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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 3, 2007)
IS JUStpUt AVGUST 3. ¡TCQ7 northwest Two Foundations, One Goal Are there enough philanthropists to go around? by Jaymee R. Cuti COMMUNICATE business cords newsletters brochures • rack cards » ■ full-Mrvk« printing Tel 503.281.8688 • Fax 503.249.1440 • www.impress-usa.com ride Foundation is coming. You might have heard this warning if you volunteer for a competing granting agency. Yet the fact is, Pride Foundation is here, and has been since 1993. The 20-year-old Seattle-hased group has a regional focus that has included Portland since that time and has granted approximately $350,(XX) to the Columbia-Willamette and Clark County area in the form of 120 grants. A year ago, the foundation took on a community organizing staffer for the Columbia-Willamette area. cacy that specifically affects sexual and gender communities of Oregon,” said West Duncan, Equity Foundation’s communications and develop ment coordinator. She added that the board expressed an interest in taking a stand on progressive causes that advance the rights of queer people and earmarked money specifically for political advocacy. The new categories are civil rights and human rights, which encapsulate funding projects with a focus on cultural diversity, independent living with respect and dignity and the right to he educat ed and earn a living. Your #1 choice 24/7/365 503.227.1212 Have you Considered- Spirituality... without religion? Faith... without doctrine? Love... without condition? Join us at MCC Portland where all are welcome to worship. MCC Portland is a progressive community of faith welcoming all people with special outreach to the gay. lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities. Service times Sundays. 9A 11A and 6P We cover both sides of the fence. We'll find you a home and get you the loan. Realtor 505-282--4000 l.xt I 12 sheasteel (»»•max nel / ✓ t_' ' '-3 . / Mortgage Broker 503-557-9100 daw niegrubstein @conu <i*t .net Close your transaction with Shea and Dawnie and receive $200 off your closing costs! Offer expires 9/30/07 Cody Bambino of Pride Foundation (left) and West Duncan of Equity Foundation say their groups will collaborate on projects. “Our goal is to set up an office here in the next few years,” said Cody Bambino, who operates out of hir home office in Vancouver, Wash. (Bambino prefers the gender-neutral pronouns “ze” and “hir.”) Pride Foundation and other similar groups, such as Portland’s Equity Foundation, might he culling money from the same pool of donors. Does Pride Foundation’s presence pose a threat to 18-year-old Equity Foundation, whose mission is to fund organ izations and individuals that strengthen gender and sexual minorities communities? According to Bambino, Portland has enough philanthropy to go around. “The rising tide raises all ships,” ze said. “It is a testament to Portland’s LGBT community that they are so strong, rich and vibrant that they warrant two LGBT foundations.” Insiders say charitable giving is on an upward trend in Oregon. According to Deh Furry, a nonprofit consultant and part of rhe campaign management team for the state’s charitable fund drive, Oregon’s workplace giving drive experienced a 3 percent increase from 2003 to 2006. By comparison, Equity Foundation experienced a 40 percent increase in the state’s workplace campaign over that time. Equity Foundation has donated more than $3 million to Oregon-based nonprofit organizations in the past 12 years. The organization fine-tuned its granting categories and expanded its focus to polit ical causes. “We’re going to be able to fund political advo Pride announced its 2007 grants this month, granting $20,000 to six organizations that support the queer community in the Portland-area. The recipients were Brother to Brother, receiving $3,000; Q Center, $3,000; Outside In, $4,000; Friendly House/Elder Resource Alliance, $4,000; Our House of Portland, $3,000; and Planned Parenthood of the Columbia-Willamette, $3,000. A new season of granting is upon Equity, which began a new fiscal year in July. It has added several new grants to its repertoire, including the Gregori Jakovina Scholarship Fund and the Armistead Maupin Creative Writing Scholarship Fund, both with August deadlines. The Nike Youth Career Forum Scholarship Fund was also added with a deadline in February 2008. While there’s much overlap in rhe work of the two groups, there is a distinct difference. “We’re homegrown, for our community, by our communi ty,” said Duncan. Duncan added that both organizations work for the betterment of the community and that, with that intent, "The sum is greater than its parts.” The organizations are working to create collab oration. Last fall, they jointly held a student schol arship application workshop at Q Center. In the future, the groups would like to hold a similar workshop on grant writing. ® For more information about PRIDE FOUNDATION and E quity F oundation visit www.inidefoundation.org and www.equityfoundation.org.
