LGBTQ+ Giving Circle Announces Inaugural Grants of More Than $50,000
The LGBTQ+ Giving Circle recently awarded $57,500 in grants that will support and celebrate LGBTQ+ Lancastrians.
A stage production centering Queer voices, empowerment programs for transgender individuals, and events that increase awareness and equality for LGBTQ+ families who are adopting are just a few of the projects being funded by the giving circle’s inaugural grant cycle.
Launched in October 2022, the LGBTQ+ Giving Circle was formed by a group of local volunteers and donors to raise visibility and address the needs of LGBTQ+ communities in Lancaster County. An advisory committee, made up of individuals with diverse lived experiences including vocation, age, race, gender identities and sexualities, was created to guide the overall vision of the giving circle. Through this collective approach to philanthropy, a wide range of projects that directly impact a variety of causes within local LGBTQ+ communities were considered and chosen with great intention. These are the first grants to be awarded by the giving circle. Nine organizations have received between $2,500 and $10,000.
“On behalf of the entire LGBTQ+ Giving Circle advisory committee, we were so impressed by the creative and intersectional initiatives proposed by many of our grantees. We share our appreciation to all our donors, and we are excited to partner with organizations providing support and celebrating the visibility of LGBTQ+ communities across Lancaster County.”
-Todd Snovel, Advisory Committee Member
Giving Circles are one way our community can leverage the power of collaboration to achieve impact through giving and granting. The Lancaster County Community Foundation is honored to partner with the LGBTQ+ Giving Circle as they center the most vulnerable LGBTQ+ communities and provide support for those most affected by systemic injustices such as racism, homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny.
Anyone can support the work of the LGBTQ+ Giving Circle by making a donation.
Learn more about the projects being funded:
| Adoptions From The Heart – Lancaster | $3,000 | Adopting a Baby as an LGBTQ+ Family |
| Eastern PA Trans Equity Project | $10,000 | Empowerment Programs for Transgender Individuals |
| Ephrata Performing Arts Center | $9,000 | Queer Voices Staged Reading Festival |
| Lancaster General Health | $2,800 | Sexual Health Service Expansion |
| Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition | $2,500 | Infrastructure and Capacity Building Consultation |
| LGBT Center of Greater Reading | $7,500 | Rivertown Pride Center: Service Provision |
| LGBT Community Center Coalition of Central PA | $7,500 | Common Roads: Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth in Lancaster |
| Demuth Foundation | $7,500 | Demuth Museum Reinterpretation Plan Inclusive of LGBTQ+ Themes |
