The Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado has named Chris Robertson an associate program officer and Ken Robinson the fund’s community outreach associate. Both gentlemen previously held other positions at the Gay & Lesbian Fund, and their new roles took effect in early April.
“Both Chris and Ken have demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado since they joined our team. Their steadfast dedication to our work, our mission and our relationships with grantees and the public will be essential to the fund’s continued success as we strive to advance equality for the people of Colorado,” said Mary Lou Makepeace.
Chris Robertson originally joined the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado in early 2003 as the organization’s community outreach associate, responsible for managing public relations and marketing activities. In his new role as associate program officer, he is responsible for reviewing grant proposals, developing relationships with grantees, and making funding recommendations. He works alongside Program Officers Morris Price and Julie Voyles.
Chris has more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and has held board and advisory committee positions with a number of nonprofit and community service organizations in Louisiana and Colorado, including NO/AIDS Task Force, New Orleans Gay & Lesbian Community Center, and Project Lazarus. He was also a co-founder and program developer for Friends For Life AIDS Resource Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Prior to joining the nonprofit sector, Chris held governmental and corporate finance positions.
Currently, Chris is a committee member of the Pikes Peak Fund for Tolerance and Equality, a volunteer for the Pikes Peak Gay & Lesbian Community Center and Inside/Out Youth Services of Colorado Springs, and a member of several local community service organizations including the Colorado Springs Downtown Partnership, The Old North End Neighborhood Association, Citizen’s Project, The NAACP, and The Urban League of the Pikes Peak Region.
Chris attended Louisiana State University, and is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration. He is also a graduate of Leadership Pikes Peak.
Ken Robinson joined the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado in 2006 as a database administrator. In his new role as community outreach associate, he is responsible for managing public relations and marketing functions associated with the fund’s grantmaking activities.
While Ken’s immediate professional background resides in the field of database administration, much of his career has leveraged his passion for being on stage. A professional actor since 1995, Ken has sung, danced and performed in productions ranging from Grease and Hello Dolly to It’s a Wonderful Life and Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, in venues ranging from national and local theatre to theme parks and cruise lines. In 2006, he served as box office manager for Colorado Festival of World Theatre in Colorado Springs, and from 1991 to 2005 he was a color guard/marching instructor in Kentucky.
Ken obtained an associate’s degree in the arts from St. Petersburg College in St. Petersburg, Florida.
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 $18 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.