As the largest LGBTQ+ community center on the East Coast (and the second largest in the world!) NYC’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center serves thousands of people every week. The multi-service organization—often described as the hub of NYC’s LGBTQ+ community—is designed to be a space where everyone can come and be celebrated for who they are. In addition to community connection, visitors are welcome to participate in a variety of programs and support groups, ranging from substance abuse treatment to career counseling. The center also hosts more than 15,000 events and activities every year, so community groups can find space to hold meetings and events. Donations are accepted in the form of money or time, as there are plenty of volunteer opportunities year-round.

The Marsha P. Johnson Institute (MPJI) protects and defends the human rights of BLACK transgender people. We do this by organizing our community, advocating for our people, creating an intentional healing community, developing transformative leadership, and promoting our collective power.

The Marsha P. Johnson Institute founded both as a response to the murders of BLACK trans women and women of color and how that is connected to our exclusion from social justice issues, namely racial, gender, and reproductive justice, as well as gun violence.

MPJI advocates for black trans people who are resisting, grappling with survival, and looking for a community. We aim to demystify, diversify and expand opportunities for our community. We raise awareness and connectivity by sharing knowledge, providing resources, and engaging people to support our mission.

The workplace should be a fair and equal place for all—but unfortunately, many people in the LGBTQ+ community do not have this experience. Out & Equal is a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that all workplaces—across all industries—have a culture of belonging, so employees can feel safe, appreciated, and as worthy as they are while in their place of business. Your donation will help the Out & Equal team as they work with executives, HR and D&I professionals, and LGBTQ+ employee resource group leaders to train them on how to better their workplaces from the inside out.

It’s been well-proven that trans people are more likely to be attacked, mentally abused, and killed. More specifically, trans women of color are the most vulnerable. According to HRC, 2021 saw more than 57 trans deaths, with the majority of those deaths being trans women of color. Trans Lifeline, was established in 2014, and it's the first-ever crisis hotline for trans people. With a donation, you can help Trans Lifeline expand its programs to be even more diverse and inclusive of Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color.

The American Civil Liberties Union, aka the ACLU, steps in to make sure that all people—no matter who they are or who they love—are given the rights and liberties they are guaranteed under the law. That means they work in the courts and legislatures to uphold the Constitution, filing court cases when they see injustices and working with law and policymakers to make things right. One of their biggest fights is for LGBTQ+ equality, and donations help enable litigation, lobbying, and education.

Garden State Equality lifts up the diverse voices of LGBTQIA+ communities through education and advocacy to advance the movement for equality in New Jersey and nationally. We work tirelessly to ensure the communities we serve experience lived equality. 

Lambda Legal has been in courtrooms fighting to protect the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and everyone living with HIV for over 50 years. The organization’s team of pro-bono lawyers uses their knowledge of the law to fight for what's right, and have won many high-profile, precedent-setting civil rights cases spanning from marriage equality to fair employment and gender identity. In addition to litigation, they also use their legal power to help push forward public policy and education campaigns. Because Lambda Legal never charges clients for their legal work, and they don’t take government funding, they rely on donations to keep the lights on and change a-comin'.

 The Point Foundation firmly believes that education is empowerment. That’s why they’re the largest scholarship-granting nonprofit for deserving LGBTQ+ students studying in the United States (for real: they’re supporting 552 students this year!). Their work is crucial, as nearly one-third of LGBTQ+ high-school students end up dropping out as a result of the harassment and isolation they face. Donations to the Point Foundation help support three types of scholarships: Flagship Scholarships (helping LGBTQ+ students pursue undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees), BIPOC Scholarships (supporting BIPOC students), and Community College Scholarships (helping LGBTQ+ students pursue community college degrees). In addition to scholarships, the Point Foundation also matches students with mentors, as well as providing internship opportunities, leadership development training, and a network to fall back on.

Considered one of the larger advocacy groups in the LGBTQ+ space, the Human Rights Campaign works on everything from adoption to HIV and AIDS and beyond. Since HRC is pretty big, the best way you can give back is to spread awareness and support HRC through its different initiatives

Since 1990, GLSEN has made it their mission to protect and uplift LGBTQ youth in the education landscape. Whether it’s through advising schools on policies that’ll protect marginalized students, advocating against discriminatory legislature, or supporting student-led movements like Ally Week and Day of Silence, GLSEN is focused on making the K-12 experience safe and harassment-free of LGBTQ students nationwide. (They’ve got 43 chapters throughout 30 different states!)

There is a need for dedicated spaces for queer and LGBTQAI+ communities to gather, build community, learn from one another and find resources. Queer folks have been a critical identity serving the food industry in the US, but there has been limited representation at the larger discussions about the food industry, especially within intersectional identities. From farmworkers, sommeliers, media experts to waitstaff, brewers, and gardeners, we hope to fill in that gap, to begin creating a platform for queer expression in food, to advocate for more inclusive food industry spaces, and to offer all queer food workers a space to build, meet, and speak about their experiences.