Our Fund Foundation and the Community Foundation of Broward announced its new LGBTQ+ Social Justice & Equity Funders Collaborative, which awarded a total of $400,000 in grants to seven deserving nonprofits addressing a range of vital needs associated with social justice and racial equity in the LGBTQ community. A reception celebrating the recipients, donors and members of the joint selection committee was held outdoors at Our Fund’s headquarters in Wilton Manors on Wednesday, March 23.
“This new strategic partnership and grantmaking collaboration was launched out of a concerted effort to foster social and racial equity among LGBTQ+ residents and BIPOC,” said David Jobin, Our Fund Foundation President and CEO. “We are beyond impressed with the caliber and diversity of these programs which will have a significant and long-term impact on South Florida’s LGBTQ+ community.”
The 2022 LGBTQ+ Social Justice & Equity Funders Collaborative Grant Recipients which received between $35,000 – $75,000 include:
1. Chainless Change, Inc. Peers Optimistically Working to End Recidivism (POWER)
Provide peer support services, critical resource linkages and leadership opportunities for a minimum of 30 justice-involved queer and/or transgender people of color (QTPOC) over two years to reduce their contact with the criminal legal system, increase their access to community and improve their overall quality of life.
2. Equality Florida Institute Safe and Healthy Schools
Select one historically Black Innovation Zone (high school and associated middle/elementary schools) and conduct an LGBTQ racial equity needs assessment, specialized trainings, and community forums to benefit approximately 8,000 students.
3. Maven Leadership Collective Building Belonging in Broward
Provide equity and belonging-related professional development to 12 small-to-midsize nonprofits in Broward County. Help these nonprofits to increase access to initiatives that transform organizational culture.
4. SunServe Be The Change
Provide educational services in civics and local government to 35 Black and Brown LGBTQ+ individuals, with an emphasis on transgender women. Establish a fellowship program to empower a local cohort of BIPOC LGBTQ+ individuals to learn strategy to successfully run for office.
5. TransSocial, Inc. The Lifeboat Project
Provide up to 80 enrollments for their virtual TLBGQ+ proficiency training. Four participants engage in 26 sessions of therapy and 6 hours of virtual meetings.
6. Ujima Men’s Collective, Inc. B.R.O.T.H.A.S. Project
Provide up to 100 LGBTQ+ Black men opportunities to improve their knowledge and efficacy about surrounding social justice and equity in our community. Expand the number of LGBTQ+ Black men capable of participating in conversations about systemic racism, discrimination, white fragility and privilege.
7. World AIDS Museum and Educational Center Fighting Stigma and Building Community through the Arts
Increase social justice and equity for hundreds of BIPOC LGBTQ+ people in Broward County and reduce stigma for those living with HIV/AIDS. These artistic productions that allow for rewarding dialogue, from all our community, about HIV/AIDS history and current successes and failures, while educating them on how to become involved.
“As longtime champions of LGBTQ+ residents, Our Fund Foundation and the Community Foundation of Broward are natural partners, both supported by generous donors who prioritize inclusion and equity in Broward County and beyond,” said Community Foundation President/CEO Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson, Ph.D.
Since its creation in 2011, Our Fund Foundation has grown into the nation’s third-largest LGBTQ+ foundation, awarding more than $13 million in grants to support LGBTQ+ initiatives in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. With more than $1.5 million in grants deployed each year in the areas of Social Justice, Health & Wellness and Arts & Culture, Our Fund Foundation improves the quality of life for the local LGBTQ+ population through responsive, relevant, and impactful philanthropy.
For almost 40 years, the Community Foundation of Broward has advocated for Broward’s LGBTQ+ community. In 1986, the Community Foundation became the first non-government funder in Broward to lead the charge for education and understanding of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The Community Foundation has awarded more than $9 million in grants to support the LGBTQ+ community on a wide range of issues, including education, outreach, the arts and more.
For additional information, visit cfbroward.org/grant-opportunities/broward-pride or contact the Community Foundation of Broward at info@cfbroward.org or 954-761-9503. To contact Our Fund Foundation, email info@our-fund.org