Listen to this article$42,000 AWARDED TO TWELVE UTAH ORGANIZATIONS
ENGAGING IN WORK TO SUPPORT LGBTQ COMMUNITY
LGBTQ Community Endowment Fund hosts reception to honor grantees
Salt Lake City, Utah –The LGBTQ Community Endowment Fund, held at the Community Foundation of Utah, awarded grants of $42,000 to 12 organizations throughout Utah who are addressing the most pressing issues of the LGBTQ community at a reception held in their honor at the S.J. Quinney College of Law building at the University of Utah. Organized by the fund’s advisory committee, Jane Marquardt, Jim Dabakis, Carol Gnade, and Michelle Turpin, this event was created to reward the nonprofits for their efforts and to bring attention to the tremendous work that is happening to improve communities throughout the state.
“From providing shelter and other resources for LGBTQ homeless youth, to mentoring, to addressing health and educational issues, and more, the grant recipients are making a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of everyone in our state,” said Jane Marquardt, one of the LGBTQ Community Endowment Fund committee members, “Hearing of the work that these dynamic organizations are engaging in is impressive. We are honored to reward them with a token of appreciation for their efforts.”
In addition to assisting nonprofits through awarding grants and raising awareness, the reception helped to foster collaboration and provide additional support for the LGBTQ community in Utah. After receiving grant awards, the 2016 grantees each had an opportunity to give a one-minute pitch to compete for a share of $3,000 in additional funding. Youth Futures received the most votes from the pitch contest and received an extra $2,000. In the end, all organizations left the event with additional funding however, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor who offered $7,000 during the event, and demonstrating the worthiness of each of the awardees.
“The LGBTQ Community Endowment fund allows donors to not only invest in programs that are truly making a difference in the lives of all Utahns, gay and straight, but it allows donors to amplify their impact by leveraging their donations with others. As one of the more than 220 philanthropic funds we manage, we are grateful to support their efforts, which better the lives of all Utahns,” explains Alex Eaton, Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Utah.
Grants were awarded to:
Utah AIDS Foundation for the PrEP, HIV Prevention Clinic
Utah Pride Center for the Genderevolution Conference
Spy Hop in support of the Move the Dial initiative
Westminster College for the LGBT programming intern
UMOCA in support of the Out Loud Mentoring Program
OUTreach Resource Centers for general operating for Ogden drop-in center
Planned Parenthood for the Safe at School Program
Plan-B Theatre Company for the premiere of VIRTUE by Tim Slover
Bennion Community Service Center for the Alternative Breaks Program
Utah Film Center for the Damn These Heels! LGBT Film Festival
Youth Futures for their Shelter, drop-in services, and street outreach
Brigham Young Queer Alumni Association for a Recognition Banquet
About The LGBTQ Community Endowment Fund
The LGBTQ Community Endowment Fund was created to pool giving from members of the LGBTQ community and their allies. The fund has awarded over $284,000 in grants since its inception in 2011. Individual donations are leveraged to make a more significant impact and to identify and support programs that may be less known by individual donors.
About the Community Foundation of Utah
The Community Foundation of Utah is a catalyst for philanthropy that is visionary, diverse, and inclusive. Established in 2008, the Community Foundation of Utah is a private, not for profit organization created to harness Utah’s entrepreneurial spirit in service to the common good, through smart philanthropy. They assist individuals, families, corporations and governments in establishing an array of charitable funds. These 200 plus funds are invested, managed, and accounted for by the Foundation, and are deployed through scholarships, grants, competitions, Program Related Investments, and other awards. All of this is done in an effort to support the people, places, and causes of Utah and beyond. For more information go to www.utahcf.org, call (801)559-3005, or email Community Foundation of Utah Executive Director, Alex Eaton at alex@utahcf.org.
