The company provides benefits to employees' opposite and same sex domestic partners and introduced transgender benefits in 2012. In addition, the company supports both national and local organizations that serve the LGBT community through sponsorships, grants and the employee matching gift program. RBC supports several LGBT ERGs globally, including RBC GLADE, (1999), RBC PRIDE Canada (2006), RBC PRIDE Capital Markets (2011); RBC GLOBE UK (2011). All groups have a mission to create a welcoming and open working environment that allows LGBT employees to achieve their full potential. The Corporate Equality index is the premier national benchmark for LGBT workplace inclusion. The report provides an in-depth analysis and rating of large U.S. employers and their policies and practices pertinent to the LGBT market. A total of 899 businesses spanning nearly every industry and major geography of the U.S. were rated in the 2013 CEI including 293 Fortune 500 companies.