LGBTQ+ Student Scholarship Under University Management

Posted on February 17, 2022 by Vice-Chair for Membership

The LGBTQ+ Student Scholarship originally established under GALA, and funded by our members, has been migrated to the University to take advantage of their professional investment resources. The beneficiaries of this scholarship will continue to be qualifying LGBTQ+ students at Notre Dame.

If you would like to contribute to the scholarship, please make a donation here. This link goes to the ND development website enabling you to make a direct to the scholarship (scroll down to enter in the donation amount).

Note: Donations made to this university managed fund will be eligible for football ticket lottery purposes.

Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas LGBTQ Student Scholarship

Posted on November 30, 2021 by Vice-Chair for Membership

As GALA prepares to transition to a university approved alumni affinity group, ARC ND (Alumni Rainbow Community), one of the key aspects of the transition is the disposition of the member-funded LGBTQ scholarship. One of our group’s proudest accomplishments has been the consistent financial assistance that we have been able to offer students with the Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas LGBTQ Student Scholarship. With your help, we have raised an amazing sum of $250,000!

In the next month, we intend to transition a significant portion of these funds to an endowment run by the university.

What will change?

Fund management: Currently, the GALA leadership team manages the fund. In the future, it will be managed by the university in the same manner as other university endowments.
Fund growth: The GALA leadership team has taken a zero risk investment strategy with the scholarship funds. In the future, the scholarship fund will be invested to grow in the same manner as the university endowment. Over time, we expect the size of the scholarships as well as the number of scholarships to expand.

What will stay the same?

Recipients: Past winners have been ND and SMC undergraduates who are active in the LGBT+ community. Future winners will be ND undergraduates who are active in the LGBT+ community.
Who determines the recipients: Past winners have been chosen by GALA leaders. Future winners will be chosen by ARC ND leaders.

Comments, Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

If you would like to speak with a GALA leader about this significant step, please contact Paul at ptxburke@yahoo.com, and he will connect you with a GALA leader. We will like all feedback by December 8th.

What’s Next?

It has taken 25+ years to build GALA, and we are being diligent in our approach to unwind. In the new year, expect to see an update on membership votes that are needed to sunset the organization.

The GALA leadership team is so proud of what we have accomplished together. Throughout this process, we have prioritized transparency and inclusivity. As we have had updates, we have been providing them. If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out at any time.

LGBTQ Scholarship Goal Achieved in 2020

Posted on January 2, 2021 by GALA Chair

$250,000 Five-Year Goal Achieved in 2020!

In 2015, GALA ND/SMC established a scholarship to support LGBTQ students attending Notre Dame & Saint Mary’s, now known as the The Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas LGBTQ Student Scholarship. To date, 12 students have received assistance from this scholarship fund.

A goal was set to raise $250,000 by the end of 2020. Congratulations!!! Thanks to everyone who participated in our scholarship benefit events and donated to this important cause, we have achieved this major milestone!

For more information on the scholarship, including the students who have benefited from the annual awards, go to LGBTQ Scholarship.

Fifth Annual NYC LGBT Student Scholarship Benefit – November 17, 2019

Posted on November 21, 2019 by GALA Chair

GALA ND/SMC held the Fifth Annual NYC LGBT Student Scholarship Benefit on Sunday November 17, 2019. The benefit took place at Phil Donahue ’57 and his wife Marlo Thomas’ beautiful apartment overlooking Central Park.

The money raised at the event went to the LGBT Student Scholarship Fund which was created in the spring of 2015 to assist qualified LGBT undergraduate students of Saint Mary’s and Notre Dame. Through the generosity of the alums and friends who attended we are now within ~10% of the $250,000 five-year campaign goal!!

The guest speaker at the benefit was 2019/2020 Scholarship Recipient César Moreno ND ’20. César is a senior at Notre Dame majoring in Chemical Engineering, Neuroscience and Behavior, Pre-Med with a minor in Biomolecular Engineering. They are currently studying abroad in Puebla, Mexico. César shared their experiences at Notre Dame and their passion for helping others, especially those impacted by the more recent immigrant policies. César also talked about the importance of the continued help from our LGBTQ alumni members both in supporting student’s efforts on campus as well as our on-going financial assistance.

For pictures of the event, go to: 2019 Scholarship Benefit.

GALA ND/SMC Names LGBTQ Scholarship For Iconic ND Grad Phil Donahue ’57 & His Wife, Actress & Social Activist, Marlo Thomas

Posted on November 21, 2019 by GALA Chair

GALA ND/SMC, the LGBTQ alumni/ae group for Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s, is pleased to announce the naming of its LGBTQ Student Scholarship to The Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas LGBTQ Student Scholarship. The naming of the scholarship reflects the enormous contribution Phil and Marlo have made over the years to the Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s LGBTQ community, and is a way of continuing their legacy well into the future. In addition, it also recognizes the life-long commitment each of them has made to helping others through their various professional and personal contributions.

