Second First Chances

PFund Foundation Reminds Us That Money Changes Everything

It wouldn’t be inaccurate to say the whole thing started with death, but it kind’a would. It would be most accurate to say that the whole thing started with a reaction to death, a reaction (and deaths) that defined a community.

In 1987, the then-untreatable AIDS virus tore through the Twin Cities (and the rest of the world) like a cosmic buzzsaw, leaving truncated futures and shattered souls in its then-mystifying wake. Just as bad, de-partnered LGBTQ+ partners were frequently left out of end-of-life decisions, as well as inheritance claims, thanks to the lack of marriage’s protection.

In response, a self-described “collective of queer folk” rolled up their Izod knit sleeves and did something about it, creating an LGBTQ+ endowment that would be used to cover funeral expenses, along with other cheerless-but-necessary expenses forced upon those left behind. The collective carefully named itself the Philanthrofund Foundation. The non-gay-sounding name was non-gay-sounding by choice, by design, by necessity: an openly-gay grouping — the Financial Flamingos of Fandango, say — would have been stonewalled by the intrinsic homophobia of contemporary institutions at every turn.

And for a while, that worked: the Philanthrofund Foundation wrangled tough decisions that were legal as often as financial.

But once the AIDS Crisis was (somewhat) tamed by science, that “collective of queer folk” made itself sleeker, sharpening its name to PFund Foundation and sharpening its purpose to providing scholarships for queer students looking to sharpen their wits. Now the collective, based in the City of Lakes, describes itself as “a community-led foundation founded by and for the LGBTQ+ community.”

But that’s just scratching the surface of their purpose, according to Director of Advancement Kevin Kjonaas. He adds: “PFund Foundation is an amalgamation of queer philanthropists, volunteers, advocates, leaders, wealth generators, community builders, scholars, educators, and hundreds of scholarship alumni who have become record-setting elected officials, leaders in health care, notable business owners, and advocates [for] our community.” 

These monies are as defined by what they prevent as much as by what they bestow.

“PFund scholarships help alleviate the financial stress related to a college education while also creating a supportive network of queer students from across the Upper Midwest,” Kjonaas elaborates.

A menagerie of financial stresses might take particular aim at queer students.

“LGBTQ+ people face a variety of hurdles when enrolling in post-secondary education,” Kjonaas says. “The most commonly cited difficulty in pursuing education among PFund scholars is financial. PFund Foundation’s Scholarship Fund reduces disparities in educational access and attainment for LGBTQ+ people seeking post secondary education of any type.” 

A broader, more philosophical reason is simultaneously in play, one that echoes through the entire community.

“The primary purpose for investing in education and leadership is so LGBTQ+ people experience equal education outcomes and greater resources through access to high-quality, affordable, accessible and affirming education and professional development,” Kjonaas observes. 

But money, as the old saying goes, doesn’t grow on trees.

“PFund Foundation receives its funding from a variety of sources to support its mission of building equity within LGBTQ+ communities across the Upper Midwest,” Kjonaas acknowledges. “An investment in education is an investment in power.” 

The range of who can access that power is as generous as the concept itself.

“Our scholarship program engages with LGBTQ+ folks across Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin through universities, high schools, nonprofit organizations, and business development groups to inform them about PFund Foundation’s resources, invite to become grant and application reviewers, and connect with queer communities across the state,” says Kjonaas.

Applications for such grants and scholarships — as well as donations are found on PFund Foundation’s home page.

What goes where is not considered lightly, however.

“As a community-led foundation, decision making regarding who we support is in the hands of volunteer reviewers,” Kjonaas reports. “PFund has benefited from the support and dedication from volunteers across the Upper Midwest that contributed their time and perspective to our scholarship application review process.”

PFund Foundation might have started as a reaction to community-defining death, but now it’s dedicated to life, and improvement of lives — of scholarship recipients, sure, but also of those whose lives will be improved by the improved lives of those recipients.

As PFund Foundation’s website exalts, “By making a donation to the upper Midwest LGBTQ+ community foundation, you are investing in the power of community philanthropy.”

pfundfoundation.org