Today, The San Diego LGBT Community Center announced that it has completed its process to confirm the allowable uses of an $18.9 million gift, the largest in the organization’s history. The donation, made as an estate gift from the late Maurice J. Thimot and M. Rust Rawnsley, established the Maurice J. Thimot and M. Rust Rawnsley Fund at The Center.
“We are happy to share that we have completed multiple reviews from legal counsel, including, but not limited to, the California Attorney General’s office,” said Caroline (Cara) Dessert, Esq., Chief Executive Officer of The Center. “We have strived to ethically fulfill the wishes of the donors and to maximize the impact of these funds. We have not spent and will not spend one dollar outside the written intentions of these donors. This thorough review process has provided The Center with the clarity we needed to move forward in the most responsive and responsible manner.”
The Thimot and Rawnsley Fund will be used for LGBTQ+ senior housing and related services, including the necessary whole-person services to help people find housing and remain housed. The Center has received confirmation that the Fund can be used for a variety of options, which we will be exploring, with the goal to create sustainable options for serving our seniors well into the future. Some of the services that have been confirmed as possible include rental assistance, eviction prevention, case management services (including connectivity to health care), food/meal services, crisis services, social programming to reduce isolation and foster resilience, behavioral health services, sexual health services, wellness programs, facility maintenance, as well as communications and advocacy around housing.
The estate was a complicated one to finalize, involving the sale of more than 20 properties in the U.S. and Canada over more than two years. While The Center waited to see what the total amount of the Fund would be, it also began preparing to receive a gift that was more than nine times larger than the previous largest gift. The Center sought out legal, estate, and tax experts to ensure that the organization could most effectively manage this extraordinary gift.
To date, The Center has withdrawn $624,055 from the Fund’s principal—$350,000 in FY25 and $274,055 in FY26—and $600,000 from the interest earned on the Fund, for a total of $1,224,055. All spending has been determined as allowable expenditures based on the legal review.
The initial amount of the gift ($18.9 million)—as well as interest earned—will remain part of the Thimot and Rawnsley Fund. The current balance of the Fund is $19,836,305.40—significantly more than the initial gift amount, even with the expenditures made to date. This reflects The Center’s commitment to ensuring the highest level of stewardship of this transformational gift.
“With this process now complete, it’s time to move forward and continue to utilize this gift to improve the lives of our senior LGBTQ+ community members, especially now when they need it the most,” Dessert said. “Based on our surveys, as well as reflected in our program and service usage, basic needs are some of the highest priorities for LGBTQ+ seniors in San Diego—meals, food, housing, and mental health support.
“We have community members who are truly struggling and are in need of a wider range of services than they may have needed just a few years ago,” Dessert said. “Right now, The Center is serving record-high numbers of seniors with programs ranging from daily meals, housing, behavioral health support, food distribution, case management, arts programming, fitness opportunities, social connection, and educational opportunities. This tremendous gift will allow The Center to provide these opportunities so we can continue to serve and support those who came before us.”
“On behalf of the Board of Directors of The Center, we are so deeply grateful for this truly transformational gift,” said Dr. Shaun Randall Travers, Chair of The Center’s Board of Directors. “We know this has been a long process, and that there has been some confusion at times as we’ve worked through it. We take our responsibility for that. We had never received a gift of this magnitude and complexity.”
Thimot and Rawnsley did not communicate with any Center personnel about their planned gift. The Center has been transparent with the community about this donation—from the first announcement in June 2022 …
“Though we don’t yet have all the details, we are excited to share with our Center community the news that these visionary donors left an extraordinary gift to Your Center through our planned giving program, The Stonewall Society. This amazing couple has created a legacy for our community’s future, directing The Center to establish a fund, The Maurice J. Thimot and M. Rust Rawnsley Fund (the Thimot and Rawnsley Fund). The purpose of the Thimot and Rawnsley Fund includes investing in our LGBTQ seniors. We look forward to stewarding this fund by investing in our senior services, exploring long-term investments in capital projects, and soliciting feedback from our community.”
