Las Vegas Sands today announced that The LGBTQ Center of Southern Nevada (The Center) has joined Sands Cares Accelerator, a three-year membership program aimed at advancing nonprofits to deliver greater community impact. Sands also continues its capacity-building support for The Center to enable further expansion of the Arlene Cooper Community Health Center and buildout of its events center.
The Center will focus its time in the Sands Cares Accelerator on solidifying marketing and communications strategies to best share its story with the LGBTQ+ community, allies, partners, funders and other supporters to sustain a strong foundation for the organization’s future. Through the Sands Cares Accelerator, The Center will receive $100,000 annually for the three years of membership, along with structured guidance to support its focus area, strategic counsel from Sands, and other in-kind support to help the nonprofit achieve its goal.
In addition, general funding from Sands Cares will bring the 2023 donation to The Center to just over $265,000 and help facilitate the continued buildout of the Cooper Community Health Center toward The Center’s goal of becoming a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), as well as provide funding to finalize renovation of the nonprofit’s events center. The health center and events center deliver critical services to the community, as well as generate recurring revenue streams to fund The Center’s programs and services.
Specifically, the Sands Cares capacity-building support in 2023 will enable The Center to expand the health center by covering infrastructure costs to relocate general administrative staff to another facility so that space can be used for medical services, as well as provide technology and other upgrades for the events center. Sands has supported The Center’s expansion of the Cooper Community Health Center since 2021 and enabled The Center to renovate the events center in 2022. Since 2021, Sands has provided $570,000 in cumulative funding to support The Center’s mission.
“The partnership with Sands has been a valuable catalyst for helping us make significant progress toward our long-term vision for The Center,” John Waldron, CEO of The Center, said. “Joining the Sands Cares Accelerator will be an even greater vehicle for helping us build our capacity to better meet the needs of the LGBTQ+ community. It is a great honor to be part of this unique and exclusive program.”
The Center is the sixth organization to join the Sands Cares Accelerator, launched by Sands in 2017 to help fast-track nonprofit organizations on the tipping point of making a leap in community impact. During the three-year membership, Sands creates longer-term relationships with nonprofits via extended funding, structured guidance and customized support rarely found with typical corporate-nonprofit engagements.
The Center has been a vital part of Las Vegas for 30 years, offering inclusive, life-enriching programs, events, education and support groups for people who identify as LGBTQ+ and allies of the community. The Center serves as the hub for an array of essential resources and care, including food and meal delivery, physical and mental health care services, and community advocacy.
“Inviting The Center to join the Sands Cares Accelerator was a natural fit after having worked with John and his team over the past few years,” said Ron Reese, senior vice president of global communications and corporate affairs, who spearheads corporate responsibility initiatives for the company. “Everything we look for in a Sands Cares Accelerator member had been demonstrated – a strong long-term vision for impact, measurable progress toward identified goals and the ability to deliver significantly greater impact with the support the program brings. We have been greatly impressed with The Center’s accomplishments in building a sustaining model of service and look forward to seeing its continued progress as part of the Sands Cares Accelerator.”
Inspired by the entrepreneurial and philanthropic spirit of Sands’ founder Sheldon G. Adelson, the Sands Cares Accelerator carries on his legacy of building successful businesses and giving back to communities with a greater corporate involvement to help advance the capabilities of nonprofit organizations to better address the needs of their communities. During the three-year membership, nonprofits focus on building their capacity in a strategic area or enhancing a program offering to better serve the community. Sands serves as a catalyst and mentor for helping organizations achieve their goals.
Other Sands Cares Accelerator members have included the Inspiring Children Foundation, Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth and Green Our Planet in Las Vegas; Art Outreach in Singapore and Green Future in Macao.
