Behind every Uplift crown is a building.
Gala Glitterati Group is working to establish a 501(c)(3) foundation that converts former schools, nursing homes, and hotels into safe housing for survivors of trauma.
A pageant with a building behind it.
Gala Glitterati Group, LLC was founded with a long-term mission: to establish a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that acquires former schools, nursing homes, and hotels — buildings already structured for residents — and converts them into safe, dignified housing for survivors of trauma.
The communities we’re working to serve include survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, abuse, and displacement. Gulf Coast housing for these populations is critically under-resourced. Buildings already exist. They just need someone willing to repurpose them.
Uplift Tri-State is Year One.
Every paid vote, every add-on category, every sponsor partnership helps prove that this pageant model can generate the kind of community support that makes the long-term mission possible. Year One operates as a for-profit pageant. After the season closes, the Director Panel will review results and decide how much, if any, to allocate toward seeding the foundation.
What this means in practice
- Year One is a for-profit proof of concept. Gala Glitterati Group runs Uplift Tri-State as a for-profit pageant business in Year One. All proceeds are received by GGG, LLC.
- The foundation comes after the season ends. When Year One closes, the Director Panel reviews the season's results and votes on the Year Two budget — including whether and how much to allocate toward seeding the foundation. We’re not promising a specific dollar amount or percentage in advance; that’s a discretionary decision based on actual results.
- Transparency is the deal. Within 90 days of Tri-State Finals, we publish a Year One Public Report showing the season’s financial results and the Director Panel’s decisions.
- The foundation is intended, not yet formed. We are deliberate about how we talk about this. Buildings are research targets, not purchased properties. The foundation is a plan, not a present entity.
Three building types. One reason.
We’re focused on three categories of building because each one is already structured for residential use, often sits underused or empty, and can be acquired at a fraction of new-construction cost.
Former Schools
Classrooms convert into private rooms or family units. Cafeterias become communal dining. Gymnasiums host services and programming. Existing plumbing, electrical, and ADA infrastructure dramatically lowers conversion cost.
Former Nursing Homes
Already designed for resident populations with shared common spaces, medical-grade flooring, accessibility throughout, and multiple private rooms. Some include licensed kitchens and on-site staff quarters.
Former Hotels
The fastest conversion path. Individual rooms with private bathrooms, lobbies for intake and case management, multiple floors for separation of populations. Already zoned and permitted for transient occupancy.
Survivors of trauma — broadly defined.
The foundation’s eventual housing programs are intended to serve people exiting traumatic circumstances who need a safe, stable place while they rebuild. We use a broad definition deliberately. Trauma takes many forms.
- Survivors of domestic violence — people leaving abusive partners or households.
- Survivors of human trafficking — people exiting labor or sex trafficking situations.
- Survivors of childhood or interpersonal abuse — adults rebuilding after escaping or processing earlier trauma.
- People displaced by disaster, eviction, or fleeing unsafe communities — populations the existing shelter system often can’t fully absorb.
The foundation’s board will set final program intake criteria once formed. This list represents intent, not current operations.
A public report, every year.
Year One is a proof of concept. That only works if you can see whether we proved it. Within 90 days of Tri-State Finals, Gala Glitterati Group will publish a Year One Public Report that includes:
- Total pageant proceeds — vote revenue, add-on revenue, sponsorship revenue.
- Total operating expenses — production, prizes, contractors, platform costs.
- Net proceeds reserved for the foundation — dollar amount and percentage.
- Foundation formation status — incorporation, EIN, 501(c)(3) application progress.
- Building acquisition status — properties evaluated, offers made, properties under contract.
- Contingency plan — if the foundation is not yet formed by report date, named existing 501(c)(3) organizations that reserved funds will be donated to if formation does not occur within 24 months.
If you’ve ever wondered what a crown is for — this is what it’s for.
Apply. Sponsor. Vote. Share. Every action helps lay the first brick.