Hartford-Based Foundation Donates To Local LGBTQ Organizations

HARTFORD, CT —The Greater Hartford Gives Foundation has launched the PRIDE Giving Circle, a new philanthropic initiative designed to support LGBTQIA+ organizations and expand community-led grantmaking across Greater Hartford.

The PRIDE Giving Circle is the foundation's fourth giving circle and is intended to bring together residents interested in learning about issues affecting LGBTQIA+ communities while collectively funding nonprofit organizations focused on equity, belonging, and opportunity.

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To establish the new initiative, Greater Hartford Gives committed an initial $250,000 investment to seed the PRIDE Giving Circle Fund.

Foundation officials said the funding reflects a long-term commitment to expanding community philanthropy and increasing resources for organizations serving LGBTQIA+ communities.

"Greater Hartford's LGBTQIA+ community is a key contributor to the region's strength, diversity, vibrancy, and economic success," Greater Hartford Gives President and CEO Jay Williams said in a statement. "The Foundation is excited to launch the PRIDE Giving Circle to deepen our relationship with LGBTQIA+ residents and allies, create opportunities for shared learning about key issues and challenges facing the community, and support nonprofit organizations working to offer resources and solutions."

The giving circle's mission is to support and strengthen LGBTQIA+ organizations through equity-focused philanthropy, community engagement, and shared learning.

Curtis Rodriguez-Porter, who served on the PRIDE Giving Circle planning committee, said the initiative is especially meaningful as a member of both the Black and Latino Giving Circles.

"At a time when entities across the country are rolling back commitments to inclusivity, Greater Hartford Gives continues to intentionally uplift and invest in systematically marginalized communities," Rodriguez-Porter said. "For my husband and me, as members of the Black and Latino Giving Circles, the launch of the Pride Giving Circle is deeply meaningful. It not only affirms our intersectional identities within the LGBTQIA+ community but also celebrates and supports the rich diversity of us as humans that make our community strong."

Community members can join the PRIDE Giving Circle through several membership options, including a pay-what-you-can Supporting Membership, a $365 annual Voting Membership, which includes participation in grantmaking decisions, and a $730 PRIDE Champion Membership, which sponsors another person's participation.

Greater Hartford Gives Board member Anne Stanback, an LGBTQ+ activist, said the new giving circle comes at a significant time for the community.

"As a longtime member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I am thrilled," Stanback said. "This kind of philanthropic support will make a real difference in the lives of community members who face hardship and need."

The PRIDE Giving Circle joins the foundation's existing Catalyst Giving Circle, Latino Giving Circle, and Black Giving Circle. Together, the four initiatives have awarded approximately $1.75 million in grants supporting community organizations.

Greater Hartford Gives, a community foundation established more than 100 years ago, said it has invested more than $1 billion throughout the region during its history. Community members interested in becoming founding members of the PRIDE Giving Circle can learn more through Greater Hartford Gives or contact the Foundation directly.

For more information on the foundation's PRIDE Giving Circle, click on this link.