Center on Halsted, the first-of-its-kind center in the nation offering social service, cultural, and recreational programming for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons, announced this week the organization has drawn another step closer to reaching its $20 million capital campaign goal by Dec. 31.
On Oct. 4, onstage in the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park guests enjoyed cocktails, dinner and a presentation by Patrick Sheahan, Center on Halsted board chairman Emeritus and Robbin Burr, executive director Center on Halsted. Under the glow of candles and recent construction photos of the building currently rising up at Halsted and Waveland, guests filled pledge cards and added another $310,000 to the nearly $18 million raised. That amount, combined with the results of an ongoing direct mail effort, telephone campaign and a series of private parties held by Center supporters, has added nearly a half million dollars in donations in two months.
The Kresge Foundation of Troy, Mich., has put before the Center a challenge to secure 1,000 new donors at any gift level (of which half have been secured) and reach the campaign goal of $20 million by Dec. 31, 2006. When the Center meets the challenge, the Kresge Foundation will grant $800,000 to the campaign—its largest gift to any lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organization in the country.