The Dorian Fund is the philanthropic legacy of Joseph Gianelli and William Wegele to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Food For Thought is a grateful recipient of a three-year Dorian Fund grant to improve our fundraising capacity.

For more than 50 years, Joe Gianelli and Bill Wegele built a loving relationship with each other, as well as a strong connection to the community through their business, Dorian Antiques. They sought to continue that bond by establishing a charitable foundation with a mission to give back to the community that supported them for so many years.

Dorian Fund grants have been awarded to organizations such as Food For Thought – Sonoma County AIDS Food Bank, the Lesbian Health Research Center, Horizons Foundation, “Out at the Library” by the San Francisco Public Library, Sonoma County’s Face to Face, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

The goal of the Dorian Fund is to support LGBT service providers and help them reach our diverse community through a wide range of projects.

Bill and Joe forged their relationship during the nascent beginnings of the LGBT community in San Francisco. Civil rights that have been won through the community’s struggle did not exist when Bill and Joe met. Secrecy and closeted behavior were the norm and living an “out” lifestyle was unheard of. Bill and Joe channeled their energies into their antique store, gradually building up a clientele and a reputation for fine art and furniture. Their home was exquisitely decorated and full of memories of their many trips.

Joe and Bill found fellow adventurers in each other. During their years together, they traveled to many places; Egypt and its pyramids was their favorite. Friends tell of their boat trips down the Nile, sipping cocktails, engaging anyone nearby for conversation, and marveling at the historic scenery as they floated by. Photographs show the two, side by side under straw hats and sunglasses, raising a glass to life.

Famously careful with a penny, Bill and Joe did not live extravagantly, and their traveling was their one indulgence. Even though they were very generous with friends and family, it was their parsimonious behavior and careful planning that allows the Dorian Fund to exist today. Traveling the world over, Joe and Bill brought home not only many interesting and valuable antiques, but a love for different cultures, encouragement of thoughtful discourse and an unselfish desire to share their abundance with their community. By establishing the Dorian Fund their wish to support the community will endure for many years and many generations to come.