What we do

Stonewall Community Foundation strengthens the LGBTQ community and Movement by making strategic, values-driven investments in dynamic organizations, projects, and leaders. As a public foundation, we do that in close partnership with the people impacted by our mission, our diverse and global supporter base, and the many individuals pushing forward the front lines of progress.

We raise money and fund hundreds of nonprofits every year in over 30 issue areas that advance queer liberation, including racial, social, and economic justice. We also administer a variety of donor funds and house six unique scholarship programs, including the largest in the country created to support LGBTQ refugees and asylum seekers.

Our grantmaking, which began during the height of the AIDS crisis, is complemented by capacity building initiatives that equip changemakers with the tools needed to maximize their impact. That includes free consulting, coaching, and monthly workshops.

In all we do—from seed funding to planned giving—our priority is to make the greatest difference possible.

Our values

We believe philanthropy, while an expression of love and care, is also power wielded. As such, we strive to model and build equity, and to be accountable, transparent, and trustworthy in all our practices and the advancement of our mission. This includes making philanthropy accessible to everyone and giving people space to live beyond the false binary of being only a benefactor or a beneficiary.

We believe in centering and investing in the leadership of people who are made to experience the greatest vulnerability in our communities. We also prioritize issues causing the most harm in the lives of LGBTQ people and those affording us the greatest joy and opportunity. With that, we are explicitly committed to: ending the criminalization of queerness, gender nonconformity, and poverty; lifting up all communities of color and transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary people; funding art and cultural production; embracing disability justice; working to end racism and anti-Blackness; and supporting organizations and work that serve undocumented immigrants and people involved in survival economies.

Our history

Against the tragic backdrop of the 1980s AIDS crisis, the tapestry of LGBTQ nonprofits was becoming more vibrant. In New York City, dozens of groups sprang up to address emergent issues and, with that, there was a growing need for resourcing. Our founders had a solution: creating a foundation, for us and by us, where loss could inspire legacy and the power of individual giving could be amplified.

Stonewall came to life in 1990 as a collection of donor funds, and as the local landscape evolved, so did our identity. We embraced a focus on small, grassroots nonprofits and populations experiencing the greatest vulnerability; we ramped up both our fundraising and grantmaking; and community participation was carefully threaded throughout our work.

The Little Bird Scholarship: uplifting undocumented LGBTQ students

Since 2014, Stonewall has housed the country’s largest scholarship for undocumented LGBTQ students. In his own words, Jose, a recent Little Bird Scholarship recipient, tells us how the support changed his life.

A strategic partnership keeping our people healthy and safe

Over the last few years, the world has been dealing and living with new and reemerging pandemics. At Stonewall, we’re also fighting the decades-old pandemic that has cost more than 40 million lives since it surfaced: HIV.

Building pathways to independence and success for TGNCNB youth

STEM is one of the fastest growing sectors in today’s economy, but TGNCNB youth face roadblocks that often prevent access to this sector. Thanks to a new partnership, Stonewall is working to break through those barriers.

Providing safe harbor for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers

With support from Stonewall Community Foundation, grantee partner New Alternatives is providing dignity and safe harbor for an influx of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers here in NYC. We’re proud to support their work.

Responding to emergency needs during COVID-19

As soon as the COVID-19 crisis took hold in New York, Stonewall stepped up to help meet some of the immediate and urgent needs of LGBTQ organizations navigating this unprecedented pandemic.

National Queer Theater, drama for justice

In 2019, a newly-formed theater company approached Stonewall with an opportunity to bring queer voices from around the globe together in NYC. soon, the Criminal Queerness Festival was born.

Out My Closet, serving the community with style

HIV stigma often prevents LGBTQ youth from getting tested or accessing safer sex resources. By coupling critical resources with free, dignified, shopping experiences, this group is breaking down barriers.

Daniel Padnos, Board Member

"One of the most eye-opening experiences for me was joining the advisory committee of a Stonewall grants cycle... I finally and fully understood what our community could make possible, and what doing more with more could mean."

Agnes Navaratne, game changer

With help from a Stonewall scholarship, Agnes is pursuing a career in video game design, a multi-billion dollar industry dominated by men. Her hope is to inspire more queer women to pursue their passions, especially in STEM.

TGNCNB Leaders

At Stonewall, we know that transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary leaders bring critical insight into the systems doing harm to our communities, as well as solutions that can yield the most positive and enduring results for us all.

NY Transgender Advocacy Group

At Stonewall, our strategy is to center those pushed to the margins of society and even our Movement in some cases. For TGNC people, we understand that this means we must prioritize opportunities to invest in their leadership and work. 

Center for Anti-Violence Education

Stonewall’s unwavering support has been instrumental in making CAE what it is today. Coming back from the brink of closure, CAE now has a staff of six and 30 instructors, reaching over 3,000 people and 70 nonprofits each year.

SQS & Generation Q

In 2007, a network of young donors at Stonewall pooled their resources to support Gen Q, a new program serving LGBTQ youth in Queens. A decade later, thanks to their resonant work and strong leadership, both groups are thriving.

Clara Yoon, fearless fundraiser

Clara enrolled in a grassroots fundraising training sponsored by Stonewall. In that program, she learned the fundamentals, got to sharpen her skills, and shed the last bit of fear she had around “the ask.” Now she’s unstoppable.

The Dad Fund, love in action

At the heart of the Fund is a network of dads, like Alex and Rosario, who, in addition to organizing play dates for their families, make monthly gifts to Stonewall. With their help, we have awarded over $22,000 to support LGBTQ youth.

Rishi Magia, leading with Stonewall

"I learned that philanthropy is more than writing a check and feeling good. It’s about leading. It’s seeing that our community’s needs are as diverse as the people in it. It’s having insight into what’s possible when we act together."

Destination Tomorrow, a Bronx tale

Stonewall has been investing in Bronx-based organizing for decades, often taking the lead in funding emergent spaces for the LGBTQ community. In so doing, we have seen dreams for a thriving advocacy and service hub become a reality.