LRA DBA LRA-CHICAGO, NFP

LRA's mission is to provide education on topics such as health and safety in matters affecting individuals of all gender identities and sexual orientations. We are a pansexual organization, committed to providing a comfortable and safe environment of acceptance and recognition to our members and other under-represented members of the community.

 

LRA has always been a not-for-profit organization with the sole purpose of providing benefit to the community at large. The member-elected LRA board is, in accordance with the LRA bylaws, comprised only of unpaid volunteers committed to furthering these goals.  Any donations we receive as part of this campaign will go directly to meeting our obligations for rent, utilities and other required expenses.
 

Since LRA's current 3,600+ sq. ft. of space opened in 2014 we have striven, on behalf of the organization, to nurture an environment of safety, inclusiveness and belonging for members of LRA, the community and interested public. The space has been used for countless educational events, social gatherings and of course play.

 

 

 

 

Our volunteers have worked tirelessly to ensure a clean, safe, and welcoming environment throughout and in-spite of ever increasing costs to maintain a space that fulfills our goals. We're eternally grateful to all our members who have supported the club not just with their dues but with their boundless enthusiasm and commitment to the values and mission of LRA. We've been extremely fortunate to have generous donors, without whom the LRA would be no more than a dream rather than the vibrant community and space we enjoy today.

 

 

With the health and safety of the community as the foremost concern in 2020, LRA closed its doors to in-person events and regular club activities. As the world watched to see when it would be safe to resume being together LRA continued its commitments to its creditors and sustained the lease on the space so that the community could have a space to return to when possible. For a brief period in early 2021 our perseverance paid off and LRA was able to re-open. As the Delta variant surged across the country LRA was again forced to close its doors and limit club activities.

 

 

 

 

Many small businesses and nonprofits were able to take advantage of forgivable Economic Impact Disaster Loans (Paycheck Protection, Shuttered Venue Operators, etc.) and grants. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these programs conditioned eligibility on circumstances which do not apply to small volunteer run organizations. Others included specific discriminatory clauses excluding organizations who serve the community in the way LRA does.

 

The LRA board has, from the start of the pandemic, taken every action possible to keep the space available in limited capacity and to be present for when we could open our doors wide once again. We've negotiated with utilities, property management, banks, service and providers; we've also dipped deep into our own pockets to keep the club's space available. Coincidentally our initial lease came up for renewal during this period and we were able to negotiate long term lease terms beginning in 2022 that will allow us to continue to provide space for the community's enjoyment for many years to come.

 

Unfortunately, our credit is at an end, we can not responsibly incur more debt. Rent is still due, as are utilities, insurance, etc. Until we are able to start holding larger in-person events, we will not be able to generate the cashflow required to service our current obligations.

 

Now we ask humbly for your support to keep LRA open!

 

 

 

 

LRA is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. Your donation is fully tax deductible.