LGBT group raises $300K for COVID relief efforts

The Our Fund Foundation has been working to help those affected by the coronavirus pandemic as it recently launched the Our Fund Foundation Resilience Fund to act as an emergency fundraising initiative and provide critical aid.

LGBTQ+ nonprofit agencies across Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, whose operations have been crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic, will receive financial assistance from the foundation.

Our Fund Foundation, which serves as South Florida’s only LGBTQ+ community foundation, pledged $150,000 from its board-restricted fund as part of a one-toone match to surprise donors. In less than two weeks, the foundation surpassed its fundraising goal of $300,000 by accumulating more than $310,000.

“I’m extremely proud of Our Fund’s board of directors who’ve worked tirelessly to execute an effective campaign and, most importantly, for the overwhelming generosity from those who contributed to the Resilience Fund,” the foundation’s president and CEO David Jobin said in a statement.

“All nonprofit agencies receiving financial assistance from this rapid response grant have been a previous beneficiary of Our Fund,” he said,” so they have gone through the rigorous application process and were thoroughly vetted by the grant review committee.”

The fund is intended to provide both immediate relief and long-term recovery.

Immediate relief includes prioritizing and distributing resources to support the select nonprofit agencies that provide community safety nets. Long-term recovery will also support the financial stability of the nonprofit agencies in South Florida that have had their operations and revenue significantly impacted.

The 27 agencies receiving various levels of financial support between $5,000 and $25,000 are Broward House, Church of the Holy Spirit Song, Compass Community Center, Equality Florida, Freedom Fund, Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida, Humanity Project, Island City Stage, Lambda Living, Latinos Salud, Legal Aid, OUTShine Film Fesitval, Pet Project for Pets, the Poverello Center, Pride Center at Equality Park, Red Hispana, SAVE, SmartRide, South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble, Stonewall National Museum and Archives, Sunshine Cathedral, Sunserve, Thinking Cap Theatre, Thou Art Woman, Transinclusive Group, World AIDS Museum and YES Institute.

Despite the initial fundraising goal having been met, donations are still being accepted by visiting our-fund.org/response/.

Call 954-565-1090.