Mr. Donahue and Ms. Thomas accepted this honor while hosting the Fifth Annual LGBTQ Scholarship Benefit at their home in NYC on Sunday November 17^th. Presenting the renaming were GALA Board Member Jack Bergen ’77 and GALA NYC Chapter Chair John Flanagan ’93, along with a group of LGBTQ alumni, friends and allies from the local NYC ND Alumni club.

For more information, go to: Student Scholarship Announcement.

Fifth Annual NYC LGBTQ Student Scholarship Benefit – November 17, 2019

Posted on October 9, 2019 by GALA Chair

GALA ND/SMC is pleased to announce our Fifth Annual NYC LGBTQ Student Scholarship Benefit will be held Sunday November 17, 2019 at 4:00pm. Join fellow alumni and friends for cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and camaraderie to raise money for the LGBTQ Student Scholarship Fund.

Registration Open Until November 12th

This will be the final opportunity to enjoy the hospitality of our hosts Phil Donahue ’57 and his wife Marlo Thomas’ at their beautiful apartment overlooking Central Park. Since the fund’s inception, members & friends have contributed over $175,000. Our goal for this year’s event is hit the $250,000 five-year target!

Be part of this historic event as we raise money supporting LGBTQ students like the 2019/2020 Scholarship Recipients César Moreno ND ’20 and Genesis Vasquez SMC ’20.

For more information and to register, go to: 2019 Scholarship Benefit.

2019/2020 LGBTQ Scholarship Recipients Announced

Posted on August 29, 2019 by GALA Chair

GALA ND/SMC is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2019/2020 LGBTQ Student Scholarships. This year’s recipients are César Moreno ND ’20 and Genesis Vasquez SMC ’20. Congratulations to both winners!

César is a senior at Notre Dame majoring in Chemical Engineering, Neuroscience and Behavior, Pre-Med with a minor in Biomolecular Engineering. They are a member of the Balfour-Hesburgh Scholars Program.

Genesis is a senior at Saint Mary’s College majoring in Global Studies and Gender and Women’s Studies and a minor in Spanish. She will be the first person in her family to graduate from college.

For more information about each, including their contributions to the LGBTQ community, go to Scholarship Recipients.

To donate to the scholarship fund, go to: LGBTQ Scholarship.

Fourth Annual NYC LGBT Student Scholarship Benefit – November 18, 2018

Posted on November 20, 2018 by GALA Chair

GALA ND/SMC, the LGBT alumni group for the University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College, held the Fourth Annual NYC LGBT Student Scholarship Benefit on Sunday November 18, 2018. The benefit took place at Phil Donahue ’57 and his wife Marlo Thomas’ beautiful apartment overlooking Central Park.

The guest speaker at the benefit was 2018/2019 Scholarship Recipient Tim Jacklich ’20. Tim talked about his experience at Notre Dame as a gay student, and the support he’s received from his dormmates, fellow glee club members and the campus ministry staff. He also talked about the importance of the continued help from our LGBT alumni members both as role models as well as our on-going financial assistance.

For pictures of the event, go to: 2018 Scholarship Benefit.

Fourth Annual NYC LGBT Student Scholarship Benefit – November 18, 2018 – Save The Date!

Posted on July 6, 2018 by GALA Chair

GALA ND/SMC, is pleased to announce the Fourth Annual NYC LGBT Student Scholarship Benefit to take place on Sunday November 18, 2018 at 4:00pm. The benefit will be hosted once again by Phil Donahue ’57 and his wife Marlo Thomas’ at their beautiful apartment overlooking Central Park.

Join fellow alumni and friends for cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and camaraderie to raise money for the LGBT Student Scholarship Fund. Since the fund’s inception, members & friends have contributed over $115,000 of the $250,000 target. Our goal for this year’s event is $50,000. The featured guest will be 2018/2019 Scholarship Recipient Tim Jacklich ND ’20.

The weekend coincides with the Shamrock Series game being played at Yankee Stadium on Saturday November 17th. Come to NYC for the weekend and join us in raising money for the scholarship fund!

Registration will be open later in the summer, but make your plans now to attend. If you are unable to attend in person, you can still participate by making a donation to the scholarship fund here: GALA ND/SMC Giving

For more info go to 2018 Scholarship Benefit.

2018/2019 LGBT Scholarship Recipients Announced

Posted on April 17, 2018 by GALA Chair

GALA ND/SMC is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018/2019 LGBT Student Scholarships. This year’s recipients are Anne Jarrett ND ’20 and Tim Jacklich ND ’20. Congratulations to both winners!

