Boston, February 9, 2023 – Today, Fenway Health announced over $10 million in charitable commitments pledged to the organization in 2022 that will fund nine areas of need ranging from legal advocacy, to increasing access to gender affirming care, to the creation of high-quality professional development and training for clinicians providing LGBTQIA+ and HIV health care. The commitments include $1 million in unrestricted funding from philanthropist Jeffrey Beale; $500,000 for the Kenneth H. Mayer Fellowship program from the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation; and $500,000 for programs and services for youth experiencing homelessness from philanthropist Rob Hale.
“We are incredibly grateful for philanthropic contributions that allow us to advance our mission in creative ways over the long-term,” said Fenway Health Chief Executive Officer Ellen LaPointe. “We will be able to fund and scale innovative ideas to reach young people with HIV prevention strategies, increase access to gender-affirming care, and apply innovative, upstream approaches to the root causes of health disparities experienced by LGBTQIA+ people, BIPOC individuals, and other marginalized communities. And we will share what we learn with others in the field, amplifying the reach and impact of these generous gifts.”
“As a businessperson, I recognize and respect the need for unrestricted funds,” said Beale, a member of the Board of Directors of The U.S. Charitable Gift Trust and a retired Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for the wealth management firm Eaton Vance Corp. “I trust that my unrestricted gift will be leveraged for maximum impact by the leaders at Fenway Health, who are making decisions based on lessons learned from 50 years of pioneering work in the field of HIV and LGBTQIA+ health.”
“In 2023, we will begin reporting annually on the outcomes achieved by each fund,” said Fenway Health Board Chair Scott Walker. “In this way, we’ll be able to provide a level of transparency and outcome measurement to our donors that was previously unavailable.”
Fenway Health’s 2023 Areas of Need funds:
Youth and Family
This fund supports LGBTQIA+ family formation, programs and services for youth experiencing homelessness, and ancillary costs of gender affirming care for youth that are not covered by health insurance.
LGBTQIA+ Older Adults
This fund supports programs and services to reduce the social isolation experienced by many LGBTQIA+ older adults, who are at high risk for experiencing disparities in physical and mental health outcomes.
Emergent Needs and Public Health
This fund supports emergency responses to new and emergent health care needs and threats to public health that are not covered by health insurance or public grants. Examples of programs and services supported by this fund include wrap around services for over 1,000 Fenway Health clients experiencing homelessness and substance use disorder, and prevention and education outreach to Fenway patients vulnerable to infection with the mpox virus.
LGBTQIA+ Community Health Fund
These funds support programs and services that expand access to LGBTQIA+ health care and wellness.
The Kenneth H. Mayer Fellowship
This program is named for Dr. Kenneth H. Mayer, Fenway Health’s Medical Research Director and Co-Director of The Fenway Institute. The Fellowship will engage post-doctoral trainees and mid-career professionals in LGBTQIA+ and HIV clinical care and research. Eligible Fellows will come from the fields of infectious disease, general internal medicine and other relevant specialties, and clinical psychology, epidemiology, socio-behavioral sciences, health services, and other related disciplines.
Gender-Affirming Care Fund
This fund increases access and supports costs of gender-affirming care for trans and gender non-binary people that may not be covered by health insurance.
Professional Development, Training, and Education
Fenway Health is a leading provider of quality health care for LGBTQIA+ people and those with HIV and vulnerable to HIV infection. This fund supports the development and implementation of high-quality professional development, training, and education to clinicians worldwide to support the provision of culturally responsive care to LGBTQIA+ people and those with HIV and vulnerable to HIV infection.
Behavioral and Mental Health
LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC people often face increased mental health challenges due to the effects of stigma and discrimination. This fund supports the costs of behavioral and mental health care for vulnerable communities that are often not covered by health insurance.
Legal Advocacy
This fund supports Fenway Health’s legal advocacy challenging public policies that harm LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals and families as well as those living with HIV or vulnerable to infection. An example of this work is Fenway Health’s role as a plaintiff along with other health care providers, LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups, and patients a decision by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to eliminated nondiscrimination provisions put in place by the Affordable Care Act for LGBTQIA+ people, people who are living with HIV and other chronic illnesses; people who have obtained or are seeking reproductive health care, including abortions; and language access for patients with limited-English proficiency, including immigrants.