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Colorado College Honors Head of Gay & Lesbian Fund. Mary Lou Makepeace Wins Diversity Award for Community Dedication, Cooperation.

Publication Date: June 10, 2009

Colorado College has awarded Mary Lou Makepeace, executive director of the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado, with its annual Community Diversity Award. The award recognized Makepeace for her exemplary commitment to community service and to making Colorado Springs a better place for all to live. She was honored alongside Thomas Bennett, Jr. at the college’s Gospel Extravaganza in May.

The award acknowledges Makepeace for her many long years of service to the community, including her stewardship as the city’s first female mayor, her promotion of civic involvement at Leadership Pikes Peak, and her leadership in building alliances as the executive director of the Gay & Lesbian Fund. It honors her “commitment to positive change and inclusion” and her ideals of diversity, inclusion, and community cooperation.

“Colorado Springs has made great progress in the last 10 years in terms of creating a welcoming and inclusive community for all people to live in, and I am privileged to have played a role in creating that change,” said Makepeace. “This award from Colorado College is a testament to the importance and value that others in this community place on diversity and inclusion. I am proud to be associated with such a preeminent organization as Colorado College.”

The award was presented by Mike Edmonds, vice president of Student Life and the Dean of Students; Richard Celeste, president of Colorado College; and Rochelle Mason, director of Minority and International Studies.

About the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado
The Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado was established in 1996 as a project of the Gill Foundation. It has invested in hundreds of nonprofit organizations that share the fund’s commitment to advancing equality and improving quality of life for people across Colorado. With more than $22 million of investments in arts and culture, civic engagement, healthy families, and public broadcasting programs, the fund maintains and enriches Colorado’s cultural heritage, strengthens the ability of Colorado families to thrive, and prepares our state’s young leaders for tomorrow’s challenges. The organization is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  More information can be found at www.gayandlesbianfund.org.

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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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