Delta Foundation: Pride—and so much more

by F. J. Hartland

Whether you’re enjoying a hamburger at the Memorial Day Picnic in North Park, watching the Pittsburgh Pride Awareness march or dancing at Pride in the Streets, you have the Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh to thank.

Originally incorporated in 1996 as a nonprofit organization for the purposes of uniting and fostering good fellowship and social interaction among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents in the metropolitan Pittsburgh area, the group hosted numerous successful  Memorial Day picnics in North Park.

In 2006 the Delta Foundation was revitalized by a group of new members, LGBT business owners and citizens, who were interested in energizing Pittsburgh’s social scene and raising funds to support worthy causes.

By 2007 the organization achieved 501(c) 3 non-profit status.

Another sign of growth was the hiring of Delta’s first full-time employee Christine L. Bryan as Director of Marketing.

“Many people think Delta President Gary Van Horn is an employee,” said Bryan, “But, in fact, he holds a full-time job elsewhere and volunteers his time at Delta.”

“I never get a day off” said Van Horn with a laugh.

Current board members include such well-known members of the LGBT community as Steven R. Herforth, Peter J. Karlovich, Charles W. Honse, Louise F. Stutler, Donnie R. Thinnes and Gary Van Horn.

When asked what keeps him involved in Delta, he said, “We have a wonderful board that provides new approaches to problem-solving.” 

He continued, “Yes, we are a non-profit, but at the end of the day, we still have to pay our bills.  And our board helps bring a business perspective to making that happen.”

When asked what he’d like people to know about the Delta Foundation, Van Horn responded, “The number of programs we support… either through collaboration or coordination.”

While the Delta Foundation continues to sponsor the Memorial Day Picnic, today it has become equally well-known for such fundraisers as Spark! and Splash! as well as the popular Pride Week Celebration in June (which includes such events as Pride in the Street, PrideMarch and the Pub Crawl)  bringing to town such well-known celebrities as Bruce Vilanch, Tiffany and Jennifer Holliday.

The group was also one of the key members in organizing this past December’s Pittsburgh RED on World AIDS Day. 

According to Bryan, RED showed tremendous growth in its second year.

“This year we added LAMAR Advertising who donated ten billboards—that was added visibility,” Bryan commented. “We also had the generous support of BNY Mellon, UPMC and Ernst & Young in bringing the AIDS Quilt panels to town.”

A new project for Delta is Equality Partners of Western Pennsylvania, which, according to Bryan, is “an advocacy project of the Delta Foundation.”

She continued, “Here in Allegheny County we have laws to protect us.  But in places like Butler and Erie Counties, LGBT people can still be denied equality in housing and unemployment.”

Equality Partners has a full-time LGBT organizer working across 23 counties, creating links between people and organizations in order to make this part of the state a more hospitable place for LGBT people to live and work.

The goal is to create a network that will empower the community in the legislative process.

“We also want people outside Allegheny County know they are not alone,” said Bryan.

The Delta Foundation is already gearing up for Pittsburgh Pride Week 2011, slated for June 3-12. 

Bryan said that the organization has been preparing for Pride 2011 since Pride 2010 ended.

Bryan is pleased that Highmark is returning as a sponsor of Pride but that many other local corporations such as UPMC, Macy’s, Columbia Gas, Giant Eagle and Heinz will joining Highmark as major sponsors.

“Pride is a very expensive project,” she added.  “We try to keep events free or as low-cost as possible, but the entertainment is expensive… then the lighting… the stages... The sponsors are a tremendous help with costs”

Speaking of entertainment, Bryan said that they will be announcing the Pride entertainment very soon.

“It’s complex,” she said.  “We try to keep costs down by booking entertainment that is already on tour.”

Another change in Pride involves the publication Pride Mag.

“This year we’re trying to make it more of a resource or guide… just another part of our mission to increase awareness and improve the quality of life for the LGBT community”

Van Horn added, “We are a foundation.  But unlike most foundations, we do not have a large endowment to depend on.  Therefore, we depend entirely on fundraising to keep our programs going.”

For more information about the Delta Foundation and its events, go to www.pittsburghpride.org or check it out on Facebook.