The Dad Fund, love in action
Showing up for youth
We have incubated, championed, and funded hundreds of groups that serve LGBTQ youth, which, today, comprise a third of our grantmaking. The Dad Fund, one of dozens of specialized funds we manage, engages gay men who are fathers in raising money for this work. At the heart of the Fund is a network of dads who, in addition to organizing play dates for their families, make monthly contributions of $20 or more. Dad Fund members offer us the best definition of philanthropy we know: love in action. Just as remarkable is what their connection makes possible. Since its establishment in 2015, the Dad Fund has awarded over $22,000, aiding a growing roster of organizations. When it comes to Stonewall's mission of making sure money makes a difference, relationships are indeed the greatest multiplying force. Click here to join the Dad Fund.
Dad Fund Spotlights
GAP, founded in 1991, works with young people most affected by injustice to build the knowledge, tools, and community needed to create media for cultural expression, and sociopolitical change. In 2016 and 2017, the Dad Fund supported SupaFriends, GAP’s social justice media-arts leadership program for LGBTQ youth. More specifically, funding underwrote films conceived, written, directed, acted, and edited by LGBTQ youth—their stories, in their words.
OutCycling, a nonprofit created in 2009, promotes healthy living among their network of over 2,000 LGBTQ individuals. Through an array of programs and activities, they position bicycling as a means of recreation, companionship, fitness, and transportation. In 2016, the Dad Fund supported Fearless Flyers, an initiative for low-income LGBTQ youth teaching the importance of wellness and working as a team. Our grant covered a dozen participants, including bike and equipment purchases, as well as a 10-week course in safety, riding skills, and nutrition.
PCYP, a leading legal services organization founded in 1994, advocates for LGBTQ youth who are at risk or have history of homelessness. For this population, the pursuit of stability often leads to legal barriers. The nature of these vary, from not having gender-affirming identification to facing criminal charges for participation in survival economies, like sex work. Following the Trump administration’s rescindment of DACA, we provided a grant to PCYP so they could expedite cases of homeless LGBTQ youth who are also undocumented.
