Our Fund Foundation Awards $355,000 In LGBTQ+ Health & Wellness Fund Grants

16 South Florida LGBTQ+ specific programs and initiatives received financial support 

Our Fund Foundation, South Florida’s only LGBTQ community foundation, awarded $355,000 in grants through its LGBTQ+ Health & Wellness Fund at an awards reception hosted outside of Our Fund’s headquarters in Wilton Manors on Tuesday, October 12.

The grants, ranging from $8,000 to $40,000, were distributed amongst 16 deserving non-profits and will support innovative LGBTQ+-specific programs and initiatives throughout Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.

“We are incredibly proud to support these amazing non-profits which address a variety LGBTQ+ community health risks and disparities,” said David Jobin, president & CEO of Our Fund Foundation. “These unique initiatives underscore Our Fund’s mission which seeks to improve the quality of life for the local LGBTQ+ population through responsive, relevant, and impactful philanthropy and grantmaking.”

Our Fund Foundation’s 2021 Health & Wellness Fund Grant Recipients:

  1. Barry University Center for Human Rights and Social Justice
    The Cultivating Compassion Project
    Advancing health equity for transgender and nonbinary Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in South Florida through a mindfulness-based intervention.
  2. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward
    BIG Pride
    One-to-one mentoring for LGBTQ youth in Broward and North Miami-Dade.
  3. Chainless Change
    Peers Optimistically Working to End Recidivism (POWER)
    A peer support program where peer specialists provide guidance and support for those impacted by the criminal legal system.
  4. Compass LGBT Community Center
    Transgender Mental Health Access
    Expansion of affordable, culturally sensitive therapy for transgender youth.
  5. Equality Florida
    LGBTQ Health Equity Program
    Providing culturally competent LGBTQ training to health professionals in the Jackson Health System in Miami-Dade.
  6. Gilda’s Club
    LBT Cancer Awareness and Service Partnership
    Cancer Support Services for lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.
  7. Humanity Project
    Anti-bullying Through the Arts/Humanity Club
    Peer youth program modeling anti-bullying for elementary school-age students.
  8. Jewish Community Services of South Florida
    Lambda Living
    Inclusive and dynamic program to engage LGBTQ seniors with social activities and support services.
  9. Latinos Salud
    Access for All: HIV/STD Services in South Florida
    Support for community health programs including HIV/STI testing, referral and treatment.
  10. Maven Leadership Collective
    Maven Wellness Initiative
    Providing direct access to wellness services for individuals, professional development for health professionals, and capacity-building resources for service agencies.
  11. SAGE@SoFIA
    Friendly Visitor Program
    Matching community volunteers with LGBTQ elders to form relationships that are mutually rewarding and relieve chronic isolation.
  12. TransInclusive Group
    U-Matter Project
    Addressing HIV within the Transgender community with direct and holistic support services.
  13. TransSOCIAL
    Play Safe Miami
    Linkage Services for Transgender and LGBQ+ community members throughout South Florida to affirming healthcare providers.
  14. Vita Nova
    The Spot Drop-In Center for LGBTQ Youth
    Providing homeless youth in Palm Beach County LGBTQ specific services through the drop-in center to improve their health, safety, and overall well-being.
  15. World AIDS Museum
    Supporting Sexual Health/Wellness for LGBTQ+ Youth
    Teaching the humanities in the classroom through the lens of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Miami-Dade and Broward County schools.
  16. YES Institute
    Youth & Family Resilience Initiative
    Serving families with LGBTQ youth between 5-25 years of age, providing effective tools and strategic resources

Grants from the 2021 LGBTQ Health & Wellness Fund were made possible by generous support from the following legacy and donor-advised funds at Our Fund Foundation:  Bill Beaton and Ted Emery Charitable Fund, Jim Laird’s Hamish’s Fund, Tuesday’s Angels Fund, Kay Maunsbach Charitable Fund, Stanley Roller Charitable Fund, The Paul Fasana Charitable Fund, DC Allen & Ken Flick No Gay Hate Fund, The Scott L. Bennett Charitable Fund, The Doll/McNally Fund, Dick Schwarz and Tom Massey Charitable Fund, Tallen Bell and George Peña Charitable Fund, John Pritchard’s Make Change Matter Fund, and The Woodham-Ellis Charitable Fund.  Additional support provided by Michael Kalb, Paul Rolli and Bennett Quade, Susanne and Marty Ellman and Greg Kabel.

Our Fund Foundation will celebrate the donors and recipients and the impact they have on South Florida’s LGBTQ community during an upcoming socially distanced grant reception, to be announced.

To view the findings from Our Fund Foundation’s 2020 Needs Assessment, which will assist the with strategic planning, engagement and grantmaking for the next five years click here.

Established in 2011, Our Fund Foundation has grown into the third largest LGBT foundation in the nation. As South Florida’s only LGBT community foundation, Our Fund promotes a culture of philanthropy by uniting donors with organizations advancing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties and supporting causes within the LGBT community. For more information on Our Fund Foundation visit our-fund.org or call 954-565-1090.