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Colorado Springs Leadership Arts Program Holds First Graduation in April

Publication Date: April 19, 2006

Colorado Business Committee for the Arts (CBCA) will host a ceremony for the first graduates of its Colorado Springs Leadership Arts Program, which is financially supported by the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado. The graduation ceremony and board mixer will take place on Wed. April 26 from 9:30am to 1:30pm at the Fine Arts Center in Colorado Springs.

The Leadership Arts Program is an innovative board leadership program that trains business people in skills needed to serve on boards of directors of nonprofit cultural organizations. Since 2003, CBCA has received more than $19,000 annually in financial contributions from the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado. The funds enabled CBCA to expand its Denver-based Leadership Arts Program to Colorado Springs.

“We are thrilled to have passed our first milestone with the graduation of 20 Colorado Springs-area business leaders,” said Deborah Jordy, executive director of CBCA. “The participation in our program is a real testament to the commitment to arts and culture in a city whose artistic resources have been largely untapped and underutilized – this is beginning to change as people realize the positive impacts of the arts on the economy,” Jordy added.

The 20 graduates of the 2005-2006 Leadership Arts class represent organizations as diverse as Holland and Hart, Wells Fargo, Colorado Springs Utilities, Colorado Springs Children’s Hospital at Memorial Hospital, El Pomar Foundation and Colorado College. Courses began in Sept. 2005 and were completed March 2006, featuring such topics as Trusteeship & Strategic Planning, Legal & Fiscal Stewardship and Policy Governance for Nonprofits, among others.

The Leadership Arts program’s impact comes from fostering the exchange of ideas and information between the business and arts sectors, and in 2005 it was expanded to Colorado Springs. “We wanted to have a stronger statewide presence, and we recognized the struggles Colorado Springs arts organizations were facing with regard to community advocacy. There was an obvious opportunity to build sustainable relationships between businesses and arts organizations,” said Jordy.

Note to Editors: The media are invited to attend the graduation ceremony, which will take place at he Fine Arts Center, located at 30 West Dale Street in Colorado Springs. More information can be obtained by contacting Jan Brennan at CBCA: 303-282-5129 or jbrennan@cbca.org.

About Colorado Business Committee for the Arts
CBCA is a member organization of over 150 leading companies with 73,000 employees that believe the arts mean business. Member companies share a philanthropic commitment to the arts and recognize the link between our cultural vitality and business success. Founded in 1984 by local business leaders, Colorado is one of 11 affiliates of the national Business Committee for the Arts founded by David Rockefeller in 1967. More information can be found at www.cbca.org.

About the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado
The Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado was established in 1996 as a program to financially support nonprofit organizations that enhance the quality of life in Colorado and promote equality for all people. Since its inception, the fund has awarded more than $16 million to hundreds of nonprofits whose program areas include arts and culture, civic leadership, healthy families and public broadcasting. In addition to providing financial assistance, the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado offers training programs, workshops, technical assistance and public meeting space to strengthen nonprofits’ ability to grow, flourish and succeed. The organization is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado. For more information please visit www.gayandlesbianfund.org.

About the Funds
Every year, the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado receives a financial allocation from its parent organization, the Gill Foundation, that must be donated in the form of grants to nonprofit organizations that have an IRS 501(c)(3) status and adhere to a nondiscrimination policy inclusive of sexual orientation. These monies, which typically amount to approximately 18 to 20 percent of the Gill Foundation’s earned investments, are not used for private or political purposes, in accordance with IRS regulations.

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Welcome to the website for the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado

We’d like to update you on some important news.

In 2012, we are taking a break from all new grantmaking to undergo a strategic re-evaluation.

During this time, the Gay & Lesbian Fund will not accept any unsolicited 2012 grant applications, but all grantees that were awarded a grant from the Gay & Lesbian Fund during 2011 will receive a grant of the same amount in 2012 with no paperwork required. We will accomplish those renewals by March 1, 2012.

The Gay & Lesbian Fund is a program of the Gill Foundation. The Gill Foundation is as committed to Colorado as ever – giving more than $3.5 million to Colorado nonprofits annually. After this re-evaluation, the Gay & Lesbian Fund, which is only a portion of our Colorado giving, will continue to be a significant part of the foundation’s work in the state. We will announce, and update this site to reflect, the Gay & Lesbian Fund’s revised grantmaking and application guidelines as soon as that information is available.

In the interim, all Colorado programs outside of the Gay & Lesbian Fund, including the funding of our progressive allies, our LGBT and HIV service and advocacy organizations, and our anti-bullying work will continue on their current trajectory and will not be directly affected.

Thank you for your patience in the weeks and months ahead. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@gayandlesbianfund.org.

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