My Spectrum journey began in 2013 when Jim Parrott reached out to me to ask if I would be interested in volunteering with Waterloo Region’s new Rainbow Community Space. I said “yes” and I became Spectrum’s volunteer librarian before joining the Board of Directors in 2014-2015. I was deeply grateful to become one of Spectrum’s first paid employees at the end of 2020 when we received a large capacity-building grant that would change our trajectory as an organization.
Four years later, we now have five full-time employees and approximately 40 part-time casual employees. We have grown from a small, volunteer-run organization to what our auditors call a “going concern” with paid staff and a governance Board. In fact, Spectrum is one of very few 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations in Southern Ontario to have paid staff. I consider this a huge success and I love that we have grown enough to start being an employer of choice for 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Waterloo Region.
In terms of programs, our 2019 annual report highlighted five peer support and discussion groups. We now have 13 such groups that hold about 25 meetings each month. In 2019, we had three social/recreational programs. We now have 15, with about 50 sessions each month. We started tracking numbers of program participants in 2022 and those numbers have more than doubled from 3,188 to 6,810. We’re now having a larger positive impact on more 2SLGBTQIA+ people in our community than ever before.
With respect to budget, in 2020 we had revenue of $48,210. This was largely from municipal grants which were the backbone of our operations for a decade. Our latest audited financials show a revenue of $606,565. We have built a successful fundraising program and individuals and businesses have seen the impact of our work and helped us to increase our capacity through their generous donations. We have also diversified our grant revenue. We now apply for and receive funding from all levels of government as well as a variety of private and family foundations, and our partners at Waterloo Region Community Foundation (WRCF). WRCF also holds our Rainbow Community Fund – an endowment fund that will help Spectrum be financially stable into the future.
These numbers are only one way to measure our impact and success. I think a more important measure is the feedback and comments from our program participants and personnel. I always say that the “Why” of Spectrum is belonging. Belonging is at the heart of everything we do. Our programs are places where 2SLGBTQIA+ people can build community and chosen family – and they do! The wordcloud below is made up of feedback from participants about what they feel are the best parts of our programs.
I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to steward Spectrum these past few years. It’s truly been an honour to lead a 2SLGBTQIA+ organization when there are so few of them in Ontario. It’s also been a privilege to receive feedback from our participants and community members about the impact Spectrum has had on their lives. I’m so proud to have built the amazing staff team we have now. This is a wonderful group of community leaders who are making a positive difference in Waterloo Region every day.
I’d like to thank everyone in the Spectrum Family for their dedication and work. I’d also like to thank all of our community partners for their generous support of the organization and of me. We could not have accomplished all we have without working as the tremendous team we are.
I’m confident that Spectrum is in good hands with Suzie Taka as our next ED and I look forward to seeing what’s next for this organization that I love.