The LGBTQ Community Fund Awards a Total of $67,500 to 11 Local Nonprofits

JACKSONVILLE, FL — The LGBTQ Community Fund, a field of interest fund at The Community Foundation, has awarded $67,500 in grants to promote a welcoming and inclusive community for local LGBTQ individuals.

The focus of the 2024 grants is general program support for organizations serving the LGBTQ community, an approach that allows the nonprofits maximum flexibility to direct funds where they are needed most. This year, five organizations received funds for the first time. The grantees serve people in Duval, Nassau and St. Johns Counties.

Established a decade ago, the LGBTQ Community Fund has now made a total of $1.1 million in grants since its inception as a collective giving initiative of The Community Foundation in 2014. Since then, donors have also worked to build the fund’s endowment, which now provides significant support for annual grantmaking, and ensures the funding will continue in perpetuity.

“We’re excited to expand our grants outside of Duval County this year, and we’re proud to be responsive to the needs of LGBTQ-serving organizations by offering this flexible support,” said Janet Allen, program director at The Community Foundation. “We’re grateful to the volunteer leaders from the LGBTQ community who helped us select this year’s grantees, and to the donors who made these grants possible through their support for the LGBTQ Community Fund endowment.”

This year’s grants are as follows:

• Equality Florida Institute – $10,000
  The state’s largest civil rights organization dedicated to LGBTQ people provides parental education and support in Northeast Florida.
• Jax River City Pride – $10,000
  The nonprofit organizes events such as the Jax River City Pride Parade and Festival in October.
• Southern Legal Counsel – $10,000
  As a Florida public interest law firm, SLC’s work includes a focus on the challenges of the LGBTQ community.
• Betty Griffin Center – $5,000
  The St. Johns County domestic violence shelter serves LGBTQ survivors among other vulnerable populations.
• CampOUT Florida Corporation – $5,000
  The organization provides the largest summer camp for LGBTQ+ youth and allies and fosters a love of Florida’s natural beauty.
• Fernandina Beach Pride – $5,000
  The nonprofit organizes LGBTQ-friendly events, including its annual parade, in Nassau County.
• PFLAG Jacksonville – $5,000
  PFLAG works to create a caring, just and affirming world for LGBTQ people with a focus on resources for parents and families.
• Stonewall Sports – $5,000
  The Jacksonville chapter of Stonewall Sports serves more than 3,000 residents of Northeast Florida through inclusive sports leagues, including kickball, volleyball, dodgeball and billiards.
• Transcending Adolescence – $5,000
  The organization provides summer camp experiences for transgender youth.
  Unspoken Treasure Society – $5,000 – The organization provides employment, housing, and suicide prevention services for transgender people.
• House of Prism – $2,500
  The St. Augustine-based LGBTQIA+ resource center works to improve the self-worth, opportunity and safety of its clients.