Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado

The Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado is supporting a wide range of community events and arts festivals during July through recent grants to nonprofit organizations across the state. The wide range of events being supported by these grants include an arts festival celebrating African-American culture, a skills-building and teambuilding camp for young women, a community event celebrating Asian culture and food, a family musical performed by handicapped actors at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, a fundraising event that supports the children of migrant families on the Western Slope, a fundraising gala featuring one of Broadway’s most accomplished performers, and more.

“We are proud to support these events, which directly support key goals of our philanthropic work:  enhancing quality of life for all Coloradans, enriching arts and culture throughout the state, and supporting Colorado children and families. We sponsor these events not only because they enhance our communities, but because they are key fundraising efforts for the organizations. Our support helps them create successful events that generate critical revenue for their programs and services,” said Mary Lou Makepeace, executive director of the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado. “I urge the community to come out and support these events. They are a fun, easy and powerful way to support the amazing work of these non-profit organizations.”

The Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado is supporting July events with a total of nearly $120,000 in recent grants, including these upcoming events:

• The Physically Handicapped Amateur Musical Actors League 2006 production of “The Wiz,” which runs from July 14-30 at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. For more information about performances, please visit www.phamaly.org.
• Summer Heat 2006: A Fire Camp for Young Women in Colorado Springs. The weeklong day camp gives young women the opportunity to participate in unique teambuilding activities that will help them succeed in their careers and as civic leaders. For more information about the event, please visit www.springsgov.com/Page.asp?NavID=3588.
• The Partners in Housing 2006 Camp Experience taking place at Copper Mountain July 19-21. The event brings together women from around the state of Colorado for presentations, workshops, and teambuilding activities focused on leadership, life planning, and personal growth. For more information about the event, please visit www.partnersinhousing.org.
• The Hands That Harvest/Los Manos Que Cosechan event hosted by Child and Migrant Services on July 29 in Mesa County. For more information about the event, please call 970-464-5226
• The 2006 Colorado Dragon Boat Festival on July 29 and 30 at Sloan’s Lake in Denver. The event celebrates pan-Asian culture and Denver’s thriving Asian-American community. For more information about the event, please visit www.coloradodragonboat.org.
• The Douglas County “Shakespeare at the Rock” Festival hosted by the Douglas Public Library Foundation, which will be held July 27-29 in Castle Rock. The event features Shakespearean performances, displays, activities, and workshops, including “The Comedy of Errors” each evening of the festival. For more information about the event, please visit www.douglascountylibraries.org.

The Gay & Lesbian Fund also provided financial support for the following events, which were held earlier this month:

• The 2006 Cherry Creek Arts Festival in Denver (www.cherryarts.org).
• The Humanitarian Awards Ceremony at the 2006 North American Indigenous Games hosted by the Native American Sports Council  (www.naig2006.com).
• The 2006 Visions of the City Dinner hosted by the League of Women Voters of Denver Education Fund  (www.lwvdenver.org).
• The 2006 Denver Black Arts Festival, featuring performances and activities that celebrate the spirit of African-American Arts, Culture and Traditions (www.denbaf.org).
• The Colorado Festival of World Theatre 4th Annual Gala on July 15 in Colorado Springs, featuring a performance by Tony and Emmy Awards-winning Lillias White (www.cfwt.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 nonprofit organizations 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 nonprofit organizations’ 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.