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In an era o f belt-tightening and changing funding strategies,
LCP is leaner but still strong
,
0
by Inga Sorensen
Wndemriere
Cronin & Caplan Realty Group, Inc.
503 - 225 - 1115 / 503 - 970-3801
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ransitions can be difficult, but some­
times they are necessary. Just ask
LaVeme Lewis.
“It’s true. It definitely can be tough,
but sometimes there really isn’t a
choice,” says Lewis, the executive director of the
Lesbian Community Project, a decade-old organi­
zation whose mission is to “promote the well-being
of the lesbian community through a grass-roots
organization with an evolving multi-issue,
multicultural perspective.”
LCP recently launched a $ 10,000 major donor
campaign, its second in as many years.
According to Lewis, for many years LCP
relie^I almost exclusively on grant funding to keep
its doors open. Just a couple of years back, the
group, which touts an estimated 850-person mem­
bership, was 70 percent grant dependent, and its
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Office
274-1500
Evenings/Weekends
Colleen Weed
780-1561
LCP Executive Director LaVeme Lewis
V a n co u ver
P o rtla n d
Call Me!
574*1131
289*5533
Cory Howard
fund-raising events were barely making a profit.
“It’s very dangerous to become that grant
dependent,” says Lewis. “If you lose your major
grants and have no other source of funding, the
organization’s future is clearly in jeopardy.”
In 1993, LCP received a grant from McKenzie
RiverGathering to implement a Blue Print Project,
whose purpose was to craft a five-year internal
strategic plan for the board o f directors to imple­
ment and maintain. Not surprisingly, a key ele­
ment of the plan dealt with LCP’s long-term
economic development base.
According to Lewis, organizational fund-rais­
ing is one of the elements foundations look at
when deciding whether to issue a grant. Commu­
nity involvement in a group is another.
In May 1995, the board decided to move the
organization away from being so grant dependent
toward increased self-sufficiency. Lewis says
“after long hours of learning to ftind raise,” the
board kicked off its first annual major donor
campaign in August 1995, pulling in $9,000.
Shifting its emphasis a year ago was fortu­
itous, says Lewis, given the fact that this year one
of LCP’s longtime grantors, the Ms. Foundation,
rejected a $ 10,000 grant proposal. Lewis says that
was “mainly due to their funding decrease and
focus on abortion rights issues, the new and im­
proved target of the far right.”
At the same time, other funding, including an
$11,900 grant from the federal Department of
Justice, was recently issued to LCP to support its
Anti-Violence Project.
“Funding is tighter all the way around, but
that’s the way it is for everyone,” says Lewis.
“We’re making the adjustments that need to be
made.”
In addition to increasing its fund-raising, LCP
has scaled back its annual budget from $100,000
According to
Lewis, fo r many
years LCP relied
almost exclu­
sively on grant
funding to keep
its doors open.
Just a couple o f
years back, the
group, which
touts an esti­
mated 850-
person member­
ship, was 70
percent grant
dependent, and
its fund-raising
events were
barely making a
profit.
to $80,000, with cuts in payroll and overhead.
LCP continues to sponsor a number of projects,
including its Anti-Violence Project, which docu­
ments reported bias and hate crimes against sexual
minorities; a Lesbian Health Project, which in­
cludes support groups for lesbians with breast
cancer and other diseases; a speakers’ bureau;
newsletter; various dances and social activities; as
well as lesbian dragon boat, softball and Race for
the Cure teams.
"Things aren’t the same as they were 10 years
ago,” says Lewis. “Now there are more gay and
lesbian groups and causes. But LCP has always
been here. That won’t change, but the way we
operate is changing.”
Donations to LCP are tax-deductible if checks
are made out to its Community Education Project;
mail donations to LCP, PO Box 5931, Portland,
OR 92228. Membership fees are sliding scale. For
more information about LCP and its upcoming
events, call 223-0071.