Stonewall Quarter Share

(LOGO's Cole Escola, Jeffrey Self & Chris Willey @ Bar 13)

Last night, Stonewall Quarter Share, the young professional arm of The Stonewall Community Foundation, threw its first Pointe 25 fundraiser last night at Bar 13.

Having been recruited at the LGBT non-profit's February gathering, we were able to see the fruits of our philanthropic labors put to action. More than 160 members of the Quarter Share program voted to grant their pooled dues to the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, which “aims to help counteract the discrimination, prejudice and violence most in the trans community face on a regular basis,” as  executive director Bill McDermott clued us in.

Hunky do-gooders chatted over Svedka cocktails on the club's second floor where  DJ Van Scott was spinning, while others migrated to the top-floor deck. YouTube and Logo stars Cole Escola and Jeffrey Self were in the  crowd, as was Next editor-in-chief Benjamin Solomon, who was chatting up SCF communications director Thai Pham. With this many philanthropic studs crammed into one room, world-wise folks were calling the night Husband Hunt 2010! – Christopher Dilley

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(Thai Pham & Evan Thompson @ Elmo)
 
Last night’s Stonewall Quarter Share 2010 Kick-Off in the lower level of Elmo Restaurant not only brought out those willing to brave the snow but also a large group of philanthropic and socially responsibly young gay (editor’s note: handsome) professionals. We had a chance to chat with Charity Committee Chair Jimmy Johnson who explained, “Stonewall Quarter Share is a program of the Stonewall Community Foundation. We’re a way for younger donors to pool smaller donations and make a bigger impact even if we don’t have a lot of money as individuals to give. We’re more concentrated on younger donors because we are going to become the new leaders in our community.”
 
With an open Stolli bar, organizers like Johnson and Stonewall’s Thai Pham helped  “cupids” swirl around the crowd to pass fundraising cards—elementary school-style—to anyone yof interest within the room.
 
“Stonewall is New York’s largest LGBT organization serving the local community. It's very community focused and the organizations that we help are all about New York,” continued Johnson. “One of the things I personally love about Quarter Share is you only have to donate $25 a month to be a member and that’s the only thing that is required. Every year as a group, we pool that money and 75% of it goes directly into the Stonewall Community Foundation which they distribute but 25% gets to go as a grant to an organization that we choose. Every year we review proposals from community organizations and focus on emerging non-profits serving the LGBT community. Last year it went to an organization called Queers for Economic Justice which helps LGBT people below the poverty line in New York. Along with recruiting events we also have these very fun social events about once a month. Our first fundraising event of the year, which will be a cocktail and dance party called Pointe 25, will be in April at Bar 13.” See you there, cupid! –Christopher Dilley