Scholarship & Education Fund

Scholarship Programs

Programs

Our scholars receive more than a monetary award. GSBA scholars enter into a partnership with both sides of the organization: the chamber of commerce and the scholarship & education fund. GSBA scholars are encouraged to take advantage of the many resources available to them through GSBA membership and community connections.

GSBA Leadership Academy

Throughout the year, GSBA scholars have access to several leadership development workshops and scholar community building events, termed Leadership Academy. The cornerstone of the Leadership Academy is the annual Immersion Weekend. In the first weekend of August, scholars engage in workshops facilitated by GSBA business members, former GSBA scholars, elected officials, and other community leaders centered around developing and growing their personal, professional, and community leadership.

By participating in the GSBA Leadership Academy, scholars will:

  1. Define what leadership means to them.
  2. Articulate their own strengths and asks.
  3. Seek out opportunities for personal and professional growth.
  4. Describe their own intersections of gender, sexual orientation, race, class, ability and how these experiences shape their leadership and values as an LGBTQ+ leader.
  5. Leverage available resources to meet their unique needs.
  6. Build community with fellow GSBA scholars (past and present), GSBA staff, and the broader GSBA membership as a network of support.
  7. Identify resources and methods of finding support within their educational and professional communities.
  8. Recognize ways to stay engaged with the GSBA Scholarship Program with the understanding that “once a scholar, always a scholar.”

GSBA Membership

As a part of their scholarship, GSBA scholars receive a complementary membership with the GSBA chamber of commerce. Established in 1981, GSBA is Washington State’s LGBTQ+ and allied chamber of commerce, and the largest of its kind in North America. We represent over 1,300 small business, corporate and nonprofit members who share GSBA’s values of promoting equality and diversity in the workplace. As a part of their membership, scholars receive:

  • Complimentary access to GSBA networking events, workshops, and webinars.
  • Connection to the LGBTQ+ business and non-profit community.