Astonishing response to community appeal gives big boost to The 519’s programs and services – $407,805 raised during crucial year-end Campaign

Astonishing response to community appeal gives big boost to The 519’s programs and services

$407,805 raised during crucial year-end Campaign

The 519 is thrilled and humbled to announce that community members, community groups, and corporations responded generously to The 519’s community appeal and year-end fundraising campaign, raising an astonishing $407,805 between September and December 31 in 2015.

“We are incredibly heartened by the collective community response to our appeal,” says Maura Lawless, Executive Director, noting that over 500 community members made personal donations and hundreds more contributed through third-party fundraising events. “This is an amazing result that will benefit the LGTBQ communities we serve.”

The 519 publicly communicated a need for financial assistance in September, following a rained-out Green Space Festival that has traditionally been its largest and most succesful annual fundraising activity. The community appeal campaign was given a tremendous boost in November through the generosity of an anonymous donor who agreed to make a matching gift of up to $125,000, and by a $50,000 gift from TD Bank Group.

“The work of The 519 is vital to our LGBTQ communities and TD is pleased to make a special contribution to its ongoing and continued success,” says Scott Mullin, VP, Community Relations, TD Bank.

The record-setting success of the campaign has given The 519 additional resources to direct into its programs and services. The 519 has already moved to ramp up LGBTQ refugee and newcomer programs in response to community need.

Continued and ever-increasing demand for its programs and services means that The 519 will continue to rely on the support of its communities through 2016 and beyond. However, to John R. Farrell, Director of Philanthropy at The 519, today is a day for celebrating the generosity of our communities.

“Our communities responded in an unprecedented way to an unprecedented appeal,” says John. “Thank you for their continued belief in the work of The 519 on behalf of the tens of thousands of people we serve.”

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