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'You must have your own revenue,' McFarlane said. However, McFarlane said that LLEGÃ"'s experience should teach organizations that to be an effective advocate, you cannot depend on government help for your well-being. 'By and large, our community organizations, from the tiny ones to the big ones, are remarkably well-managed financially and I get concerned that people extrapolate the exception-take one particular incident and extrapolate that across the community. 'It is always profoundly sad when our organizations go through these incredibly painful times, and I don't think reflects on others,' Foreman said. Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, said that the group's closure would not make it more difficult for other Latino and gay groups in the future to get funding from the federal government.
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LLEGÃ" received financial support from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the Human Rights Campaign, American Airlines, and other corporate and private sponsors, according to its Web site. Ornelas-Quintero headed the organization since 1996, when it had fewer than a dozen employees and a budget of $500,000. LLEGÃ"'s revenue in 2002 was $2.8 million and Ornelas-Quintero's salary, at the time, was $68,960. LLEGÃ" has not issued a formal announcement regarding its apparent closure. The former employee also said that employees were not paid for accrued vacation time. 27 informing them that they were being fired, the source said. A LLEGÃ" board member declined to comment.Įmployees reportedly received a letter from LLEGÃ" dated Aug. The source added that employees lost their health benefits two months ago. Neither Ornelas-Quintero nor Gloria Nieto, LLEGÃ"'s interim president, were available for comment.Īccording to a former employee who spoke on condition of anonymity, none of the 14 employees let go last week has been paid in two weeks. LLEGÃ" faces an operating debt of more than $700,000 between now and next March and a $200,000 operating deficit over the next two months, McFarlane said.įormer LLEGÃ" president MartÃn Ornelas-Quintero, who said he left the organization in July to spend more time with a recently adopted child, was the sole manager of LLEGÃ"'s finances, according to McFarlane. When the dust settles, we will talk about how we can carry on that mission.' I've spoken to a number of other funders, and we all remain committed to their mission. 'No other organization can speak credibly for Latino queers. 'My heart is broken because we were utterly committed to the work of LLEGÃ",' McFarlane said. Rodger McFarlane, the executive director of the Gill Foundation, which gave LLEGÃ" $90,000 this year and a total of $400,000 over the past 10 years, said that 'sheer financial desperation' and a over-reliance on government contracts instead of a 'serious and sustained' donor base was the death knell for the 'the only national nonprofit organization devoted to representing' the needs of gay and lesbian Latinos. Officials with the National Latino Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Organization abruptly shut down the organization last week laying off all 14 of its employees in the face of a $700,000 deficit, sources familiar with the group said. This article shared 3084 times since Wed Sep 8, 2004