Having an LGBTQ Community Event? There’s Money Available!

Jan8 by D Gregory Smith

Pride Foundation is pleased to offer sponsorships for LGBTQ and allied organizations that host events throughout the year.

This money is separate from the larger grants made at the end of every year- and the decisions for funding are made by local Pride Foundation state leadership teams. From their website:

In support of our mission to inspire a culture of generosity that connects and strengthens Northwest organizations, leaders, or students who are creating LGBTQ equality, Pride Foundation provides sponsorship funds to community-based events across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. On occasion, we will consider emergency requests or requests with a tighter deadline. Please contact sponsorships@pridefoundation.org before submitting your request if you have a deadline issue or other questions.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who can apply for sponsorship?
An organization must have 501(c)3 non-profit tax status or be affiliated with an organization that has 501(c)3 tax status which will assume fiscal responsibility for all funds received and expended. Grants to individuals cannot be considered.

What type of events does Pride Foundation sponsor?
Pride Foundation sponsors diverse events, gatherings and programs, including (but not limited to) regional LGBTQ and ally-focused community celebrations, health fairs, film festivals, and gay-straight alliance events.

What level of funding is available?
Each sponsorship opportunity is considered individually, including level of funding. Sponsorship awards range from $50 to $500 depending on the scope of the event, location, audience, expected community impact, and depth of outreach benefits.

Do I need to submit the application online? What if I have my own form or sponsorship packet?
There is not a paper version of the form. You may submit the form we provide or use your own, but it must include all the information we request. Incomplete information may result in your sponsorship request not being considered.

What do we look for in a sponsorship request?
Our overarching guidelines for funding sponsorship requests include:

Reach – How many people will be in attendance?

Audience – Does the event target a demographic that Pride Foundation prioritizes?

Presence – Will Pride Foundation staff or volunteers be able to show up and represent the organization at the event?

Prospects/Contacts – Will Pride Foundation have a chance to talk and interact with attendees and tell them about our work?

Mission Fit – Does the event fit with Pride Foundation’s mission and broader social justice philanthropy vision and goals?

Social Justice Values – Does the event target or serve a historically marginalized group?

Likelihood of success – How likely is it that this event will happen without Pride Foundation’s support?

Sponsorship Request Process

If you are using our sponsorship form, download the form here. It is in Microsoft Word format. Once you complete the form, save it and return it via email to the appropriate regional contact listed below.

If you have your own prepared sponsorship packet, please send those materials to the appropriate regional contact listed below. It must include all the information requested in our form.

Alaska: Tiffany McClain – tiffany@pridefoundation.org
Idaho: Steve Martin – steve@pridefoundation.org
Montana: Caitlin Copple – caitlin@pridefoundation.org
Oregon: Jett Johnson – jett@pridefoundation.org
Washington (except King County): Send it to both Farand Gunnels –farand@pridefoundation.org and Uma Rao – uma@pridefoundation.org
King County or General Sponsorship Support: Jeff Hedgepeth –jeff@pridefoundation.org

Review Process for Washington State and King County: your sponsorship request must be submitted by the first Friday of the month in which you want your application to be considered. You will be notified of a decision within two weeks of submitting your request.

Review Process for all other regions: Please submit sponsorship requests at least 30 days prior to the event or any advertising deadlines. You will be notified of a decision within two weeks of submitting your request.

Tim Sweeney, Kris Hermanns to Attend Billings Pride Foundation Benefit (dgsmith.org)
Pride Foundation Named One of Top Twelve Nonprofits (dgsmith.org)
LGBTQ Services for Youth (socialworkhelper.com)

Oregon Removes Barriers To Transition-related Care‏

Jan5 by D Gregory Smith

From Basic Rights Oregon:

Great news! The Insurance Division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) just announced that insurance companies doing business in Oregon must end discriminatory exclusions of medically-necessary healthcare for transgender Oregonians.

We all know someone who has been denied medically necessary care by an insurance company working to protect its bottom line. It’s unfair, painful, and downright dangerous when it happens. And for transgender people, these denials are often a fact of life.

Many transgender Oregonians are denied the ability to purchase health insurance or are denied coverage for basic, medically necessary care solely because they are transgender (watch a video of their stories here). These exclusions are wrong, discriminatory– and the Insurance Division has made it clear that this kind of discrimination has no place in Oregon.

The Insurance Division bulletin specifically states that:

Health insurers may not categorically exclude transgender patients from coverage.
Health insurers must provide coverage and cannot deny coverage of treatments for transgender policy holders if the same treatments are covered for other policy holders.
Health insurers may not deny treatment on the basis of a policy holder’s actual or perceived gender. That means that all policy holders can rely on annual exams, cancer screenings, and gender-specific health care, regardless of their gender on file.
The statewide mandate for coverage of mental health services must apply to transgender patients.

To learn more about this bulletin, or if you are denied care following this announcement, please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions sheet and to theInsurance Division website.

After years of work on this issue, the Trans Justice team at Basic Rights Oregon is celebrating a tremendous victory for trans, genderqueer, and gender non-conforming Oregonians. Portland resident and Trans Justice Working Group member Ray Crider said,

“For me, this coverage is preventive health care. As a transgender man, part of my daily routine is binding my chest to create a masculine appearance. This created health problems for me by restricting my breathing and causing inflammation in the wall of my lungs. As a result, I ended up in the emergency room several times for shortness of breath and chest pain. Doctors told me the only solution was to stop binding, but the surgery I needed ended up being the same cost as my emergency room visits. Transgender exclusions in insurance policies are a lose-lose proposition, and I’m glad they’re coming to an end.“

Basic Rights Oregon and transgender community leaders will continue working together to increase access to medically necessary care for trans Oregonians. And we’ll share more updates as this exciting bulletin is implemented.

