What’s the best way to understand the Arcus Foundation?
I think the best way is to look at the institutions and programs we support.

How do you define the causes of the foundation?
We define our causes in terms of human rights, civil rights and animal rights. The advocates who protect and defend those rights bring dignity to these causes. In many instances, the advocates are very courageous people.

More specifically, what causes interest the foundation?
We’re particularly interested in funding programs that fight prejudice and discrimination. We strongly support the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community. We look for ways to celebrate diversity and inclusion. We invest in youth. We support a diverse body of institutions in Southwest Michigan hoping to help build an ever more enriching and healthy community for all of us. We consider the plight of the Great Apes a critical concern and priority.

You talk about the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) "community." What is the common bond?
It’s ironic, isn’t it, that we strive to have people treated as individuals in a very inclusionary sense, yet we’re forced to recognize that, collectively, we’ve been set apart. The bond is an understanding that members of the GLBT community have been denied equal justice and equal opportunity. We also know that achieving justice requires a collective effort that goes beyond the rights of a single individual. In addition to supporting causes which protect the rights of our community, we also support programs that celebrate our successes and advances.

Some people reading this may wonder what "Transgender" means and why you include it in the GLBT community.
Transgender is an umbrella term that includes a complex spectrum of people. It includes "transexuals," people who feel their "biological sex" does not match their inner sense of their own gender identity and who may or may not pursue surgical/chemical sex change. It includes "cross-dressers", who may or may not consider themselves gay. And it includes "intersexuals," people who are born with ambiguous sexual organs and can be difficult to pigeon hole into one biological sex. This is a partial list. Nature is vastly more complex than what our cultures and religion seem to be prepared to recognize.

Can you talk more about intersexuality and how it relates to the GLBT Movement?
The concept of "intersexuality" and ambiguous biological sex is quite stunning and forces you to re-evaluate a lot of assumptions. When you hear the statistic that one in every 2,000 births have ambiguous sexual organs (because of a complex spectrum of biological developmental issues), you realize that people cannot simply be compartmentalized. People are not just white or black, gay or straight, or as it has become apparent, male or female. We all exist as part of a complex continuum and with this paradigm shift, we are forced to re-think our assumptions, our categorization and, yes, even our morality. Even the most fervent religious zealot cannot condem someone (at least morally and ethically) for the way his or her body appears out of the womb. Life is not so simple, and clearly the choices we make are not either.

How do you advance the cause within organizations which have a separate mission, such as education or youth service?
In several ways. First, we ask if an institution has policies which are inclusive. If it doesn’t, is the organization’s leadership willing to make changes? Then, because policies and practice can be two different things, we look to see how the organization could benefit from our help. For instance, we funded a program to help research and improve the professional climate for Gays and Lesbians in Architecture and Design at my alma mater, the University of California at Berkeley. Half of our gift went to help renovate the College of Environmental Design; the other half went to sponsor teaching, research and public discussion on issues of prejudice and attitudes toward Gay and Lesbian design professionals.

What impact is the Arcus Foundation having on organizations in Southwest Michigan?
We are investing in youth development, housing, education, environmental issues, health concerns and cultural activities. Through our Arcus Gay & Lesbian Program, we support organizations that share our values. Consequently, because we believe that all members of the GLBT community deserve to be welcomed, to be celebrated and to become an integral part of a healthy society, we look at non-discrimination policies. Because we support many of the same causes that others support, we’re "mainstream" in one sense, but the community is also aware that we are focused.

What kinds of projects and programs does the Foundation support?
As a private foundation, we give to charitable organizations – those with 501(c)(3) status with the IRS. Through those organizations, we fund special projects, operational funds and capital funds. We don’t issue grants or make loans to individuals or political campaigns. As a general rule, we don’t fund medical research. We don’t fund religious activities or programs that serve, or appear to serve, specific religious groups or denominations, but religious organizations are eligible to receive grants that advance our mission. Organizations seeking funds for international projects must have a 501(c)(3) supporting organization to accept funds on their behalf.

Does the Arcus Foundation do advocacy work on its own?
We’re in the business of helping other nonprofit organizations be more effective. We support our causes through their programs. Our very existence, though, makes a statement of values. Additionally, within the structure of our grantee organizations, we are seeing a willingness and desire to highlight contributions of the GLBT community and to promote understanding of issues facing the GLBT community. We also can be advocates by bringing together individuals and organizations to work collaboratively with other philanthropic resources. Finally, we benefit from what we learn from our grantees, so ideally we become better advocates as we move forward.