The Gill Foundation is committed to creating a Colorado in which all people are treated equally and respectfully. That’s why we support nonprofits that provide services to LGBT citizens as well as build safe, and supportive communities here in the state.
Our goal is to achieve full equality for LGBT people in the following areas:
- Equal relationship recognition and protection
- Equal support for parenting & adoption
- Safe, supportive families, schools, and streets
- Equal healthcare access
- Freedom from stigma & prejudice and from religious vilification
- Equal access to government services and education
- Equal treatment in employment
SPECIAL EMPHASIS
Within the above funding areas, proposals that include the following have an enhanced chance of being funded:
- Community organizing, such as neighborhood members organizing in support of housing for people with HIV.
- Leadership development, such as internships or fellowships for youth interested in social justice work.
- Legal advocacy, such as providing free legal clinics or pursuing violations of Colorado’s prohibition of employment nondiscrimination.
- Public awareness and education, such as developing and distributing posters informing people about bias-motivated crimes, and/or writing op-ed pieces regarding LGBT rights, issues.
- Research and policy development, such as conducting research on LGBT issues or distributing reports on the treatment of LGBT youth in social service settings to social service providers.
- Civic engagement/social advocacy, such as conducting voter education in the LGBT community, or educating the LGBT community on how to talk with legislators about LGBT issues.
LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS
Please be aware of the following limitations or exclusions on funding from the Gill Foundation:
- Proposals that meet these funding guidelines are not guaranteed funding.
- Organizations may submit only one letter of interest and proposal to the Gill Foundation every 12 months.
- Grant requests should not exceed 15 percent of an organization’s total budget or 50 percent of a project budget.
- First-time grantees rarely receive grants in excess of $10,000.
- Funding is limited to programming within Colorado.
- The Gill Foundation does not provide grant money for lobbying and does not support efforts to influence the election of candidates for public office.
- The following are ineligible for funding under these guidelines: endowments, capital projects, pride events, arts and cultural programming, individuals, scholarships, and debt relief.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
All organizations receiving funds from the Gill Foundation must meet the following requirements:
- Possess current IRS 501(c)(3) public charity determination.
- Have a board-approved nondiscrimination policy inclusive of sexual orientation and gender expression in effect. Click here for more details.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Grant proposals are by invitation only. Unsolicited grant proposals will not be accepted. Current grantees should contact their program officer.
To be considered for an invitation to submit a grant proposal, organizations that are not current grantees should submit a letter of interest via e-mail to elizabetha@gillfoundation.org.
Letters of Interest should be limited to 1000 words and include the following (attachments are not allowed):
- A brief summary of the organization.
- A description of the proposed project and how it meets these guidelines specifically the special emphasis section of the guidelines.
- The grant request amount, total project budget, and total organization budget.
- Other major committed and projected funding for the project.
The 2010 LOI process is closed. LOI’s can be submitted for 2011 consideration only.
An invitation to submit a full grant proposal does not imply or guarantee funding. If you have questions regarding this process or the application, please contact our Grants Management Associate at
303-292-4455 or elizabetha@gillfoundation.org.
LOIs may be submitted via e-mail or mailed to:
Gill Foundation
Attn. Elizabeth Akalin
2215 Market Street
Denver, CO 80205
Review procedure
- Staff will review all letters of intent. A decision on whether applicants should submit a full proposal will be determined within 90 days of the application deadline.
- The Gill Foundation will initiate all contact with applicants if further clarification or information is needed.
- A request for a full proposal does not imply or guarantee funding.
Additional Help
If you have additional questions about the application process, please call 303-292-4455 or
e-mail elizabetha@gillfoundation.org.