Online Activism: Help These 3 LGBT Groups

I’m not a major fan of Facebook or Chase, but I applaud their partnership in creating Chase Community Giving, a program that will give $5 million to charities as determined by Facebook users.

The top vote-getter will receive $1 million, and five runners-up will get $100,000 each.

Among the charities eligible for this contest are the Trevor Project, the Matthew Shepard Foundation, and GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network).

Each group does critical work for the LGBT community, especially the youth who are often ignored or marginalized:

The Trevor Project works in suicide and crisis prevention among LGBT youth via its hotline, school workshops, and other advocacy. You can vote for them here.

The Matthew Shepard Foundation was created by Judy and Dennis Shepard to honor their son, Matthew, who was brutally murdered in 1998. Their goals include outreach and education. You can vote for them here.

GLSEN works to ensure that schools are safe places for LGBT students. They helped create the campaign against the phrase “that’s so gay” for the Ad Council. Some of their other activities include teacher training, supporting gay/straight alliances in school, and public policy. You can vote for them here.

The groups are combining their resources and encouraging their supporters to vote for the other organizations, with the goal of having all three finish among the top six.

Voting takes place from January 15 through January 22. Each person can vote for five groups.

More information about Chase Community Giving is here.