ABOVE: Tim Gill, screenshot via YouTube.
Tim Gill, a gay Colorado based philanthropist who has donated more than $500 million to organizations working to advance LGBT rights, is set to receive one of his state’s highest honors from Gov. Jared Polis.
Polis, the first openly gay person elected governor in the United States, announced on Friday Gill would be one of six recipients of the Colorado Governors Citizenship Medal at an Oct. 12 celebration. The medal was established by executive order in 2015.
“The Governor’s Citizenship Medal was created to recognize Colorado’s remarkable leaders for their impact on their communities,” Polis said in a statement. “Our state has some amazing and courageous leaders and it’s important for us to celebrate their efforts and inspire new generations to do the same.”
Gill, who founded the pro-LGBT Gill Foundation, is set to obtain the Vanguard legacy medal, which is bestowed to a business leader who has made transformational contributions to the community throughout his or her career.
Since its inception in 1994, the Gill Foundation has invested more than $357 million in programs and non-profits around the country, substantially contributing to many of the country’s watershed victories for LGBT rights. Gill currently serves as the co-chair of the foundation’s board of directors.