Equality Florida Institute Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Education: safe & healthy schools: in 2024, safe and healthy schools (shs) stood firm against escalating attacks on the systems of care that support young people. Despite political hostility, we refined and strengthened our model by more deeply linking education and mental health, building a scalable program that protected lgbtq youth while setting an example for other states. Our approach was rooted in systems change: embedding solutions directly within schools, healthcare networks, and communities so that support remained durable and sustainable, even in moments of crisis.(continued on schedule o)a decade of relationship-building with key education leaders paid off. In 2024 alone, shs actively collaborated with more than 80 superintendents and school board members across nearly half of Florida's districts. Research from the cdc confirmed what we saw in practice: when districts adopted inclusive policies and practices - like those shs prioritized - students experienced less distress, less harassment, and fewer suicidal thoughts. Recognition of this impact came when the Florida education association honored shs with the human and civil rights award, acknowledging our efforts to create safe, fair, and inclusive schools.training and education remained central to our work. In 2024, shs conducted 65 training sessions for 3,220 educators, mental health professionals, and parents - bringing our total reach to more than 41,000 individuals statewide. By building district capacity to deliver training internally, we extended our reach by an estimated 4,000 additional staff this year. We also developed or strengthened lgbtq support guides in 12 school districts, safeguarding nearly 2 million students, and expanded our parenting with pride community to 2,200 families. These initiatives equipped educators, mental health providers, and parents with culturally competent strategies that helped ensure lgbtq youth were supported across every part of their lives.we also deepened our convening power in 2024, bringing communities together around shared commitments to lgbtq safety and health. Highlights included our annual 'all together now' conference, where three superintendents issued a powerful call to action; our first 'back to school summit' for 240 parents; a 'behavioral health summit' serving 125 licensed professionals; and parent summits hosted in five communities in partnership with pflag and pta. Additionally, our youth leadership council launched its third cohort, empowering lgbtq students to become visible, informed advocates. Together, these milestones demonstrated how shs built a resilient statewide infrastructure of education leaders, parents, and youth determined to create safe schools, affirming communities, and pathways to healthier futures.transgender equality:- officially rebranded the department to feel more aligned with equality Florida. No longer trans action, now recognized as trans equality.- trans equality focused on building relationships with trans leaders in the state and uplifting the work of trans-led organizations and initiatives in the state. Trans equality has been able to link dozens of individuals having trouble with their legal name change and gender marker adjustments to legal partners.- organized and held the largest trans march on tallahassee to date. The let us live march is a collaborative effort among many trans-led orgs in Florida and had over 350 attendees this year. - conducted, facilitated and/or participated in various town hall and educational events with expert panelists discussing various topics.- trans equality worked closely with the equality Florida's public policy team to mobilize parents of trans and nonbinary youth and activists to board of medicine/board of osteopathic medicine and medicaid/ahca meetings.- trans equality held the 2nd annual Florida voices for change convening, a leadership summit that saw 40 trans-led orgs gather to talk about the success, obstacles, next steps, and how we

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 88.3%; rating input score 88
• Program expense ratio: 78.6%; rating input score 79
• Fundraising efficiency: $7.93 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.7%; rating input score 95; 25th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 97%; rating input score 97; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -9.8%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.28; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 15.2%; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 5.7% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 11% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 24.3% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings