Our Beneficiaries

The CHEER For Life Foundation selects a number of organizations as our grant beneficiaries for each fundraising year. Grant applications are vetted by our board, with beneficiaries selected based on demonstrated commitment to the community, program impact and detailed plans for the use of funds.

Supported by the ongoing fundraising efforts of our programs, grants are awarded at the close of our fiscal year in June. The amount of each grant ranges from several hundred dollars to tens of thousands, depending on the needs of the organization and the quality of its partnership with the CHEER For Life Foundation.

Previous Beneficiaries

• Art for AIDS – Providing mental health services for the LGBTQ and HIV-affected communities in San Francisco

• AIDS Emergency Fund – Assistance to help people disabled by HIV/AIDS to cover their basic human needs and stabilize their living situations.

• AIDS Health Project – Supporting the mental health and wellness of the LGBTQ and HIV-affected communities.

• AIDS Housing Alliance – Preventing homelessness for people living with HIV/AIDS through advocacy, counseling and public policy.

• AIDS/HIV/HepC Nightline – San Francisco Suicide Prevention Nightline responds to over 15,000 calls annually from all over the United States.

• AIDS Legal Referral Panel – Providing free and low-cost legal services to people living with HIV/AIDS in the San Francisco Bay Area.

• Aidshilfe Köln (Cologne, Germany) – Supporting individuals living with HIV/AIDS through self-help promotion and health counseling services.

• American Red Cross – Bringing assistance without discrimination to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found.

• ARIS – Providing outreach as well as housing and other services to those living with HIV/AIDS in Santa Clara County.

• Asian Pacific Islander Wellness Center – An LGBTQ and people of color health organization advancing health, wellness, and equality. 

• Berkeley Free Clinic – Empowering individuals and communities by providing accessible, client-centered health services and information.

• Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center – Providing support, resources and a safe place for LGBT persons of Santa Clara County.

• Black Coalition on AIDS – Providing health and wellness services, transitional housing, health education, advocacy and case management.

• Bobby Goldsmith Foundation (Sydney, Australia) – Australia’s longest-running HIV charity, providing a range of support and interventions for people living with HIV.

• Breast Cancer Emergency Fund – Dedicated to providing emergency financial assistance to low-income women and men battling breast cancer.

• Castro Street Fair – A community street celebration founded by Harvey Milk in 1974, with all proceeds going to charitable causes important to the Castro community.

• Center for AIDS Resources and Education Services – A private, nonprofit community health center serving the greater Sacramento area.

• Chicago House (Chicago, IL) – Serving those who are disenfranchised by HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ marginalization, poverty, homelessness, and/or gender nonconformity.

• Diablo Respite Center – Dedicated to assisting those dealing with the devastating effects of Alzheimer's Disease and related disorders.

• Dolores Street Community Services – Nurturing individual wellness and cultivating collective power among low-income and immigrant communities.

• Federation of Gay Games – The world's largest sporting and cultural event specifically for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) athletes, artists and musicians.

• Foster A Dream – Providing programs and resources that build the hopes, dreams and futures of Bay Area foster children.

• Gay & Lesbian Switchboard (Melbourne, Australia) – Providing free, confidential and anonymous telephone counselling to Victorian and Tasmanian LGBTIQ communities.

• Gay Associated Youth Palm Springs – Providing a safe gathering place and support services for LGBTQ teens in the Palm Desert.

• Golden Rainbow of Nevada (Las Vegas) – Providing affordable housing to men, women and children who are HIV/AIDS infected or affected.

• HIV Edmonton (Alberta, Canada) – A harm reduction agency, working to provide the best education and prevention methods to a wide variety of audiences.

• Hospice By The Bay –  Hospice by the Bay's mission is to enhance the quality of life for our patients, while supporting their families and caregivers.

• Immune Enhancement Project – Promoting the vitality of our communities by making high-quality Traditional Chinese Medicine available to everyone.

• Larkin Street Youth Services – Providing youth between the ages of 12 and 24 with the help they need to rebuild their lives.

• LGBT Asylum Project – Dedicated to providing accessible legal representation for LGBT asylum seekers.

• Lyon Martin Women's Health Services – Providing excellent health care to women, lesbians and transgender people in a safe and compassionate environment.

• LYRIC Center for LGBTQQ Youth – Building community and inspiring positive social change through education enhancement, career trainings, health promotion, and leadership opportunities for LGBTQ+ youth.

• Marin AIDS Project – Providing a safety net of HIV/AIDS services, education, prevention and support for the people of Marin since 1984.

• Minority AIDS Project – Reducing suffering and deaths due to HIV infection and AIDS disease in African American and Latino communities.

• Northern Nevada HOPES (Reno, NV) – A nonprofit community health center in downtown Reno, NV that offers integrated medical care and wellness services.

• PAWS: Pets Are Wonderful Support – Providing needed companion animal services to hundreds of low-income San Franciscans.

• Positive Resource Center – Offering people living with HIV/AIDS or mental health disabilities comprehensive benefits counseling and employment services.

• Project Open Hand – Providing over 2,500 meals and 200 bags of fresh groceries each day to critically ill neighbors and seniors.

• Ritter Center – Assisting Marin’s low-income and homeless population stabilize their lives by offering a number of social services.

• Sacramento Gay & Lesbian Center – Creating events, programs and pathways to services that help LGBT people feel welcome, needed and safe.

• San Francisco LGBT Community Center – Connecting our diverse community to achieve a stronger, healthier, and more equitable world for LGBT people and our allies. 

• Santa Cruz AIDS Project – Promoting a comprehensive and compassionate response to HIV and AIDS through education, advocacy, and supportive services.

• Santa Cruz Diversity Center – Building an equitable community where LGBTQ+ people thrive through onsite programs, outreach and education events.

• Santa Cruz Women's Health Center – Offering of high-quality, comprehensive health services to all ages, gender identities, ethnicities, abilities and sexual orientations.

• Shanti Project – Reduces isolation and improves lives by providing compassionate care, community, and connection to San Franciscans in great need of support.

• St. James Infirmary – Offering free, confidential, nonjudgmental medical and social services for current and former sex workers of all genders.

• Stonewall Alliance Center – Cultivating a safe, open, inclusive environment for all members of the gender and sexual minority and ally community.

• Transgender Law Center – The largest American transgender-led civil rights organization in the United States.

• UCSF Foundation: Cardiovascular Research and Education – Performing cutting edge research illuminating cardiovascular and pulmonary biology and disease.

• Until There's A Cure Foundation – Funding prevention education, care services, and vaccine development, as well as to increase public awareness of AIDS.

• Upward Roots – Developing leadership and empowering under-resourced youth through youth-led, youth-driven community service.

• Vital Life Services – Offering services to those living with HIV/AIDS including meals, transportation, housing assistance, case management and mental health services.

• Whitman Walker AIDS Clinic (Washington D.C.) – Community health center serving greater Washington’s diverse community with a special expertise in LGBT and HIV care.

• Women's Cancer Resource Center – Creating opportunities for women with cancer to improve their quality of life through education, services, and practical assistance.

• WomenCARE: Women's Cancer Advocacy, Resources & Education – Providing cancer advocacy, resources, education, and support to women and their families.