Donors Join Forces To Support IU’s LGBTQ+ Community

“It’s not enough to pay lip service to diversity and inclusion. We must actively strive to improve the lives of those who are marginalized and underrepresented,” said David Henry Jacobs, chair and founding member of Indiana University’s Queer Philanthropy Circle (QPC).

Philanthropy, much like all things in life, must continue to change with the times.
-David Henry Jacobs, chair of the QPC

Founded in November 2019, the QPC and its members provide leadership and funding to IU, with an eye toward programs and policies that support LGBTQ+ alumni, faculty, staff, students, donors, and allies.

Since its inception, the QPC has invested in student scholarships, the IU Kokomo Multicultural and LGBTQ+ Centers, the Gender Health Program at the IU School of Medicine, and a research partnership between the Kinsey Institute and The Trevor Project.

“This partnership will focus on LGBTQ+ mental health and suicide prevention,” said Jessica Wootten, senior associate director of LGBTQ+ Philanthropy. “This will have wide-reaching effects for students of IU and young people across the nation.”

The Queer Philanthropy Circle utilizes programs, resources, and other services to improve the recruitment, retention, and degree attainment for LGBTQ+ students and the quality of professional life for faculty and staff on all IU campuses. To support this work, we invite you to make a gift to the Queer Philanthropy Circle Initiatives Fund.

This article was originally published in the 2021 issue of Imagine magazine.