An LGBT grantmaking organization will move offices June 19 to a larger location with expanded technology. DVLF will make the move alongside partner Philadelphia Foundation, ending the lease at its 1234 Market St. office.
The new office at 1835 Market St. will include larger meeting spaces, modular furniture and TVs for video-conferencing.
“Right now, we have a lot of space but we’re not able to use it as efficiently and as effectively as we would like to be able to use it,” DVLF Executive Director Samantha Giusti said about the original office. “This new space is going to be laid out more efficiently and all of our convening and community spaces will be larger, more flexible and well-supported by technology.”
Giusti added that the new office will have a “smoother, sleeker look” for community meetings.
“It’s a 21st-century space,” Giusti said. “It’s a space for the world we live in today and not the world that we lived in 25 years ago [when DVLF started]. That’s what I’m most excited about.”
Giusti added that even though the office’s location is different, DVLF’s mission will still remain the same. Staff members’ email addresses and phone numbers will also stay consistent.
“We’re still going to be the same awesome community foundation,” Giusti said. “What’s going to change is just that we’re going to have space that can be customized to better suit our needs.
“The ability to better serve the needs of the community by having a space that they can come in and utilize makes us better at what we do,” Giusti added. “So it’s only going to be new and improved by our ability to help meet the community’s needs more effectively.”
Giusti said the expanded space will help DVLF coordinate events, programs and meetings more easily, allowing the organization to invite more community members.
“I’m always excited at DVLF when we are able to have community members enter the space, whether it’s for meetings that they have or meetings that DVLF is hosting,” she said. “I love to host folks. This gives us a different capability to that.”