Medical care for more uninsured LGBTQ residents. Outreach to isolated LGBTQ seniors. Training for doctors and nurses to make health care more inclusive for all.

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These are just a few of the ways that support from Community Foundation of Broward Fundholders is helping LGBTQ residents overcome obstacles to healthier living.

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Before COVID-19 hit, Broward’s LGBTQ residents were already more likely to lack health insurance and access to medical care. The coronavirus exacerbated health care disparities, putting LGBTQ residents with pre-existing conditions at even greater risk during a pandemic.

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That’s why the Community Foundation is prioritizing access to health care and wellness services with new support for Broward Pride – philanthropy that fosters inclusion and breaks down barriers for LGBTQ residents.

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The Community Foundation Board of Directors has approved more than $300,000 total in new Broward Pride grants to support:

• South Florida Institute on Aging, Friendly Visitor: Provide weekly in-home visits, calls, or virtual meetings to 30 LGBTQ older adults, using trained volunteers. The program provides social interaction, helps reduce isolation and increases access to health care services. It includes a focus on mental health through collaboration with SAGE and NSU’s Counseling Center for Older Adults.
• Equality Florida Institute, LGBTQ Health Care Equity Project: Create a culture of inclusion and acceptance of all LGBTQ patients at Broward Health, Promote LGBTQ friendly services through community outreach, and connect uninsured LGBTQ individuals to health insurance through a wo-year pilot in collaboration with Broward Health.
• Broward House, Inc., Healthy Life Skills for All: Teach life skills, offer educational opportunities and provide medical care for 60 LGBTQ, HIV+ and formerly homeless people. Improve participants’ health outcomes and increase their housing stability. Hire two life skills counselors to help clients develop a personalized healthy lifestyle plan, enroll in mental health counseling and prepare for independent living.
• Holy Cross Health, ONE Holy Cross: Deliver LGBTQ friendly health care services to at least 500 patients. TransSocial will provide training for doctors, nurses and frontline health care. Also, SunServe will review all forms and procedures to be more inclusive and respectful to LGBTQ patients. The program will improve the health, safety, and well-being of LGBTQ individuals.

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“As we emerge from a pandemic, we can’t forget that many of our LGBTQ neighbors still face hurdles to quality health care here in Broward,” said Community Foundation President/CEO Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson, Ph.D. “We can and must do more to overcome systemic barriers to healthier living.”

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More About Broward Pride

Broward has more same-sex households than any other county in Florida, yet many of our LGBTQ residents still face discrimination and feel excluded from community institutions. To change that, the Community Foundation has long been at the forefront of advocating for the 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 – ultimately granting more than $3.7 million to address HIV/AIDS.
• Since 2003, more than $8 million in Community Foundation grants for over 500 different projects support the LGBTQ community on a wide range of issues, including education, outreach, the arts and more.
• The Community Foundation conducted eye-opening research that produced the Broward Pride Report to the Community in 2018 – creating a bold new focus for how local philanthropy could support the LGBTQ community.
• The Community Foundation’s ongoing commitment to Broward Pride fosters equality, inclusion and acceptance for the LGBTQ community.

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Thanks to visionary philanthropists who create endowed charitable Funds, the Community Foundation will always be there to champion equality and foster inclusion for everyone who calls Broward home.

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Support for the new Broward Pride grants came from the following Funds at the Community Foundation:

• Gay and Lesbian Broward Community Fund
• Charles L. Ross Fund
• Richard Frisby and Edward Burkhart Fund
• Drial Foundation Fund
• Gilbert Corwin Fund
• Footsteps in the Sand

To learn how you can support Broward Pride and other issues that matter, contact Vice President of Philanthropic Services Nancy Thies at nthies@cfbroward.org or954-761-9503.

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