Impact of the Task Force Gala
When the National LGBTQ Task Force assumed responsibility for producing South Florida’s two major fundraisers in 2004, the organization agreed to maintain its place as a stream of funding for the local community. From 2005 to January 2021, the Task Force donated close to $3.6 million to The Miami Foundation’s LGBTQ Community Fund. Over 80 organizations serving the South Florida LGBTQ community received grants during this period.
In 2022, in the wake of the passage of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, the National LGBTQ Task Force, The Miami Foundation, and Our Fund Foundation came together to evolve The Miami Foundation’s LGBTQ Community Fund into the LGBTQ+ Equity Fund to support and strengthen South Florida’s LGBTQ+ community and respond to timely, urgent community needs. The three groups work in concert, with input from expert advisors in the field, to make decisions about the issue areas to address and the grantees to award. The Fund’s strategy is to be responsive to the ever-evolving issues that impact the prosperity and health of the LGBTQ community in South Florida. It seeks to use resources to strengthen the infrastructure that allows LGBTQ+ organizations to advocate for their well-being in a time of enhanced political divineness.
Since 2022, the Task Force has donated $440,000. The Fund has been very proactive in raising additional money from other donors and a total of over $1 million, including the Task Force gifts, has been raised from a variety of sources, and the grantmaking has grown every year..
Over the last three years, the Fund has provided over $840,000 in unrestricted support to 20+ organizations working at the intersection of the areas of highest need – youth education, trans health, advocacy, housing – in support of LGBTQIA+ communities in South Florida.
In 2024, the Fund awarded $350,000 to 12 local organizations providing collaborative, responsive housing support and supportive wrap-around services for LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults. Additionally, funding was maintained to provide critical support to statewide and local research and advocacy work related to LGBTQIA+ rights.
Local research uncovered how vast the needs were in the LGBTQIA+ Youth Housing space. Investments were focused in the following areas:
- Grants to local organizations that are leading the work to offer emergency shelter and supportive services to support LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults seeking housing.
- Support for collaborative efforts that pursue bold projects seeking sustainable housing solutions for Miami-Dade County.
- Funding to continue support for organizations leading important advocacy work in Florida related to LGBTQIA+ rights.
The expected impact of this funding includes:
- Increased supportive housing options for the LGBTQIA+ community, especially youth, that are at-risk of or experiencing homelessness.
- Scale services and vital resources available to LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults seeking sustainable housing solutions that are rooted in best practice and culturally responsive care.
- Advance resources that advance LGBTQ+ friendly policies at the state and local level.
- Increased support for advocacy organizations that are at the front lines educating the community and elected officials about pro-LGBTQ+ candidates and policy needs that are rooted in equity and best practice.
- Strengthen existing networks, and expand wherever possible, that serve the LGBTQIA+ community to scale successful programs and streamline best practices across Miami-Dade County.
As we begin planning for 2024 grantmaking, the LGBTQ+ Equity Fund partners are continuing to scan the field to understand where the most aggressive threats to the LGBTQ+ community in Miami exist as they begin to consider where our responsive funding will be most impactful.
Join us and the more than 20 local funding partners which includes corporations, foundations, families, and individuals in supporting the immediate yet, growing needs of the LGBTQIA+ community in Miami.
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