The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Public Health is a nationally ranked, CEPH-accredited school of public health, ranked 15th in NIH funding among all schools of public health and a 2020 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award recipient. The UAB School of Public Health aspires to fulfill the great promise of public health: to protect and improve the health, safety, and well-being of all. We accomplish this through cutting-edge research, educating future generations of outstanding public health practitioners, and serving our community, state, region, and the world. Learn more by visiting www.uab.edu/soph.
What is the LGBTQ Fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham?
The mission of the LGBTQ Fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham is to cultivate one community that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning individuals and families with the belief that all people should be treated with equal respect and dignity in a welcoming and affirming community. 
The LGBTQ Fund is a charitable endowment at the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham that supports programs in Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Blount, and Walker counties. Goals of this fund include: strengthening the infrastructure of organizations led by or serving LGBTQ persons; supporting the provision of services to LGBTQ youth, individuals, and families; providing educational opportunities that highlight the needs of the LGBTQ community; advancing collaboration between LGBTQ organizations and other community organizations; and supporting nonprofit partners working on public policy and social justice issues that intersect with LGBTQ concerns. More information can be found by visiting www.cfbham.org/lgbtqfund.
What is the Magic City LGBTQ Health Studies Endowed Professorship?
The Magic City LGBTQ Health Studies Endowed Professorship is a fundraising effort currently underway at the UAB School of Public Health. The goal of this initiative is to open the door for the UAB School of Public Health to become an institutional leader in addressing the many health inequities facing the LGBTQ community both in Alabama and across the nation. No university in the Deep South is doing this type of work under the umbrella of public health…yet.
Efforts are currently underway to appoint an LGBTQ Endowed Professor in the school, while continuing to raise additional funds in order to transition the professorship to an endowed chair. The emphasis on eventually shifting this role from an endowed professorship to an endowed chair is important for several reasons. The creation of an endowed chair is among the most prestigious and meaningful positions that can be received by any school. Academicians who fill this role are considered the experts in their field, leading to more research dollars and ultimately the creation of a team.
At the UAB School of Public Health, the individual in this role will bring with them both the funded research and experienced personnel that are needed to transform the landscape of LGBTQ health. This person will also act as one of the primary connectors for all LGBTQ health focused initiatives found across the UAB campus, as well as serving as a primary connector with community-based and other organizations that also address LGBTQ health. Until the Magic City LGBTQ Health Studies Endowed Professorship reaches the required $1.5 million to become a chair, the SOPH will move forward with hiring an individual to fill the current endowed professorship position to immediately begin putting your generosity to work. More information can be found by visiting www.uab.edu/advancement.
Why do we need both?
These two funds will have a symbiotic relationship with one another, with intentions of working for the greater good of the LGBTQ population in Birmingham, the state of Alabama, the Deep South, and the United States. While both funds are focused on transforming the landscape when it comes to issues that impact the LGBTQ community, these funds are not competing efforts. The School of Public Health’s efforts will be focused on changing the system that negatively impacts LGBTQ health and equity at a broader level, through research, policy, and healthcare. The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham focuses heavily on human rights from a grassroots level. Both are working to bring about change and awareness, both are needed to accomplish sustainable and broad change, and both are imperative to creating a better life for the LGBTQ community.