Lighthouse Foundation Equity Index
The Lighthouse Foundation Equity Index (LFEI), is a first-of-its-kind, community-led assessment tool designed to surface gaps in organizational excellence and identify opportunities for more equitable institutional policies. The LFEI continues this work by uplifting the voices of Black LGBTQ+, as centering the needs of those marginalized improves organizational practices and experiences for all.
Join in the Work!
The LFEI offers participating nonprofits the opportunity to build relationships with other CEOs, senior leaders, and front-line staff to troubleshoot and triage situations together – both within and across organizations. By joining the LFEI, you’ll gain access to a roadmap about what equity means and what it looks like in concrete ways! You can find out more by reading Why Join the LFEI or by contacting Dr. Allen Thomas, Senior Consultant of Research and Evaluation, at lfei@lightfoundchi.org to be part of the process.
Learn More About the LFEI
Explore the Lighthouse Foundation Equity Index (LFEI) and discover how it’s transforming nonprofit organizations by fostering racial and LGBTQ+ equity. In this section, you'll find resources to dive deeper into the History of the LFEI, view the latest LFEI Grades, understand the Life Cycle of the LFEI, and learn about the five core Equity Indicators. Click the links below to learn more about how LFEI is shaping inclusive and equitable workplaces for all.
What is is the LFEI?
The Lighthouse Foundation Equity Index (LFEI) is a Black LGBTQ+ community-led participatory action research project that evaluates nonprofit cultures for Black LGBTQ+ staff and board members. The LFEI will improve organizational inequity by publishing an annual report card and offering actionable interventions like our Workforce Development Conference and LFEI Convenings. 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 LFEI Needed?
Our research shows that 100% of Black LGBTQ+ participants at local LGBTQ+ non-profit organizations experience marginalization and urgently want the leadership to invest in improvements. To reflect the words of Trans legal scholar Dean Spade, solving the problems facing people who experience the worst levels of marginalization inevitably solves the problems of those at the top. We contend that when Black LGBTQ+ employees and board members are centered and empowered in their organizations, those organizations are best positioned to serve marginalized communities of all kinds.
Examples of core LFEI needs expressed by Black LGBTQ+ employees and board members that translate to everyone:
Bereavement Policies
Providing more expansive definitions of family - like including family of choice - honors the systems of support that marginalized employees develop outside of biological and legal relationships.
Mentorship
Creating opportunities within your organization for mentorship by people with shared lived experience helps employees and board members develop agency vital to empowerment.
What Did We Learn?
We launched the LFEI by evaluating the workplace culture of four of Chicago’s largest nonprofits addressing LGBTQ+ health – AIDS Foundation Chicago, Center on Halsted, Chicago House, 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 LFEI White Paper in 2022.
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:
Giving Voice and Power
Resource Allocation
Systemic Action
Professional Development
Data Collection
The LFEI Grades Are Here!
The 2024 Lighthouse Foundation Equity Index (LFEI) 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 themes (listed above). 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 LFEI 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 LFEI 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.
2024 Grades Report Card
See the official grades for the inaugural cohort of BQEI organizations.
2023 Update
2021 White Paper
Details the development of BQEI and introduces the five core equity indicator themes.
Provides an update on the first two years of BQEI, revealing the rubric and key findings.
