LGBT FUND
OUR IMPACT
ABOUT US
OUR IMPACT
The LGBT Funds of the Erie Community Foundation have a mission of improving the lives of LGBTQ+ people and advancing the Erie region’s LGBTQ+ community through grants to organizations, scholarships to individuals, and support of grassroots initiatives.Â
Since the inception of the LGBT Community Endowment in 2014, the four funds that make up the LGBT Fund have together issued $35,000 in grants to organizations and awarded more than $12,000 in scholarships to area students.
Annual grant projects made possible by the LGBT Fund are intended to address various needs in the community, including those related to safe schools, youth homelessness, substance abuse and suicide prevention, and housing and workplace equality, among others.
EFFORTS SUPPORTED BY THE FUND
- A support group for LGBTQ+ students at PennWest Edinboro 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
- Funding through GEAE of an LGBTQ+ youth program centered on art expression and future-finding, delivered by the local mental health service, Journey to a Trauma-Informed Life.
- Funding of True North, a four-week program educating local LGBTQ+ youth and young adults about budgeting, finding housing, self-care and self-advocacy, and career and social skills development.
- Scholarships to students who demonstrate a commitment to raising awareness of the value of diversity in its many forms.
The LGBT Fund is the only organization of its kind in the Erie region focused solely on actions that meet the needs of the LGBTQ+ community. 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 will allow that impact to grow.
LGBT FUND GRANT PROJECTS
2019
Organization
Greater Erie Alliance for Equality
Project Title
E3 LGBTQ Youth Summit
2019
Organization
Crime Victim Center
Project Title
Counseling and Creating Safe Spaces for LGBTQ+ Students
2020
Organization
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
Project Title
LGBTQIA Support Group at Edinboro University
2022
Organization
Greater Erie Alliance for Equality
Project Title
Partnership with Journey to a Trauma-Informed Life for counseling of LGBTQ+ teens in the Erie community
2023
Organization
Compton’s Table
Project Title
True North
2024
Organization
Compton’s Table
Project Title
True North & Chat n’ Chill
Decisions about the best funding opportunities that meet the mission and vision of the LGBT Fund are made by members of an advisory board of LGBTQ+ individuals and allies.
Apply For A Scholarship
The LGBT Fund administers two scholarships designed to remove financial barriers and open doors for diverse and underrepresented talent in Erie County. The Joseph M. Julka Award supports a student who demonstrates a strong commitment to increasing awareness and understanding of diversity in the Erie region. The Mary E. Kwiatkowski Social Services Scholarship is awarded to a female and/or LGBTQIA+ student planning to major or minor in social sciences and ultimately pursue a career in public services. Students must submit original essays with their applications.
STAY CONNECTED
@emergingerie
Emerging Erie Fund
NEWSLETTER
Subscribe Today