Tony Freeman missed us.

Freeman, San Diego Human Dignity Foundation’s (SDHDF) new executive director, worked in the private sector for a year after having spent the bulk of his career in the GLBT community.

“I just wanted to sit on the other side of the fence for a while,” Freeman says.

But the move didn’t last long. “I really missed being more a part of the community.

“When I heard there was an opening [at SDHDF], I thought ‘Wow. This is a great opportunity for me to become involved again.’”

Freeman is the former senior pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church of San Diego (MCCSD) and the recipient of numerous awards for community service spanning almost 15 years with service organizations such as Stepping Stone and the Sunburst Project. He has also sat on the GLBT advisory boards of Congressmembers Bob Filner and San Diego Police Chief Lansdowne, among others. He’s received The Nicky’s Governor’s Award, Champion of Pride, and the San Diego LGBT Community Center’s Visionary Award.

Former associates can’t say enough about the “bright, resourceful” man, who, when he isn’t hard at work, spends time with his partner Steve, adopted son Mario, and his dog Polly.

“His time at the MCC was filled with vision and promise and leadership building. … [He] … has a passion for anything he tackles. So we were very sad to lose him,” says Rev. Huston Burnside Jr., MCCSD’s Christian Education Pastor.

“I really enjoyed MCCSD; it was one of the most memorable and rewarding experiences of my life, [but] it was my time to move on and share something else and to contribute in different ways,” says Freeman, explaining what prompted his move to the private sector.

Besides reconnecting with the community after his stint outside it, Freeman says he wanted to work with the people that make up the board and staff at SDHDF. “You know it’s just a real pleasure to work with them .... They have so much creativity and synergy. I get energy from that and get excited about it.”

SDHDF’s board is equally enthusiastic.

“Tony has a long history of leadership in our LGBT community and is widely respected throughout San Diego. He brings a wealth of talent, experience, and knowledge of our community that position him well to lead SDHDF,” says David Miles, SDHDF board president.

Established in 1996, SDHDF is a public charity whose mission is to support “responsible philanthropy” that aims to raise the general quality of life for the local GLBT community. The organization consists of a 17-member board of directors, who serve on various committees, and two paid staff, a development coordinator and executive director.

The organization’s main goals are fourfold: to increase its permanent endowment; fund local GLBT health and human service organizations; assist financial donors; and to build coalitions with San Diego’s philanthropic individuals.

Freeman says the SDHDF provides the needed funds to help the community, “solve problems, save lives, and ensure that our next generation of GLBT youth are able to fulfill their dreams and have even greater opportunities.”

This year the SDHDF is giving $38,000 in grants to various nonprofit organizations that serve San Diego’s GLBT community. The organization received 21 proposals this year, asking for a total of $180,000. Freeman said, “I think the requested amount of money really speaks to the need of our community.”

SDHDF’s grant money comes from an endowment that currently totals $695,000. The money the organization grants comes from the endowment’s annual interest, never from its principle or base funds. Freeman says, “You never touch the principle in an endowment. That’s the way it works. What you give away is from the interest, … and as the endowment grows, our ability to grant even more money will grow.”

The organization’s total fund, including donations, is $803,000, of which $108,000 is comprised of donor advised funds. Freeman says the SDHDF has a variety of donor advised funds and explained how the process of donor advised funds works.

“Let’s say you just received a tax return for $10,000 and want to do something meaningful with it. You can take that money and set it up as a fund with whatever name you want. We would manage the fund for you, making sure it grows by investing it. You would then make a recommendation as to where that money would go and how you would distribute it …. Then we send the check(s) out in your name,” said Freeman.

One donor advised fund, for example, is the BCause Fund, which rasies money for breast cancer awareness by promoting charity events such as Wig Fest, the organization’s annual “celebration of life and wigs.”

“I heard it’s a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to my first one, as I’ve been trying to figure out what wig I’m going to get,” says Freeman.