For more information on each recipient, go to LGBT Student Scholarship and to the front-page article in the Observer Wednesday April 25, 2018.

2018/2019 LGBT Student Scholarship Applications Now Open

Posted on December 14, 2017 by GALA Chair

For the fourth year in a row, GALA ND/SMC is proud to make available two scholarships to qualified LGBT students at Notre Dame & Saint Mary’s for the 2018/2019 academic year. The application window is open between December 15, 2017 and will continue through March 1, 2018. Recipients will be announced in April ’18.

Thanks to everyone who has generously contributed allowing us, as an alumni group, to offer these scholarships to such deserving students.

Alums & Friends…..for more information on prior recipients or to contribute, go to: LGBT Scholarships.

Students….to find out about eligibility requirements and to apply, go to: LGBT Student Scholarship Application.

LGBT Student Scholarship Campaign Hits $100,000 Milestone

Posted on October 4, 2017 by GALA Chair

On September 24th, GALA ND/SMC held our Third Annual NYC LGBT Scholarship Fundraiser. The event was hosted once again by Phil Donahue ’57 and his wife Marlo Thomas’ in their beautiful apartment overlooking Central Park.

Due to the generosity of everyone attending, the Scholarship Campaign has now hit the $100,000 milestone of the targeted $250,000 endowment goal. Thanks to everyone who has donated throughout the program including members who have contributed through the “Enhanced Membership” levels.

To donate, go to: LGBT Scholarship Campaign or upgrade your membership level here.

2017/2018 Student Scholarship Recipients Announced

Posted on May 2, 2017 by GALA Chair

GALA ND/SMC is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2017/2018 LGBT Student Scholarships. This year’s recipients are Morgan Haney SMC ’18 and Sushi Le SMC ’20. Congratulations to both winners!

For more information on each recipient, go to LGBT Student Scholarship.

GALA ND/SMC Celebrates #GivingTuesday

Posted on November 29, 2016 by GALA Chair

DONATE HERE

After two days for getting deals – Black Friday and Cyber Monday –#GivingTuesday is a day for giving back. #GivingTuesday is a movement, built by people around the world, to celebrate giving of all kinds. This year it falls on November 29, 2016.

Join fellow alums and friends on #GivingTuesday by making a contribution to GALA ND/SMC. For more information and how to donate, go to GALA ND/SMC #GivingTuesday.

2016 New York City Alumni Fall Weekend

Posted on October 25, 2016 by GALA Chair

GALA ND/SMC held our 2nd Annual NYC Alumni Fall Weekend in early October, 2016. Over the course of the weekend, alumni and friends were treated to a variety of events ranging from a small dinner at a quiet Italian Bistro, a fun game-watch in Hells Kitchen to the two signature events. For a recap of the weekend including pictures, go to NYC Events, LGBT Pilgrimage of Mercy and 2016 NYC Student Scholarship Benefit.

Second Annual New York City Alumni Fall Weekend – September 30 to October 2, 2016

Posted on August 11, 2016 by GALA Chair

GALA ND/SMC is happy to sponsor our Second Annual New York City Alumni Fall Weekend from September 30 to October 2, 2016. This year there will be a number of planned events for GALA members and friends to enjoy, as well as other activities happening around the city for the ND/Syracuse football weekend.

Featured events will be the LGBT Student Scholarship Benefit on Sunday afternoon October 2^nd at Phil Donahue’s apartment as well as a Pilgrimage of Mercy earlier on Sunday morning at 11:00am.

Come to one, two, or all of the events planned over the weekend! For a complete calendar of events and more information, go to: Second Annual New York City Alumni Fall Weekend

DONATE HERE: To help LGBT students by donating to the Student Scholarship Fund to go: Make a Gift

LGBT Student Scholarship Benefit

Posted on July 9, 2016 by GALA Chair

At the end of June 2016, a group of almost 50 Notre Dame and St. Mary’s alums and friends attending a fundraising event in Malibu to benefit the GALA ND/SMC LGBT Student Scholarship. Special guest speakers included ND SPB Bryan Ricketts ’18, current scholarship recipient Sam Chou ’18 and Hindsey Horvath ’04. For pics of the event go to: LGBT Student Scholarship Benefit – June 2016 – Malibu, CA

May 2016 Newsletter

Posted on May 5, 2016 by GALA Chair

The May 2016 Newsletter has just been published and contains a number of interesting pieces. To view the full publication go to: May 2016 Newsletter.

New York City LGBT Alumni Social May 12, 2016
Alumni Reunion Weekend June 2-5, 2016
LGBT Student Scholarship Benefit in Malibu, CA June 26, 2015
2016/2017 LGBT Student Scholarship Winners
2016 Officer Elections
GALA Student Board Member Connor Hayes Wins Award