Officials with Dallas/Fort Worth’s annual Black Tie Dinner announced this week that the beneficiary application for the 2009 dinner will be available online beginning Jan. 19.
The organization’s Web site is BlackTie.org, and the application can be found on the "beneficiaries" page there.
Each year Black Tie divides the proceeds from its fall dinner between the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and local LGBT and AIDS service organizations. As many as 20 local beneficiaries are chosen each year.
Organizations that want to apply to be a 2009 beneficiary must send representatives to a mandatory Black Tie Dinner Beneficiary Application Orientation meeting on Monday, Jan. 26, at 6:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Dallas hotel’s Seminar Theater. The theater is on the second level of the hotel, at 400 N. Olive St.
At that meeting, Black Tie officials will explain the application process and requirements.
Beneficiary candidates must have a tax-exempt status, as determined by the IRS, and be able to demonstrate significant service to the North Texas LGBT community, officials said.
Beneficiary candidates must also use a majority of their funds for direct programs and services.
Completed applications are due by 5 p.m. on Feb. 13, and the Black Tie board will announce which organizations have been chosen as 2009 beneficiaries by March 17.
The 2008 dinner, held Nov. 22 at the Sheraton Dallas, brought in $1.19 million, which was divided between HRCF and 18 local organizations. In its 27-year history, Black Tie Dinner has distributed almost $13 million to beneficiaries.
The 2009 event will be held Oct. 3 at the Sheraton Dallas hotel.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition January 16, 2009.