Casper Pride Receives $10,000 Grant From the Wyoming Community Foundation

Casper Pride recently announced that they are the recipients of grant funding from two separate funds within the Wyoming Community Foundation.

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"We recently received a grant from the Wyoming Community Foundation Grace Amspoker Fund and the Tony Cate Fund to be able to provide a year-round presence for our community and this weekend was the kick-off!" Casper Pride Wrote in their newsletter. "We have some exciting things in store and are forever grateful for this step in our presence. From grass roots to putting down some real roots, we are here 365!"

Micah Richardson, the Director of Programs for the Wyoming Community Foundation, said that awarding the funds to Casper Pride was an easy decision to make.

"We have two competitive cycles each year," Richardson stated. "The application is open to any nonprofit across the state who has a focus on building stronger communities and meeting community needs in their area."

Casper Pride has been striving to meet community needs for the past few years, but recently took steps to provide year-round support to the LGBTQ+ community within Casper and beyond.

In June of this last year, they presented Casper Pride Week; a full week of events and activities for various community members to participate in, regardless of age, gender, or sexual orientation.

These events included a 'Taste the Rainbow' Community Dinner, an open mic night, a collective art show at ART 321, a drag church brunch, and Pride in the Park at David Street Station.

The week provided opportunities for the community to learn, to grow and, for many, to be seen - some for the very first time.

Throughout the week, Pride representatives spoke with community members about how to offer more support, education, and resources to the LGBTQ+ community, with the goal of providing year-round services to those who need them.

This is what got the attention of the Wyoming Community Foundation.

"There's a need all over the country for support for LGBTQ+ communities," Richardson stated. "And Casper has done an outstanding job of serving not only the Casper area, but the work they're doing also serves as an example for the rest of the state. They provide a lot of resources to other organizations across the state. Casper Pride is doing a great job of providing their community a safe place, and of acting as a resource for so many people; not just in Casper, but across the wider state."

Richardson stated that through the two different grant funds, the Wyoming Community Foundation was able to offer Casper Pride $10,000.

Per their website, the Wyoming Community Foundation "has connected people who care with causes that matter to build a better Wyoming. WYCF has granted nearly $100 million to charitable causes while also providing a variety of supports to our nonprofit agency fund holders."

Casper Pride stated that, in 2020 alone, the Wyoming Community Foundation granted over $7.7 million to charitable causes across the state.

"We're here to support needs across communities that can look different in different places," Richardson stated. "We're here to support a wide variety of organizations as they're trying to improve communities. We do that through grant making and through offering additional support to organizations. We are thrilled that we were able to support [Casper Pride] and it's really cool to see how much they're growing. It's cool to see everything they're doing and we're excited to be a part of it."

To find out more about the Wyoming Community Foundation, visit their website. In May of 2022, they will be presenting the Wyoming Nonprofit Conference at the Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center in Casper. To find out more about that event, or to register to attend, click here.

To find out more about Casper Pride and the services they offer to the community, visit their website or Facebook Page.