Yesterday, the Tucson Weekly was told that Wingspan, Tucson’s 25-year-old LGBT community center and advocacy organization, was possibly closing, its executive director terminated and that employees were told yesterday that their jobs are ending July 31 due to the continued loss of grants and other funding.
However, Paul Guerrero, Wingspan board of directors, denied that current Wingspan employees were told they were losing their jobs. In fact, he said, the organization is working to prevent that from happening and to partner with other organizations to help the agency continue its programs, like Eon Youth, Anti-Violence Prevention and Senior Pride. The Wingspan board, he said, plans to send out a formal press release tomorrow.
Guerrero confirmed that Wingspan Executive Director Carol Grimsby was terminated on June 16th due to lack of funding, and added that this is a very difficult time right now for the board and remaining staff.
Other sources close to the Weekly said a plan was in the works for the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation to take on Eon Youth and the Anti-Violence Prevention projects. But Guerrero said no such decision has been made, but that the board has been reaching out to other organizations, what he described as partners and collaborators, to help determine what happens to the organization and its programs.
The organization’s lease ends July 31. According to one source, the organization can no longer afford to remain in its current space. Guerrero said there will be a move, but the board doesn’t know right now what that will look like. He said Grimsby was terminated because her position is unfunded without needed donations coming into the agency; and its overhead is higher than its current level of funding. Some grants, he said, are terminated, while others continue.
The current board has spent the past week studying what to do next and has fielded dozens of phone calls from community members concerned about the organization’s future. Guerrero said he anticipates the board will have a better idea of what happens next for Wingspan by next week.
The Weekly will report more updates as they are available and more in next week’s issue.
This article appears in Jun 19-25, 2014.
That board moved their last meeting away from the center because (allegedly) they didn’t like being around the trans women, you really don’t need to listen to what they tell the press. If you actually knew Eon youth and staff, you know that yes, Wingspan is closing, the board’s throwing in the towel because they don’t think it can be saved. Sureee, they’re gonna try to move the programs to other organizations, who knows who or where, but the center and the org is closing. Unless someone with power decides to do something about it, besides just save their own names in the press.
Ramona Flowers- Spreading false information is very not very nice, especially when its clearly a personal opinion. Sometimes waiting for information to develop is a better approach. Wingspan is a great organization and a great resource for the LGBTQ community and it is an unfortunate situation. I trust the board will do whatever they feel is best, as they are the ones with all the inside information and FACTS.
If the Board had issued apologies (for poor leadership decisions and unjust firings of essential staff members) a year ago when the community demanded them, they might not be in this mess. I don’t want to see this org go, but I can’t say I’m surprised. If the board is listening–clean the slate! Apologies are important, even if they are too late.
@Lilraysmom23 Of corse the board members are the only ones with the actual facts. They have NO OPEN BOARD MEETINGS!!! We asked for transparency 14 MONTHS ago. Maybe if it was given to us we could have seen the problem before it was too late. It is too late. It’s too late to change anything. Wingspan is dying and it’s too late to save it.
Wingspan has been hanging by a thread for several years and it is ultimately the community’s fault. The vehement support alleged by those posting comments was simply not matched by donations. And, the resulting over reliance on grants, was not a reliable source of funding. The current Board is doing what they can to salvage the organizations. If you aren’t part of the solution, you are part of the problem.
We should of Seen This coming.