Four LGBTQ community foundations and funds have been selected to receive multi-year, matching grants as part of the FLGI + ADAM Queer Youth Initiative at Funders for Lesbian and Gay Issues, an initiative to support organizations and activities that serve or address the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) youth.

The four grantees are: the Berks County Community Foundation (Reading, PA), the Columbus Foundation (Columbus, OH), the Cream City Foundation (Milwaukee, WI), and the Pride Foundation (Seattle, WA).

Audrey Haberman, executive director of the Pride Foundation, points out that the initiative represents an opportunity to better address LGBTQ youth in the philanthropic sector.

“So often, LGBTQ youth organizations are frustrated that mainstream funders say they can’t support their groups because they don’t fund LGBTQ issues. However, the more resources we direct toward each of our youth populations, the better it is for all of them,” said Haberman.

In December 2006, public LGBTQ foundations and funds were invited to submit proposals. The four funded foundations will receive grants of $22,500 that they will have to match over 3 years.

Preference was given to proposals that prioritized grantmaking to LGBTQ youth-serving organizations and projects that: involved youth in leadership roles; addressed LGBTQ youth of color, young women, transgender and gender non-conforming youth, low-income youth, and youth in rural areas; and worked for systemic change, demonstrating an understanding of the interconnectedness of race, class, sexuality, and other issues.

Ultimately, for Haberman, the initiative will help bring to light LGBTQ youth issues among a broader audience.

“What’s exciting about this initiative is that the match is an opportunity to leverage funding from foundations and donors who aren’t as familiar with the critical needs of LGBTQ youth,” added Haberman.

ADAM is a funding collaborative of Ralph Alpert, Michael Dively and Weston F. Milliken, Ph.D.

The mission of Funders for Lesbian and Gay Issues (FLGI) is to seek equality and rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) individuals and communities by mobilizing philanthropic resources that advance racial, economic and gender justice.