DOWNLOAD THE 2008 FINANCIAL GRANT APPLICATION

Our Mission:

Improve the lives of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered persons.

Our History:

The Richmond Gay Community Foundation (RGCF), was founded in 1999 with a vision of providing funding to LGBT nonprofits. The RGCF began operating Diversity Thrift Store in order to raise funds to grant back to the LGBT community, adding a weekly bingo game in 2002 to increase income. From 2000 to 2004 one hundred percent of cash generated was granted back to the community.

In 2004 the RGCF purchased a 47,000 square foot building as its new home. This new property allows expanded thrift and bingo operations, which will result in greatly increased grant making to LGBT nonprofits. Owning our building allows us to benefit from appreciation in its value, and increases our investment and permanence in the community. Most importantly, our building now houses a new Community Center for the Richmond LGBT community. Grants were suspended 2004-2007 in order to pay for the new facility, but are now resuming. As of June 2007, we have invested $2,300,000 in the new facility, comprised of $850,000 cash and $1,450,000 debt.

The Community Center:

In Spring 2007, the board of the RGCF re-named our organization the Gay Community Center of Richmond (GCCR). Having completed two-thirds of our building renovation, the GCCR now operates Diversity Thrift and Diversity Bingo out of our new facility, along with a large event space that can be used for LGBT functions. As we complete the final phase of our construction, we will open a space with meeting rooms for use by non-profit organizations. In addition, we plan to collaborate with Richmond non-profits to formulate programs to benefit our community. In Spring 2007 the GCCR held a Community Summit to begin this planning process.

Grant Making:

From its inception, a key priority for GCCR has been the grant-making program. Since 1999, $460,000 has been distributed to non-profits with programs that exist primarily to benefit the gay and lesbian community. Our grant making program, suspended 2004-2007, will resume in Spring 2008.

Education and Awareness:

In addition to offering an expanded retail space and a new center for community groups to utilize for the benefit of the LGBT community, the new Sherwood Avenue building will also serve as an asset to the organization's goals of launching a comprehensive community wide educational campaign. The building provides several opportunities to communicate the message of equality as there are a variety of places to showcase large educational displays inside the building, while the outside of the facility faces a place where two major interstates join briefly (I-95 and I-64), and where more than 144,000 vehicles pass daily.

Much, Much More to Come:

As we move into 2008, the Gay Community Center of Richmond will open its doors widely to become the welcoming, supportive and effective community resource we've all been working toward. The Community Summit held last year was only a start. Each community organization and every community member will have input as we build a programming structure as strong as the bricks and mortar which now cement our place in Richmond.

All of us should be proud of what's been accomplished. Now, let's build.

Offer your Suggestions for Programming:

E-mail Jay Squires, GCCR Executive Director, with your ideas on the best ways to utilize the Community Center space.