Aqua Foundation for Women Awards $25,000 in Grants
(Miami, Florida – April, 2007)

In just a short amount of time we are quietly becoming one of Miami’s biggest power hitters among gay and lesbian charitable organizations.  This year’s total of $25,000 in grant awards marks a milestone for the three-year-old group of professional women who donate their time and services to fundraising efforts on behalf of a variety of key issues in the lesbian, bisexual and transgender women’s community – including health, education and the arts.

“We are especially proud of what our funding will accomplish this year,” says AFW Chair and fouding member, Alison Burgos.  “This grant cycle, 10 community organizations applied for an AFW grant, and six were awarded a total of $25,000."

They are:
Women’s programming at this year’s 9th Annual Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (MGLFF), held April 27-May 6 in South Beach and Fort Lauderdale. According to MGLFF Program Director Carol Coombes, “Quality women’s films are more numerous and prominent this year than ever before, thanks to the generosity of our AFW grant.”

GLSEN South Florida will utilize the grant for a Safe Schools project in Miami-Dade Public Schools. Through youth panel presentations and youth conferences that address women’s issues highlighting the specific challenges facing lesbian and bisexual female students in public schools, the female-led trainings will run from June 2007 through the end of the year.

YES Institute will train and educate 35 lesbians in gay/straight alliances throughout Miami-Dade County in courses that aim to empower women and girls in helping to correct the seeming imbalance of power in the male-dominated and male-focused gay community.

Pridelines Youth Services, Inc.’s “Becoming Women Program / Out in the City,” will use the funds to continue the series of workshops that started out aimed at assisting LBTQ (Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, Queer) youth with life skills (etiquette, education, and leadership), to expand the program for community activities and cultural outings, as well as one nutritious meal a week.

SAVE Foundation is using the funds for Together for Life, a series to be created by a leadership core of women who want to work toward changing societal norms and perceptions of same-sex relationships both within the LBT community and in the community at-large.  The program includes a training curriculum and speakers' bureau that will set up in private homes for small to large group gatherings.

Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida plans to create a networking social initiative called Women-4-Women in Broward County. It will include a monthly networking social, women's community fall health fair, support group operations at GLCC, seminars, lectures and social events all taking place at the GLCC.

Burgos attributes the growing success of the organization to the hard work and dedication of a few, and the growing awareness and generosity of many friends and supporters in the LBT community. 

“Women’s organizations have had to struggle in the past not only to reach out to women, but to create a philanthropic base. I think we’re beginning to turn an important corner and that feels very rewarding.”

A grants reception was held in honor of the recipients on Thursday, April 19 at Dot 51, an art gallery in Miami's Design District.