Reid Williams Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The New York City-based Reid Williams Foundation supports LGBTQ causes, human rights and, to a lesser extent, conservation.
IP TAKE: The Reid Williams Foundation mainly focuses on LGBTQ rights and human rights, though conservation is a smaller area of interest. While grantmaking is global in scope, the foundation generally gives to organizations that are based in the U.S., with more than half of all grants supporting nonprofits in New York and California. The foundation gives to an assortment of large, national organizations and community-based groups.
This is going to be a tough funder to crack, however, since it’s not transparent or accessible. You can contact them by snail-mail or phone, but the foundation is not very responsive.
PROFILE: The New York City-based Reid Williams Foundation is the philanthropic vehicle of documentary film producer and director Reid Williams. Williams is known for his documentaries “Dangerous Living: Coming Out in the Developing World” and “Cruel and Unusual: Transgender Women in Prison.” He established his foundation in 2000 but does not operate a website or employ a staff. Grantmaking focuses on LGBTQ causes and human rights. In recent years, the foundation has also given to organizations involved in conservation. Grantmaking appears to prioritize the states of New York and California.
Grants for LGBTQ Causes
LGBTQ causes appear to be the primary focus of the Reid Williams Foundation’s grantmaking. It does not name grantmaking approaches in this area, though its grantmaking here is proactive and broad. One recent grantee, the Massachusetts-based Advocates for Informed Choice, focuses on protecting the rights of children born with intersex traits. The foundation has also provided support to the Audre Lorde Project, an LGBTQ organization focusing its work on the New York City area. Other grantees in this area include the Southern Vision Alliance, New York’s Stonewall Community Foundation and the Transgender, Gender Variant, Intersex Justice Project.
Grants for Global Security and Human Rights
The Reid Williams Foundation does not name specific goals for its global security and human rights grantmaking, but the foundation has given to the Proteus Fund, a nonprofit focused “advancing justice through human rights, democracy, and peace,” and the Threshold Foundation, which works in areas including immigrants’ rights, free and fair elections, and Middle East peace.
Grants for Environmental Conservation and Justice
Conservation is a smaller area of giving for the Williams Foundation, but a few grants have gone to U.S.-based conservation organizations in recent years. Recipients include New York’s Watershed Center, Minnesota’s White Earth Land Recovery Project and the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County.
Important Grant Details:
The Reid Williams Foundation made about $67,500 in a recent year. Grants range from $5,000 to $100,000, with an average grant size of about $10,000. Grantees tend to be organizations that are based in the U.S., but several work internationally in the foundation’s areas of interest. New York and California appear to be geographic areas of interest. The Williams Foundation has supported both national and local groups. For additional information about past grantmaking, see the foundation’s past tax filings.
The Reid Williams Foundation does not appear to accept applications, but an address and phone number are provided below.
PEOPLE:
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CONTACT:
Reid Williams Foundation
13 Vandam Street
New York, New York 10013
(212) 242-5833
