“Through art wellness activities, programming centered on future-finding, counseling support, and social events, these young people were encouraged to learn and grow, connect with and affirm one another, and consider the possibilities for their lives as members of the LGBTQ+ community.”

                       Will Koehler, PhD, LCSW – LGBTQ+ Therapist
                      Co-Owner, Journey to a Trauma Informed Life 

Donors to the LGBT Fund together support projects that meet the needs and concerns of the Erie region’s LGBTQ+ community, including efforts related to safe schools, youth homelessness, mental health, substance abuse and suicide prevention, and housing and workplace equality, among others.

The focus of the Fund is not on undertaking specific programming but on supporting local organizations that do. Decisions about the funding opportunities that best meet the mission and vision of the LGBT Fund are made by members of an advisory board of LGBTQ+ individuals and allies.

To be considered for a grant, an applicant must be a 501(c)(3) organization or partner with such an organization as its fiscal sponsor.

In recent years, Fund donors together have supported:

• LGBTQ+ students at PennWest Edinboro in partnership with the Erie branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
• Counseling services for LGBTQ+ students in collaboration with Erie’s Crime Victim Center
• An LGBTQ+ Youth Summit organized by the Greater Erie Alliance for Equality (GEAE).
• A study to understand the housing needs of at-risk and homeless youth in Erie County conducted by Housing and Neighborhood Development Services (HANDS) of Erie
• An LGBTQ+ youth program centered on art expression and future-finding, delivered by Journey to a Trauma Informed Life.
• True North, a four-week program of Compton’s Table that educates local LGBTQ+ youth and young adults about budgeting, housing, self-care and self-advocacy, and career and social skills development.

Collectively, the gifts of donors committed to supporting the Fund are making an impact on the lives of LGBTQ+ people—and building the Fund’s resources further will allow that impact to grow.