The Gill Foundation believes that engaging, educating and energizing donors to the LGBT social justice movement is critical to achieving full equality for all. It’s all about taking advantage of the opportunities before us.
Philanthropy is about sparking the passion that exists within all human beings to want to help their fellow human beings; to believe that we can and should leave our country and our world better than we found it. Engaging donors is a natural extension of our work to create an America that is equal and fully inclusive. The more good minds and resources that we can bring to the table, the better off equality efforts will be.
We work hard to broaden the base of LGBT and allied supporters that are knowledgeable about local, state and national LGBT nonprofits and the importance of their work. In pursuit of this goal, we undertake a variety of tactics:
- For the past decade, we have hosted our signature OutGiving conferences. These conferences provide LGBT and allied donors with the resources they need to develop a more focused and strategic approach to their philanthropy. They can learn from one other and build networks of support to reach common goals.
- Through conversations, personal meetings and donor salons, we educate donors about the LGBT movement, the variety of ways in which they can be involved and the importance of thoughtful planning as a part of their charitable giving.When creating a personal giving plan, some donors may choose to give personally, some may establish a donor advised fund through their local community foundation, and others may choose to start a private family foundation.
- We encourage the formation of Giving Circles. This vehicle allows individual donors to pool their resources and then jointly decide the manner in which the funds should be distributed. Together they can have greater impact. Donors in giving circles give more, give more strategically and are more engaged in their communities.
No movement, no cause is sustainable with just a few select donors. That makes no sense. The more good minds and resources we bring to the table, the better off we can make the lives of millions of Americans.
