After much anticipation, fundraising, and community outreach, One View: Uniting People (1VU,) a gay nonprofit with a green focus, has suddenly dissolved.
Co-founded by Stephen Crawford and partner Billy Lullo in July 2010, 1VU's mission included building a monument to LGBT military veterans in Space Park, 815-817 W. Roscoe.
However, with 1VU's recent reported dissolution, Americans Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) took over an already-planned Memorial Day event in the park as a tribute to LGBT veterans. No monument was erected by 1VU and no one was in attendance from 1VU.
Although LGBT veteran Marquell Smith did not attend the Memorial Day service at Space Park, he had been excited to learn about 1VU, its mission, and its plans to honor LGBT veterans. Smith said 1VU's status was unfortunate because its vision attracted much praise and attention for and by a segment of the LGBT community. Smith was in the Marine Corps for more than six years.
"I thought they [1VU] were great in recognizing a group of people who had to remain silent," said Smith. "I think it's disappointing."
Jim Darby, AVER's local president, found out a day before the event that 1VU dissolved and would not be erecting the monument. Though taken back by the sudden news, Darby continued with the Memorial Day ceremony to honor LGBT veterans. In moving forward, Darby and his group have plans to erect a monument honoring LGBT veterans at a famous, national cemetery. Darby was "very sorry to hear of 1VU's recent dissolution status."
1VU was recognized as an incorporated nonprofit under Stephen Crawford July 29, 2010, according to Secretary of State Jesse White's website. There is no record of 1VU as a registered charity under the charity database of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's website. Illinois Attorney General's office spokesperson, Robyn Ziegler, confirmed with Windy City Times that the agency has never registered with that office.
Since its incorporation, 1VU has carried out fundraising efforts including a Halloween party at Parlour, where the bar donated a portion of proceeds from to 1VU; a $35 charity boat cruise for last year's Air and Water Show; and most recently $35 dog-tag sets and $50 engraved versions with the names of service members on the back. At the time, buyers had the option to have their tag sealed inside the monument that 1VU had planned to build.
Crawford was unable to supply exact figures for how much was raised at any of the fundraising events. He does note that with approximately 120 attendees, the charity boat cruise was the most successful fundraising event for 1VU. Only one person purchased a $35 priced dog tag and "that person will be reimbursed," said Crawford.
"I'm deeply saddened that the organization ended the way it did. Unfortunately, the people who are suffering here are the people we were benefiting," said Crawford.
Crawford said that, as a grassroots and volunteer-based organization, "1VU did not have a whole lot of funding to work with" and that "no one took a salary." A portion of the money raised from fundraising events was put towards 1VU's operational costs, according to Crawford. "Any money after operational costs was going strictly towards the monument," said Crawford. Operational costs included webhosting, web design services, marketing materials such as flyers and pamphlets, along with costs related to the events, according to Crawford. Although Crawford had not chosen a charity benefactor as of the press deadline, he said he plans to donate the money raised from the fundraising events to a charity.
"Because we are all volunteers, we are juggling this along with our own separate responsibilities. Unfortunately, I do not have a set timeframe as to how long this process will take, but I ensure you that we are working to get everything taken care of as soon as possible so we all may pursue other avenues," said Crawford.