The Community Foundation of Broward has awarded a new round of Broward Pride grants to foster inclusion and equality for the LGBT community.
Seven organizations will receive grants totaling $379,000 for programs to engage more LGBT residents. The grants of up to $95,000 will increase access to programs, services and social environments for LGBT residents within LGBT-focused organizations, as well as institutions that traditionally cater to the mainstream population.
A series of research discussions hosted by the Community Foundation has sparked a revamped grant focus on helping to change the culture of many mainstream organizations. The Foundation’s research resulted in the development of a Broward Pride report to the community, which calls for increased efforts to promote inclusion and equality.
“We involved dozens of LGBT community representatives in a series of listening sessions,” Community Foundation President/CEO Linda Carter said. “What we heard is that many of Broward’s LGBT residents feel confined and seek inclusion and acceptance within the entire community. Many of these grants focus on changing organizational culture to engage more LGBT residents.”
After reviewing 24 Broward Pride grant applications, the Community Foundation awarded grants to the following organizations and programs:
- Memorial Foundation, Memorial Pride – $95,000 to develop a pilot program to create a culture of inclusion at all Memorial hospitals, where LGBT patients will feel safe, respected and welcomed.
- Keystone Halls, LGBT Transitional Housing Program – $65,000 to provide LGBT sensitive wrap-around case management and housing to 20 LGBT homeless individuals.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward, Big Pride – $55,000 for a mentorship program expansion that will work with 30 LGBT youth through one-on-one mentoring services and ongoing case management.
- Equality Florida, Safe and Healthy Schools – $50,000 to institutionalize a culture of inclusion and acceptance of all LGBT students through training and dedicated liaisons at each public school.
- South Florida Institute on Aging, Friendly Visitor Program – $50,000 to collaborate with SAGE to provide weekly home visits to 30 LGBT older adults who are isolated, in order to increase access and inclusion.
- Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, Open Art Dialogues – $35,000 to create programs that will engage and inspire safe conversations for LGBT residents and allies through exhibits, culture hours and commissioned artworks.
- NSU Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, A Sense of Pride – $29,000 to host a series of LGBT programs to connect the LGBT community to dynamic art offerings that will attract more than 500 participants annually
The Community Foundation has a long track record of support for Broward’s LGBT community, including becoming the first non-government funder of local HIV/AIDS education programs in 1986. Since then, grants totaling more than $8 million have supported more than 500 unique projects to impact Broward’s LGBT residents.
For more information about the annual Broward Pride grants, please email Angelica Rosas, the Foundation's strategic grants manager, at arosas@cfbroward.org or 954-761-9503.