San Diego LGBT Community Center eNewsletter – June 13, 2022
To updates in The Center’s Annual Report …
“The Maurice Thimot and M. Rust Rawnsley Fund will be used to intentionally create spaces and programs for our community, with a special focus on our LGBTQ seniors. We look forward to stewarding this fund by investing in our senior services and exploring long-term investments in capital projects. Though the full gift has not yet been received, the $10M that has already been given is the largest donation in The Center’s history.”
The San Diego LGBT Community Center Annual Report
… through today, when we are able to share more specifics about the allowable uses of the Fund.
“One area we do want to specifically acknowledge and take responsibility for is our initial misunderstanding of the parameters around the allowable spending of the interest income generated by the Fund,” Travers said. “While we sought clarity on this point, we did not misspend any of those funds—nothing was outside of what our legal review and the Attorney General’s office have determined to be allowable expenditures. We understand that all uses of the Fund—including interest—must align with the same purpose. The initial gift, and all interest earned, are part of the Thimot and Rawnsley Fund.
“It is our sincere hope that with this review now completed—and with greater clarity about our future direction—the community can share our excitement about this phenomenal bequest,” Travers said.
Additionally, Travers and Dessert noted that The Center is committed to providing ongoing updates about the Fund—both how the dollars are spent as well as community impact—through quarterly Senior Services updates in our newsletter and through Senior Services Listening Sessions.
The Center remains committed to transparency and fiscal responsibility—our audited financial statements are posted on our website, and in the last two years, independent auditors have issued “clean” or unmodified audit opinions with no findings or questioned spending. The Center received a Candid Platinum Transparency rating for 2026 and a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, the highest possible rating.
The Center will continue to be as transparent as possible, while at the same time upholding donor and client confidentiality.
“We are bound by professional non-profit standards around fundraising and by confidentiality standards and expectations for our donors, clients, and volunteers. We protect our community and hold confidentiality as a non-negotiable,” Dessert said. “Simply put, violating confidentiality is not transparency.
“Our donor community trusts that when they provide support to The Center, the details of their gift are confidential, unless the donor chooses to share publicly,” Dessert said. “Even then, the donor chooses what they share and how, in partnership with our board and staff.”
“Since its founding, The Center has always protected the confidentiality of our clients and donors,” Travers reiterated. “Some in our community can remember all too well the anxiety of even being seen going into The Center for fear it would cost them their jobs, their children, or get them kicked out of the military. In our current political climate where people are—for well-founded reasons—afraid about the very real and damaging impacts of having their private information made public, The Center will continue to hold the line on protecting the information we are charged with protecting.”
Photo courtesy Lambda Archives
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were Maurice Thimot and M. Rust Rawnsley?
Maurice J. Thimot and M. Rust Rawnsley were a Fallbrook-based couple whose estate gift created the Maurice J. Thimot and M. Rust Rawnsley Fund at The San Diego LGBT Community Center.
How much has The Center received from this trust?
The Center has received three installments over two years for a total of $18.9 million dollars.
Is this the largest gift The Center has ever received?
Yes, the Thimot and Rawnsley Fund is more than nine times larger than our previous largest donation and is one of the largest gifts in LGBTQ+ movement history.
What can the funds be used for?
The Thimot and Rawnsley Fund will be used for LGBTQ+ senior housing and related services, including the necessary whole-person services to help people find housing and remain housed.
The Center has received confirmation that the Fund can be used for a variety of options, which we will be exploring, with the goal to create sustainable options for serving our seniors well into the future. Some of the services that have been confirmed as possible include rental assistance, eviction prevention, case management services (including connectivity to health care), food/meal services, crisis services, social programming to reduce isolation and foster resilience, behavioral health services, sexual health services, wellness programs, facility maintenance, as well as communications and advocacy around housing.
Is The Center going to build housing with these funds?
