Board Member Publishes Support Letter in Outlook Magazine

United Way of Central Ohio Board Member and Pride Council Co-Chair Tom Grote Published a letter in April''s Outlook Magazine:

Why I Support the United Way

 

 

When you walk through the front door of the United Way’s downtown offices, one of the first things you’ll see is a two-story banner of a gay couple with their arms around each other.  Really, I am not kidding.  Every time I see it, I know what they mean when they say “Live United!”  I certainly feel at home at the United Way.

It’s one of the reasons I’ve decided to put so much energy into the United Way: because I know the United Way supports what I support.  Between serving on the Board of Trustees, co-chairing the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and now co-chairing our new LGBT giving group, PRIDE Council, I’ve invested a lot.

The PRIDE Council had its kickoff this past January.  It was inspiring to see so many folks from the LGBT community who feel the same way I do about the United Way.  It was also exciting to learn that the United Way of Central Ohio was attracting attention across America for being the first United Way to have an LGBT group.  Brian Gallagher, United Way Worldwide president and CEO,  has taken notice and is promoting the council throughout the United Way system. 

It’s not all that surprising that it happened here first.  Columbus is a leader in diversity.  Recent estimates put Franklin County’s LGBT population near 70,000.  That’s more than any other county in Ohio, both in number and as a percentage of total population.  With PRIDE Council, the United Way of Central Ohio has stepped up its efforts to represent and serve the entire community.  It is by no means the first or only step.  

The United Way of Central Ohio’s Statement of Values has said, since 1986, that no one should be denied access to services based on sexual orientation.  As a condition of funding, member agency programming must formally support those values.  The United Way does not support any programming that does not uphold these values, including those administered by the Boy Scouts. Among the agencies that the United Way has pledged to fund for the next three years is Kaleidoscope Youth Center, the region’s only safe haven specifically for LGBTQ youth.  The United Way was also an early supporter of the Columbus AIDS Task Force and has awarded more than $4.5 million to CATF since 1990.  In 1996, the United Way of Central Ohio adopted partner benefits for its own LGBT staff.  In 2007, it partnered with Columbus AIDS Task Force and Stonewall Columbus to launch the first ever LGBT community census in central Ohio.  And in 2008, it launched a leadership training program, Pride Leadership, that has helped prepare many LGBT community members to serve on local non-profit boards, helping to enlighten more people and more organizations by gaining more seats at more tables.

The United Way already has many LGBT donors.  The PRIDE Council brings us together and allows us to aggregate existing LGBT donations (similar to what our community has done with political donations), in order to become more visible, more influential and to be acknowledged for our generosity within the broader community.  Pride Council also creates an opportunity for those currently giving to the United Way to self-identify and network with others, like themselves, including many involved with existing LGBT organizations.  Networking increases the pie, bringing in new advocates and donors, and increases opportunities for engagement and involvement.   And, of course, Pride Council raises more money for those receiving services from the United Way, which includes the neediest in our entire community, including LGBT individuals and families.  The United Way is the best positioned organization in central Ohio to help coordinate dollars amongst multiple agencies as well as other funders and corporations in order to significantly impact community results, such as improving the high school graduation rate, increasing access to health care, decreasing abandoned housing and crime rates and ensuring emergency assistance is available when it is needed.  Joining PRIDE Council requires a $1,000 household contribution to the United Way.  However, later this year, the Council is also launching PRIDE Gives, a group for LGBT supporters of the United Way that has no minimum giving requirement.  

I’m an active supporter of many LGBT non-profits, and I will continue to give directly to those organizations.  However, I also give my time and money to the United Way because it supports programs that make our whole community better.  Everyone in central Ohio, both gay and straight, should have the opportunity to get a good education, earn a good income, lead a healthy life, and live in a safe neighborhood.

If you would like to get involved with the United Way, go to liveunitedcentralohio.org to learn more.  You can also call Stephanie Campolo, our Pride Council coordinator, at 614.241.3080 (or email her at Stephanie.campolo@uwcentralohio.org).