Officials with Black Tie Dinner Inc. announced today (Monday, March 1) that the application process to become a beneficiary of Black Tie’s 40th annual fundraising efforts is now open.

Each year, the Black Tie Dinner board of directors chooses up to 20 North Texas LGBTQ community organizations as beneficiaries of its fundraising. All LGBTQ-inclusive 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations with a significant presence in North Texas are invited to apply.

Black Tie Dinner holds several digital fundraising initiatives and experiences throughout the year in the Dallas and Fort Worth area, culminating in its annual dinner in downtown Dallas. Details for this year’s 40th annual experience are still in the works, but organizers have set Saturday, Nov. 13 as the date for the dinner.

In 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization pivoted and produced its first-ever televised give-a-thon, “Black Tie LIVE,” sponsored by BBVA. That event allowed Black Tie to distribute $875,000 to its beneficiaries, bring the organization’s total funds distributed since its inception in 1982 to nearly $26 million.

To be eligible to be a beneficiary, organizations must have tax-exempt status as determined by the IRS, must be able to demonstrate significant service to the North Texas LGBTQ community, and must use a majority of the funds received from Black Tie Dinner for direct community programs and services.

Beneficiary applications and more information are available online here. Completed applications are due by 5 p.m. CST on Friday, March 19.

“After the successful pivots of 2020, we are thrilled to embark on another trailblazing year of fundraising efforts for our community,” said Black Tie Dinner Senior Co-Chair Brad Pritchett. “Our beneficiaries are the driving force behind our board’s passion and purpose; our commitment to the LGBTQ community in 2021 is to go above and beyond all expectations to support each and every one of them.”

Black Tie Dinner also offers a “First-Year Beneficiary” program targeted toward smaller or newer organizations. Open only to first-time beneficiaries, this program has fewer requirements for the beneficiary and in exchange, the first-year beneficiary organization will receive a smaller overall share of the funds distributed.

“While we continue to monitor CDC guidelines and the progress of the vaccines, the work of our beneficiaries is more important than ever,” Black Tie Dinner Junior Co-Chair Terry Loftis. “Our mission is to continue to support our beneficiaries as they continue to make a positive impact on the LGBTQ community.”

Visit the website for more information about Black Tie Dinner. Questions regarding the beneficiary application process may be emailed to corela@blacktie.org.

— Tammye Nash