Arcus grants nearly $3 million to LGBT projects

KALAMAZOO – The Arcus Foundation recently announced the details of their Spring 2007 grant awards and the numbers are impressive. The Foundation, founded and funded by Jon Stryker, granted out $2,951,105 to LGBT projects, in Michigan and around the world, making the Arcus Foundation one of the largest funders of LGBT projects in the country. The foundation also awarded $4,157,989 to various organizations that work towards the protection and conservation of great apes.
The LGBT grants were broken down into five categories;
Michigan LGBT groups and projects received $327,060, or 11 percent of the total, with the largest amount going to Michigan Equality in Lansing. They received $86,000 in two grants for general support and to fund a community meetings project. The Triangle Foundation in Detroit received $15,360 to help fund a new web site project, and the American Civil Liberties Union LGBT Project in Detroit received $17,000 to fund a booklet on domestic partner rights and benefits in Michigan.
Religion and Values projects, which totaled $787,000 or 27 percent of the total, consisted mostly of grants to national organizations including $200,000 to People for the American Way in Washington, DC to help mobilize African-American clergy as spokespeople and advocates. Also, The Leaven Center in Lyons, MI received $20,000 for their "Healing Bridges: Getting to the Roots of the Matter" project to foster communication between both African-American clergy and LGBT community leaders in the Detroit area.
International LGBT projects, which totaled $615,645 or 21 percent of the total, included a $200,000 grant to International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission in New York to expand consultation and support of local human rights organizations in the Horn, East and Central Africa regions advocating for LGBT rights.
Sixteen different National LGBT groups received the largest portion of the LGBT awards, $1,046,400, or 35 percent of the total, with the largest single award going to the Gill Foundation in Denver for $250,000 to support their Movement Advancement Project. The Gay Men's Health Crisis in New York received $175,000 over two years for support of their "Public Policy & Community Health: Invigorating HIV/AIDS/LGBT Activism" project.
Racial Justice, Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity was comprised of four grants to national groups totaling $165,000, or 6 percent of the total. The Advocates For Youth in Washington, DC received
$60,000 for the LGBT Youth of Color Initiative to assist Michigan-based organizations in meeting the needs of LGBT youth of color.
"Our focus on religion and values is aimed at countering the wrongful characterization of GLBT people as sinful and immoral," explained Urvashi Vaid, the Arcus Foundation's Executive Director. "We are excited at the growing support within every faith tradition for the full inclusion of all people of faith. We are also encouraged by groups and individuals from diverse traditions making important links between a commitment to social justice and a commitment to faith."
The Arcus Foundation has offices in Kalamazoo, Michigan and New York and employs 18 staff members. Since it's inception in 2000, the Arcus Foundation has awarded $97,690,000 dollars in grants in its two fields of work.