Gender-Neutral Bathroom Signs Spark Controversy (smartsign.com)
Transgender Day Of Remembrance (dgsmith.org)
‘Gender Identity Disorder’ Removed From APA Mental Health Manual (bilerico.com)
Being Transgender No Longer a ‘Disorder’ in New DSM (on.aol.com)

A Love Story: For 60 years ‘There Wasn’t Anything Else’

Jan4 by D Gregory Smith

Probably the sweetest thing I’ve read in a long time comes from yesterday’s Oregonian:

Eric Marcoux, right, and Eugene Woodworth have been a couple for almost 60 years.
Photo:Ross William Hamilton/The Oregonian

Eric Marcoux and Eugene Woodworth will celebrate 60 years together on June 13.

The couple met in Chicago in 1953. Woodworth was a ballet dancer, and Marcoux was just leaving a Trappist monastery.

Marcoux, 82, and Woodworth, 84, participate in Friendly House’s Gay and Grey program, and Marcoux has been a Buddhist teacher for 23 years.

The Oregonian caught up with the couple in their Northwest Portland home, which they share with their macaw, Big Bird, to learn their secrets to a healthy and happy partnership.

Read the interview here.

And if you know anybody at Starbucks- this couple deserves free lattes for life.

Pride Foundation Named One of Top Twelve Nonprofits

Dec27 by D Gregory Smith

Dear friends,

After a year that has included many celebrations at the local and national level, we have one more exciting headline to share.

Pride Foundation was just named one of the Top 12 high-impact nonprofits working in the field of local LGBTQ equality and support. This esteemed award from comes from Philanthropedia, a division of GuideStar. The rankings are based on in-depth surveys and conversations with hundreds of experts, including academics, foundation leaders, policy makers, and consultants.

Pride Foundation is honored to be recognized for such a prestigious award. We are also thankful to each of you—we reach our successes only with your support. As the holiday season continues, we are reminded of what matters most in our own lives and in the life of an organization like Pride Foundation. We are so grateful for the opportunity to champion for inspired students and innovative nonprofits all year long.

Here is a link to two stories of one scholar (Andrew Nichols) and one grantee (Gay Straight Alliance at Salish Kootenai College) that exemplify what can happen when you take the risk to do what you believe in and when you have a community of friends at your side. These stories also point to the reason Pride Foundation was honored with this award—together we are transforming the lives of people in the Northwest.

I understand that so many of you have contributed generously to many causes this year. Knowing that achieving full equality for all is important to you, I would ask that you consider making a personally significant year-end gift to Pride Foundation. To those of you who have already given generously, thank you. Your gift will be joined with the voices and momentum of the entire community and region. And you never know—you may profoundly change or even save a life.

Thank you.

With Pride,

Kris Hermanns, Executive Director

Pride Foundation

Lambda Legal is No. 1 in Guidestar’s Philanthropedia ranking of LGBT organizations (miamiherald.typepad.com)
Singer Katy Perry to LGBTQ Youth: It’s OK to Ask For Help (bilerico.com)

Tribal Toolkit Announced: Promotes LGBT Awareness In Indian Country

Nov2 by D Gregory Smith

From Lewis And Clark College:

On behalf of our author group and sponsors (Indigenous Ways of Knowing Program, the Native American Program of Legal Aid Services of Oregon, Western States Center, Basic Rights Oregon and the Pride Foundation) we are proud to announce the Tribal Equity Toolkit is now complete and free and available to the world:

https://graduate.lclark.edu/programs/indigenous_ways_of_knowing/tribal_equity_toolkit/

The Tribal Equity Toolkit: Tribal Resolutions and Codes to Support Two Spirit and LGBT Justice in Indian Country, is a first-of-its-kind collection of legal resources that helps tribal government officials identify discrimination in tribal codes and regulations and offers draft language to strengthen and promote LGBT equality.

An amazing opportunity to create understanding and promote awareness. Check it out!

Tribal Marriage Equality Inspires New Comprehensive LGBT Toolkit For Tribal Leaders (thinkprogress.org)
Mrs. Obama: ‘Indian Country’ Fights Obesity by Adding ‘Buffalo Meat into School Lunches’ (cnsnews.com)

Montana’s Last Best Chance

Feb5 by D Gregory Smith

Washington State is soon to add itself to the list of states that have legislated for marriage equality- arguably the most democratic way to achieve human rights there is. Forget referendums- most people don’t know what they’re actually voting for, they just read the synopsis on the ballot and make a two second decision. But I digress.

The question for me is this: Now that the State of Washington has voted for Marriage Equality, what does that mean for Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and Montana?

It means we need to keep up the momentum for full LGBT equality. This is not the time to sit on our laurels. This is the time to step it up.

Kris Hermanns in Red Lodge

The Pride Foundation is the only LGBT organization actively involved for LGBT Equality throughout the entire Pacific Northwest- and it is deeply committed. New Executive Director Kris Hermanns last week said to a gathering of Montanans in Bozeman, “Our commitment to you is clear, and together we will have full equality throughout the Pacific Northwest.”

I am a proud member of the Pride Foundation’s Montana Leadership Action Team- along with a number of amazing people- and we have big plans for Montana.

But without the organizing and financial power of Pride Foundation, this amazing group of people would never have been recruited, organized and utilized- and the tens of thousands of dollars would never have been spent to support LGBTQ causes, events and organizations in 2011.

I believe that the Pride Foundation is Montana’s last best chance to achieve dignity and rights in the state of Montana.

We can’t do it without you. And I’m going to blatantly ask for your support.

If you believe in equal rights for all, support us. Join us here on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. And please consider financially supporting Pride Foundation- Ken and I are monthly givers.

To do that, click here.

And thank you.