Letter from Rodger McFarlaneAcross the nation, individuals and organizations are pooling resources to accomplish together what none of them could achieve alone. Our struggle to ensure full equality for all people will have a much greater chance of success if we are able to join together with our fellow activists for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights -- and with our allies in the broader progressive movement. This year's annual report highlights a few of the many collaborative efforts that the Gill Foundation is proud to support. Activists in central Ohio-led by a prominent Democrat and a well-known Republican--have brought together a variety of donors and individuals to launch the Legacy Fund to support work benefiting their community beyond their lifetimes. Their comprehensive needs assessment for the region will ensure that resources flow to areas of the greatest need. Two organizations in Wisconsin joined forces to launch a unified campaign for equality that laid the groundwork for lasting change and enlisted thousands of new allies. In South Carolina, visionary funder Linda Ketner has worked with a core of respected gay and lesbian leaders to build the Alliance for Full Acceptance and the South Carolina Equality Coalition that now provide cohesive statewide infrastructure for the important work of advancing equality in the deep south. On the national scene, organizations are growing more sophisticated and inclusive, thanks in part to the efforts of the Movement Advancement Project to provide professional research and analysis that help donors make more informed decisions. National groups are reaching out to all communities through efforts such as GLAAD's People of Color initiative that incorporates efforts to include people of African, Hispanic, and Pacific descent in every aspect of its work. The Gill Foundation's Gay & Lesbian Fund provides evidence all over Colorado of the contributions gay men and lesbians make to the state. This year we profile the Pikes Peak Library District which finds ways to bring the people of Colorado Springs together each year by reading the same book and participating in a myriad of related programs. The generosity of Tim Gill and other philanthropists makes such work possible, while the dedication of these organizations and individuals inspires all of us to new levels of collaboration. Rodger McFarlane |
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