widening. Over 25 billion dollars in federal funding goes to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and related direct services in the United States. According to the CDC, the percentage of Black gay and bisexual men who represent new HIV cases doubled from 26% in 2018 to 53% in 2020. Against this backdrop, nonprofits must improve how they support, develop and promote Black LGBTQ+ leadership because communities most impacted have the insights to develop the solutions we need.
What did we learn?
We launched the BQEI by evaluating the workplace culture of five of Chicago’s largest nonprofits addressing LGBTQ+ health – AIDS Foundation Chicago, Center on Halsted, Chicago House, Equality Illinois, and Howard Brown Health. These nonprofits work on HIV, an issue area with well-documented, pervasive, and persistent racial disparities. Actively striving to be anti-racist, they committed to working closely with us. We analyzed human resources data, surveys, interviews and focus groups to publish a BQEI White Paper in 2021. 100% of Black LGBTQ+ board members and employees reported experiencing marginalization. Frustrated by initiatives that prioritize optical diversity over the “real work” of anti-racism, they recommended many practices and policies that organizations could change. Five key themes emerged: resource allocation, giving voice and power, professional development, systemic action, and data collection.
Five key themes emerged:
Resource Allocation
Giving Voice and Power
Professional Development
Systemic Action
Data Collection
Updates
The BQEI Timeline
