Hello!

I would like to take a moment to welcome you to our Official Website. The Surfus Foundation was started to advance the LGBTQ+ communities of West Michigan and beyond through advocacy, education, and philanthropy. Our goal is an evolution of our prior forms, in that we were known as TEAM from 2010 to 2013 and The Council for Human Rights from 2013 to 2021. We are constantly improving and fine-tuning our organization to achieve a future we can all be proud of, one where you can be treated equally and with dignity no matter where you live and who you love.

In this period of growth over the past decade, we have grown personally as well. I am happy to announce that I just completed my Ph.D. in Public Administration from Western Michigan University. I am putting my new degree to work to benefit the LGBTQ+ communities of West Michigan and beyond. In addition to growing as an organization and individually, we have also grown in our processes as well. We are proud that all of our programming is Anti-Racist and following the racial equity framework that is detailed by Equity in the Center. We are committed to an environmentally friendly future through using the latest technologies and reducing our carbon footprint. While we are doing good work for the LGBTQ+ communities of West Michigan and beyond, we must ensure that we create no harm and that we minimize negative impacts on the environment.

We are working towards crafting a DEI strategy, which stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion, for West Michigan in that all can be part of our communities, call this place home, prosper, and feel included!

I encourage you to bookmark our website and check back often to see what we are up to. We will have opportunities for you to get involved in building an inclusive West Michigan.

Thank you for reading along and for your support!

Sincerely,

Dr. Chris Surfus, Ph.D.

Founder, President, and Treasurer