Reflections on Horizons’ 40 Visionary Years
Horizons' early leaders
With the start of the new year begins a very special celebration: Horizons’ 40th anniversary! Today, I invite you to view our 40th anniversary hub on our website, which will feature our public events, announcements, sponsors, and other special content to celebrate this exciting milestone.
Thousands of grants. Hundreds of first-ever grants to nascent organizations. Deep and extensive funding – and so often early funding – in the most marginalized parts of our community. Hundreds of LGBTQ executive directors and board leaders empowered by our leadership programs. Millions of dollars brought to our community through Horizons’ advocacy in the foundation world. Millions more via Give OUT Day. Global impact through the Global Faith & Equality Fund. National leadership on equity, inclusion, and diversity in the foundation field, as well as around LGBTQ giving and legacy giving.
As I reflect on the foundation’s 40 years, two things strike me. One is just how many through-lines flow through our history: bringing community into the too-often rarified world of grantmaking; believing and investing in cutting-edge activists and organizations; a bedrock conviction that individual donors – at all levels – can help change the world; unwavering commitment to parts of our community most likely to be left out or left behind. And that’s to name just a few.
Horizons' 2019 Gala
The second thing that strikes me is just how long this institution has held out a vision for our community’s future – a future where, in the words of our current vision statement, “All LGBTQ people live freely and fully.” The italics aren’t in the formal statement, but I add them here because this foundation’s vision has always been about the whole community – still one more through-line and one of Horizons’ defining commitments.
In more recent years, of course, our vision of the future has taken on even sharper focus through our groundbreaking leadership around the opportunities in legacy giving. And having crested the $100 million mark in future gifts last year, it is abundantly clear that Horizons is on a course to make a permanent and even transformative difference for our own futures, as well as those of generations to come.
Wow – it’s been a remarkable 40 years for our community – 40 visionary years. Thank you to each and every one of you for all that you have contributed to the foundation and our work Again, please join me in celebrating by visiting our 40th anniversary hub on our website. We have an exciting year in store!
