Meet the Biggest Donor in History for Expanding LGBTQ Rights in America
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When dreaming of money, the first thing that comes to mind is a fabulous life. Yet, one privilege of being a self-made person is giving back and helping those without privileges. When thinking of LGBT activists, names like Madonna, RuPaul and Connor Franta may come to mind. Rarely does Tim Gill. You might not know his name, but you know Tim’s work.
Who’s Tim Gill?
Tim’s a Coloradan who, after getting laid off and searching for months for a job, started his own company with a $2,000 loan. Tim’s company created word processing software for Apple computers. He worked hard, even taking customer calls at 2 a.m., to grow his company.
Quark soon became the industry standard for magazines and newspapers. After two decades of hard work, Tim sold his portion of Quark for millions of dollars.
Show us the money
Tim could’ve funded a fabulous life and kicked back. Instead, he started The Gill Foundation and donated over $400 million of his own money to further LGBT rights. His foundation has invested more than $335 million to date nationwide. In nearly every U.S. state, The Gill Foundation is effecting change by supporting organizations that support transgender women of color, fight for birth certificate rights, combat religious freedom bills and championed marriage equality.
Tim’s philanthropic philosophy is revolutionary. He focuses on results-driven giving. He said on Queer Money™, “Deciding on the result and tailoring your funding to get that result is smart philanthropy.”
Be like Tim Gill
Tim continued, “I never thought being gay held me back.” He knew if he let it, he wouldn’t be successful. In college, driven to help his community, he was as an LGBT advocate. This passion continues today as a business leader who is changing the corporate and political worlds.
Tim Gill’s advice for career and philanthropic success:
Be like Tim.