We will be exploring options for increasing housing opportunities, and certainly building new housing is one option.
How much of the Fund has already been spent?
To date, we have withdrawn $624,055 from the Fund’s principal—$350,000 in FY25 and $274,055 in FY26. We have also withdrawn $600,000 from the interest earned on the Fund, for a total of $1,224,055.
To summarize, of the $1,224,055 spent to date, $600,000 was from interest earned on the fund, and $624,055 was spent from the principal directly on our Senior Services program over a two-year period. These are allowable expenditures based on the completion of our legal review.
Additionally, the initial amount of the gift ($18.9 million)—as well as any interest earned —will remain part of the Thimot and Rawnsley Fund. The current balance of the fund is $19,836,305.40—significantly more than the initial gift amount, even with the expenditures made to date. This reflects The Center’s commitment to ensuring the best possible stewardship of this transformational gift.
Can we view the Thimot and Rawnsley trust document?
We cannot share the donors’ trust document. We are bound by professional non-profit standards around fundraising and by confidentiality standards and expectations for our donors, clients, and volunteers. We protect our community and hold confidentiality as a non-negotiable. Violating confidentiality is not transparency.
Since its founding, The Center has always protected the confidentiality of our clients and donors. Some in our community can remember all too well the anxiety of even being seen going into The Center for fear it would cost them their jobs, their children, or get them kicked out of the military. In our current political climate where people are—for well-founded reasons—afraid about the very real and damaging impacts of having their private information made public, The Center will continue to hold the line on protecting the information we are charged with protecting.
The Center makes a promise to our donors—that we will not share the language of their trusts, unless there is a clear conversation about doing so. The Center will continue to keep our promise.
Why has this taken so long to finalize?
The estate was a complicated one to finalize, involving the sale of more than 20 properties in the U.S. and Canada over more than two years. While The Center waited to see what the total amount of the Fund would be, it also began preparing to receive a gift that was more than nine times larger than the previous largest gift. The Center sought out legal, estate, and tax experts to ensure that the organization could be the best possible stewards of this extraordinary and unprecedented gift.
The Center has completed multiple reviews from legal counsel, including, but not limited to, the California Attorney General’s office. We have strived to ethically fulfill the wishes of the donors and to maximize the impact of these funds. This thorough review process has provided The Center with the clarity we needed to move forward in the most responsive and responsible manner.
We have not spent and will not spend one dollar outside the written intentions of these donors.
If I’m thinking of making an estate gift, should I talk to the development staff at The Center?
It’s not required, but it is certainly helpful to ensure clarity and the full context of the donor’s intent. If you are interested in making an estate gift or other type of donation, please feel free to contact Ian Johnson, our Senior Director of Development, at ijohnson@thecentersd.org.
If I’m an LGBTQ+ senior, what services and programs can I access at The Center?
The Center is serving record-high numbers of seniors, so not only can people get access to vital services and programs but also connect with their community.
Our services and programs range from a daily meal, housing and housing navigation, behavioral health support, food distribution, basic needs support, case management, arts programming, sexual health and wellness services, fitness opportunities, social connection, and educational opportunities.
For more information, contact seniors@thecentersd.org or (619) 692-2077, ext. 147.
Who is going to oversee the Fund?
The Center’s Board of Directors have fiduciary responsibility for the organization and will work closely with The Center’s executive leadership to ensure the Fund is administered properly.
Will The Center commit to continued audits and make the audits public?
Yes. The Center remains committed to transparency and fiscal responsibility—our audited financial statements are posted on our website, and in the last two years, independent auditors have issued “clean” or unmodified audit opinions with no findings or questioned spending.
Additionally, The Center has received a Candid Platinum Transparency rating for 2026 and has earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, the highest possible rating.
The Center has also stated it will provide ongoing updates about the Fund—both how the dollars are spent as well as community impact—through quarterly Senior Services updates in our newsletter and through Senior Services Listening Sessions.