Bridget Trumpet arrived in the United States from her native England 31 years ago with a college scholarship and dreams of becoming a professional basketball player.
Ultimately, found her biggest success off the court as a Certified Public Accountant working for such firms as KPMG and Ernst & Young before forming her Trumpet Financial Group, Inc., in 2010.
Ten years prior, one of her employers asked her to transfer from New York to Los Angeles in order to take on some clients in the entertainment industry. She happily settled in West Hollywood and quickly found herself looking for community.
“We didn’t have Google then, but we did have phone books, and I found the Center and its different programs and groups,” Trumpet recalled. “I just kept going to things. It was a way of finding other LGBT people.”
After attending Center events and groups for several years, Trumpet became a donor and joined host committees for some of the Center’s signature events, including the Anniversary Gala Vanguard Awards and Simply diVine.
“It’s all been so memorable,” she said. “The Center’s community is the most beautiful thing—it’s a safe place. When I attend the dinner events, you meet everybody, you feel safe, and you feel comfortable.”
It wasn’t until she went on a full tour 10 years ago of the Center’s Health Services facilities and transitional housing for youth when she really got the full picture of the Center’s work.
“It was a real wow moment. I didn’t realize the Center’s reach,” Trumpet said. “It was really impactful and made me even more committed to donating and being involved with the Center.”
Part of her altruism includes the Center in her estate plan through the Circle of Life program.
“Having a financial background, I understand the importance of estate planning and philanthropy,” she explained. “The Center has been my life for the last 20 years in some form or fashion, and I have a soft spot for it. The Center does great work so it was a no-brainer for me to give back and help out.”
Trumpet is particularly impressed with how the Center has expanded geographically in the past five years with the openings of Mi Centro in Boyle Heights, Center WeHo in West Hollywood, Trans Wellness Center in Koreatown, and Center South near Leimert Park.
“The Center is ever-evolving and looking at different communities and different needs,” she said. “The Center doesn’t rest on its laurels.”
For more information about our Circle of Life estate planning, contact Director of Planned Giving Nellie Sims, J.D., at nsims@lalgbtcenter.org