The Charlotte Gaymers Network was awarded the Grassroots Lane Grant (GLG) by the Charlotte Lesbian and Gay Fund (CLGF) on May 10. Operated through the Foundation for the Carolinas, CLGF is just one of the organization’s three key programs. The other programs specifically work with the African-American community, while CLGF is geared towards LGBTQ-related opportunities.
Founded in mid-2020, the Charlotte Gaymers Network, was created with the intent to unite LGBTQ and allied individuals who enjoy video games and board games.
According to the CLGF website, the Charlotte Gaymers Network is exactly what GLG looks for when exploring opportunities to provide funding through grants. “Grassroots Lane Grants are intended to build capacity and strengthen the effectiveness of startup organizations with or without 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, whose primary objective is to serve the Charlotte-Mecklenburg LGBTQ+ community.”
One such past recipient of this grant is the Invisible Histories Project. This organization’s goal emphasizes their engagement with academic locations; primarily in the south. The CLGF published a blurb from their grant application, emphasizing their intense “process of protecting the vanishing LGBTQ+ history of our region.”
Posting on their Facebook page, the leaders of the Charlotte Gaymers Network said, “When Zach Smith, R.C. Goslee and I [Jonathan Barrio] took a shot in the dark and applied for the Charlotte Lesbian and Gay Fund’s Grassroots Lane Grant, we didn’t know what to expect! Happy to announce that the Charlotte Gaymers Network has been approved for its first applied grant, and we were approved for the full amount available!”
According to the parameters of the Grassroots Lane Grant, these funds must be used within six months of being received. Organizations that may be interested in applying as well, can do so until June 30. To send in an application, go to bit.ly/3bndhy2.
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