Philly AIDS Thrift announced this week that it is launching a formalized grant program, the first time for such an undertaking in its nearly 10-year history.
PAT, which donates its proceeds to HIV/AIDS causes through grantmaking agency AIDS Fund, will disperse up to $100,000 to organizations throughout the region
that offer direct services for people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
Previously, PAT distributed funding to such organizations through its monthly donation to AIDS Fund. PAT will continue its monthly $20,000 donation to AIDS Fund, said PAT co-founder and co-owner Tom Brennan.
Brennan said store organizers considered undertaking their own grantmaking program when they opened in 2005, but weren’t in the position at the time to do so.
“It is a lot of work to give money away; we learned that when we first opened nine years ago and we decided where to send our first check,” he said. “Which is where [AIDS Fund executive director] Robb Reichard and AIDS Fund stepped in and gave us the perfect solution — they would take whatever we sent them and divide it equally among all their recipient agencies. We were just too busy keeping the lights on and making the store happen to devise a good system of our own for giving away what we made. So now we do want to try that; we have board members willing to do the work. We’re established enough and we have the resources — human and financial — to get involved more directly in giving away some of the money we raise.”
Requests for applications were sent to about 20 organizations, and the application is posted on the organization’s website (phillyaidsthrift.com). Grants will range from $2,500-$10,000, with the average about $5,000.
“We don’t know how many applications we’re going to get in and how much we’ll give away in this first round,” Brennan said. “We may give it all out but, if not, we’ll do it again during the year.”
Applicants must either be a certified 501(C)(3) nonprofit or sponsored by one.
Brennan said PAT is not just looking to fund large, established agencies.
“If there is a group out there that is like a fledgling organization, doesn’t have offices or staff but has a great idea, that would be really cool to be able to support them,” he said.
In addition to the application, interested organizations must submit supporting materials including a cover letter, project description, budget and timetable and other documents. Applications are due Dec. 31, and awards will be announced in February.
Next month, PAT will surpass $1 million in donations. Brennan said the store plans to celebrate the milestone, which will also include the first donation from PAT @ Giovanni’s Room, the new outpost that took over the location of the nation’s oldest LGBT bookstore.