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With the last of the Thanksgiving leftover green bean casserole beyond the verge of congealing and the mere thought of turkey tetrazzini inducing acid reflux, it’s once again time to embrace (or face begrudgingly) the upcoming holidays’ spirit and consider this year’s end-of-year giving strategies.
Actually, you should already be in full holiday-spending swing. Apparently, Americans spend nearly $30 billion from Thanksgiving through Giving Tuesday. And that’s just for online sales. In fact, the 2019 holiday season is projected to be the first to ever top the trillion dollar mark in total sales.
Meanwhile, despite our nation’s apparent prosperity and unrelenting consumerism, there is still an incredible need for charitable giving. You may have noticed some of those pesky end-of-year giving emails and letters that are already pouring in. And then, there’s that incessant Salvation Army bell ringing to guilt passersby into throwing some cash into those infamous red buckets. I recommend resisting the temptation. That group’s official opposition to marriage equality is a matter of record, and while it now claims to adhere to laws against discrimination vis-à-vis the LGBTQ community, it is a religious organization that can take advantage of anti-LGBTQ religious liberty laws where they apply. In any case, there are lots of other options to support our community directly.
Milwaukee has a good number of LGBTQ philanthropic organizations that support the full range of community needs. Cream City Foundation (CCF) offers grants and programs based on a three-tenet strategy of equity, health and prosperity. Its outreach is broad and inclusive, serving a diverse spectrum of worthy causes. In 2015, CCF launched its scholarship program that has since awarded financial support to dozens of students at all advanced study levels and in a broad range of disciplines.
The Gay/Lesbian Community Fund (G/L CF) provides its donors with a roster of LGBTQ dedicated groups to which they may direct their financial support. In recent years, the G/L CF has added several new beneficiaries like Diverse & Resilient, the MPS Alliance School and Courage MKE. It has also just established a partnership with the United Way.
The Women’s Fund of Milwaukee’s Lesbian Fund offers annual grants dedicated to leadership development, anti-violence, reproductive justice and programming for increased visibility to reduce isolation of lesbian girls and women. It partners with various community organizations like Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, Lesbian Alliance and the Reproductive Justice Collective, among many others.
Another scholarship fund has been established by Milwaukee GAMMA as part of its philanthropic “GAMMA Gives” program. In the coming year, the group plans to make its inaugural scholarship awards to LGBTQ-identified students in arts-related fields of study.
Making a donation to any of these groups makes a significant impact on the quality of life of Milwaukee’s LGBTQ community. Whether in health care, senior or youth issues, recreation, the arts or education, it is incumbent upon us to care for our own. It also insures a future of continued services and programs for the up-and-coming members of our community.
