Give

The Cantú Queer Center welcomes and depends on gifts of all kinds.

Join the Cantú's monthly giving program—and you'll join a wonderful group of people like Irene Reti who are committed to supporting UCSC's one-and-only dedicated queer safe space. Monthly giving is flexible, convenient, and the most cost-effective way to make a difference in the lives of our students.

Some donors prefer to give one annual gift. Others choose to set up automatic monthly donations in an amount that fits their budget. Still, others want to contribute to a special center project or establish an endowment or scholarship fund. And other contributors elect to leave a bequest to the center as a form of planned giving. Whatever way works best for you, please be in touch with the Cantú Center's Director, delfín w bautista dewbauti@ucsc.edu

Our students and programs thrive because of the generosity of folks like you!

Ways to Give:

• Give online using our secure online giving form. To make a donation to the Lionel Cantú Queer Resource Center please visit the secure UCSC Online Giving Designations website. On that page homepage please click the "Click here to select a Gift Designation" button, scroll down to the Student Life category, and select the GLBT Resource Center.
  • If you would like to contribute to the GALA Gallery Fund please indicate so in the "notes or special instructions for your gift" box.
  • If you would like to contribute directly to the Rainy Day Fund which directly benefits LGBTQIA+ students who would otherwise not be able to pay their tuition, housing, or important medical bills, use this link.
  • Any and all gifts are greatly appreciated.
• Immediate cash gift: Give online, by phone or mail (check, credit card, or wire transfer).
• Recurring cash gifts: You can establish a regular schedule of giving by credit card, bank transfer, or check.
• Securities: Stocks, bonds, and mutual funds can be assigned to the UCSC Foundation and directed to the Cantú Queer Center
• Planned gifts: Cash, securities, or other assets can be designated for the Cantú Queer Center through the UC Santa Cruz Foundation in your estate planning. Call (831) 459-5227 for details.
  
  

Featured Donors:

Steven Klein (Cowell, 1972) - Annual Contributor

"I support the Cantú Queer Center with an annual contribution. When I was a student (1968-1972), a gay rap group began to meet at Cowell during my junior year. Nothing like the Cantú Queer Center, with its programs and services, existed in those years. Nonetheless, it has earned my support because it meets the needs of current students who are coming to  UC Santa Cruz from different backgrounds and experiences, and who need a safe, supportive place to connect with their peers, as well as to engage with skilled and caring staff". 

Irene Reti (Kresge, 1982) - Monthly Contributor

"I am both a UCSC alumna (B.A., Kresge 1982) and M.A. (History, 2002) and a UCSC staff person with over 25 years of service. I support the Cantú Queer Center because no other place at UCSC is dedicated to serving the cultural, social, intellectual, and emotional needs of UCSC's queer community. When I was a student in the late 1970s, the only place for UCSC's queer students was a hidden closet off a parking lot. Now we have a beautiful, open space full of caring and excitement. The Cantú Queer Center has also provided a queer-friendly place for UCSC's staff, providing mixers, art shows, and other cultural events. I also was honored to celebrate my M.A. at Rainbow Graduation, which the Cantú Queer Center organizes! Staff can donate directly to the Cantú Queer Center directly through payroll deduction. It's easy and convenient and feels great to be giving back".

Anonymous* (1971) - Monthly Contributor

"I've been supporting the Cantú Queer Center financially for about 15 years. I have arranged to charge a monthly payment on my credit card, so I don't have to write checks or remember if I have given in a certain month or wonder if I can afford it. I do this for two reasons. First, UC Santa Cruz is one of the most important experiences in my life--a life-shaping experience--and I want to make sure it continues to do that for others. Second, I believe in giving back, in sharing the gifts I have received. I'm not a wealthy person, but I am able to give to causes I believe in. In my undergraduate years at UCSC--1967-1971--there was no Cantú Queer Center. There were just the first glimmerings of gay consciousness. You had to struggle pretty much by yourself to find information and support. The Cantú provides a safe and welcoming space where people can discover themselves--and it provides a beacon of light to the whole UCSC community. In a world of bureaucracy and conformity, the Cantú is a haven of queer possibilities. This is worth supporting, and that's why I give".

*REMINDER: Not everyone lives in a state or works in a profession with protection from discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people, this donor must remain anonymous for job security.

Jerri Ruiz (Crown, 1977) - Special Project Gift

"I support the Cantú Resource Center’s GALA Gallery fund for several principal reasons. First, GALA was founded while I was an undergraduate student at UC Santa Cruz and it is only fitting that I can help support a gallery honoring the contributions of these pioneers. Second, I strongly believe it is our responsibility as alumni to ensure that campus resource centers have adequate funding to provide much-needed services for current students at UC Santa Cruz. Third, and most importantly, as an alumnus who dabbles in the arts, it is vital that the Cantú Resource Center always be able to showcase the creative talents of our UC Santa Cruz students, staff, faculty, and alumni, not only for the pride it instills in an artist whose works are displayed but also for fostering the engagement of and interaction between UCSC alumni, current students, and the campus".

Thank you to our donors!