JuLY Member Spotlight

Meet David Jobin
President & CEO
Our Fund Foundation

Prior to joining Our Fund Foundation as its President and CEO, David Jobin was the Executive Director of the Stonewall National Museum & Archives from 2013 – 2015. While at Stonewall, the organization launched the Stonewall Gallery on Wilton Drive placing the organization at the intersection of gay South Florida.

Prior to moving to Florida, David was the Executive Director of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC from 2009 – 2013. Before becoming active in LGBT causes professionally, David spent twenty years in theatre management, at Magic Theatre (San Francisco) and City Theatre Company (Pittsburgh, PA).

David performed with the Renaissance City Choirs in Pittsburgh, PA, Silicon Valley Gay Men’s Chorus in San Jose, CA, and the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and was also a singing member of the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida. David currently serves on the board of Slow Burn Theatre.

David was selected as Person of the Year by South Florida Gay News in 2018 in recognition of the impact that Our Fund has made on South Florida’s LGBT community.



What is your involvement with Florida Philanthropic Network? What influenced you to join?

"As a foundation that has only been around for 13 years, we are a newer member of FPN.  We got involved in the planning of the last conference to help bring a LGBTQ lens to the program development.  From first learning of FPN, I had an interest in joining to learn more about philanthropy in Florida and this region and to make connections with other fundraising professionals doing good work in Florida."


Name one thing you find special about the Florida philanthropic community. 

"In South Florida, we are dealing with a population that is largely not originally from Florida. When asked where folks are from, you will often hear cities with rich philanthropic histories – Boston, New York, Pittsburgh, Chicago, etc.   But more and more, we see philanthropists in South Florida who now call Florida their home.  We are seeing a shift in giving patterns that reflect this and more and more philanthropy is directed to where our supporters live and thrive – in Florida."


Are there any partnerships or collaborations you have found most meaningful to you in the last year?

"We are currently supporting a partnership of 3 agencies that Our Fund brought to the table in Fort Lauderdale to develop housing for LGBTQ homeless youth.  It’s an issue that stands to get increasingly worse with the political forces in place in Florida and we have identified 3 agencies that are working together to take the current 6-bed beta site and expand it to a 16-bed model to be replicated in the future. This is a population that has unique needs – so to be working with agencies who excel in this field has been gratifying."


What's the biggest challenge you've faced with your philanthropic efforts? How have you overcome them?

"I am a fan of the community foundation model because of its geographic specificity and the regional proficiency that accompanies it.  But the pass-thru nature of community foundations can perplex people newer to philanthropy.   To make a better case for supporting The Our Fund Foundation, we’ve had to pivot from solely focusing on our donors and their stories to putting the spotlight on the agencies we support and our direct connection to the change we are making in the community.  It's not only helped our supporters understand our role – but it’s energized our staff and board."


What fuels your cup- in life and at work?

"My life and work intersect around Our Fund’s support of LGBTQ arts and culture.  I worked for the first 20 years of my career in non-profits arts agencies – so to be able to attend performances and know the role The Our Fund Foundation has in the success of South Florida’s vibrant LGBTQ arts scene is especially gratifying."


Can you share one piece of advice you would give to someone considering a career in philanthropy?

"Believe in the mission of your organization and its purpose.  Your authenticity is your greatest capital in fundraising."

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