Mel Heifetz

Mel Heifetz began his commitment to, activism for, and financial support of LGBT people in Philadelphia in his early twenties and went on to pay off the entire mortgage, single-handedly, for the William Way Community Center in 2005. A staunch advocate of civil rights for LGBT people everywhere, Mel was one of the first to finance efforts to make those rights a reality in both Philadelphia and Washington DC. He has built several successful businesses in entertainment, tourism, hospitality, and real estate and has recently established a permanent multi-million dollar endowment at The Philadelphia Foundation to continue to help finance the needs of LGBT people into the next century and beyond.