CHICAGO – April 4, 2024 –TAWANI Foundation and its founder, Colonel (IL) Jennifer N. Pritzker, IL ARNG (Retired), announced a $300,000 grant to support Whitman-Walker Institute’s research and coalition-building efforts to advance equal healthcare access for LGBTQ+ Americans.
“Research on access to healthcare and policy decisions are vitally important for the LGBTQ+ community,“ said Colonel (IL) Jennifer N. Pritzker, IL ARNG (Retired), founder of the TAWANI Foundation. “We are proud to contribute to an organization that believes everyone should be treated fairly, especially with their medical needs. The work that Whitman-Walker Institute is doing to advocate and empower equality and inclusion is needed.”
Whitman-Walker Institute is a D.C.-based organization that combines cutting-edge research, policy, and education to advance health equity nationwide, especially for LGBTQI+ people, people living with HIV, and other underserved communities. In addition to its expertise in rigorous research and health policy analysis, deep relationships with state and federal policymakers, and longstanding collaborations with key partner organizations across multiple social movements, the Institute benefits from a close affiliation with Whitman-Walker Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center with more than 50 years of service to diverse patients across the D.C. area and beyond, including thousands of transgender people.
Through its TransForming Health: The Transgender Health Innovation Project, the Institute will deepen its work to combat disinformation with scientific and medical expertise, advance evidence-based policy to address discrimination and other social determinants of health for transgender people, and serve as an authoritative source of knowledge about transgender health for decisionmakers, advocates, the media, and healthcare organizations nationwide.
“I’m grateful for the TAWANI Foundation’s strong support for Whitman-Walker’s TransForming Health Project, which combines cutting-edge research and policy to elevate the expertise of medical professionals and secure access to high-quality care and coverage for transgender people of all ages across the country,” said Executive Director of Whitman-Walker Institute, Kellan Baker, PhD, MPH, MA. “Transgender communities – and the clinicians who provide essential healthcare – are increasingly under attack, making these investments more critical now than ever before.”
To learn more about the TAWANI Foundation grants, visit www.tawanifoundation.org/our-grants. The TAWANI Foundation is a private foundation that accepts applications by invitation only. There is no open application period.
About TAWANI Foundation
Founded in 2002 by notable philanthropist and entrepreneur Colonel (IL) Jennifer N. Pritzker, IL ARNG (Retired), TAWANI Enterprises’ philanthropic organization, the TAWANI Foundation is a 501(c)(3) that provides support in the areas of arts and culture, historical preservation, health and wellness, LGBTQ+ and human rights, education, and environmental initiatives. TAWANI Foundation’s vision is to make a sustained and measurable difference for organizations that focus on enriching knowledge, improving health and wellness, and promoting scientific understanding – all with a common goal of making a positive, long-term impact on individuals, communities, and the culture itself. To learn more, visit https://tawanifoundation.org.