The Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado, which provides financial support for a wide range of nonprofit programs related to the arts, healthy families, education and civic leadership, has recently been named the Nonprofit Organization of the Year by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Colorado Springs. The prestigious award recognizes organizations that have made a significant positive impact on the Hispanic community in Colorado Springs and El Paso County.
“We are proud to present the Gay & Lesbian Fund with this award as a tribute to its ongoing commitment to issues that are so important to Hispanic families and businesses — the pursuit of equality for all people, the celebration of diversity, the promotion of economic opportunity and the support of Hispanic heritage and culture,” said Alicia Jones, president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Colorado Springs. “The Gay & Lesbian Fund puts that commitment into action every day with its support of so many organizations that serve the Hispanic community of El Paso County in a positive way.”
The award was presented at the 17th Annual Hispanic Chamber Gala and was accepted by Mary Lou Makepeace, executive director for the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado.
“This award from the Hispanic Chamber is a tremendous honor, and I accept it with pride on behalf of every member of our organization,” said May Lou Makepeace. “I also consider this award a recognition of each of the local Hispanic community organizations that the Gay & Lesbian Fund works with in the Colorado Springs area, whose work has a community wide impact.”
The Gay & Lesbian Fund provides support to numerous Colorado Springs-area organizations, programs and events that serve the Hispanic community, including the Pikes Peak Library District’s “¿De Donde Eres?” initiative, which traces Colorado’s Latino and Hispanic families, their histories and their spirituality, and the “World Music Series” concert series in Colorado Springs, which celebrates a diverse range of Hispanic music, including folk and traditional music from a number of Spanish-speaking countries.
The mission of the Colorado Springs Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is to serve its members, Hispanic Business and the Colorado Springs Community; take a leadership role by creating access to business opportunities; and develop and promote Hispanic Businesses. For more information about the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Colorado Springs, visit www.hcccs.com.
About the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado
Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado was established in 1996 as a project of the Gill Foundation. The Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado has a dual mission: to support community non-profits that offer equal opportunity regardless of sexual orientation, and to raise public awareness of the contributions that gay men and lesbians make to Colorado. Since its inception, the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado has awarded more than $16 million to hundreds of organizations whose program areas include arts and culture, civic leadership, healthy families and public broadcasting. 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 non-profit 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