Moving more than money

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, and in many cases as a response to it, Stonewall had one of its strongest years ever in 2020, with over $1.3M in grants being mobilized for hundreds of organizations and individuals. in 2021, we are on track to exceed that and establish a new grantmaking record for the third year in a row. However, at Stonewall, we think holistically, and our support for the LGBTQ community extends far beyond the financial.

Check out this snapshot to see some of the ways in which we’re mobilizing more than just money to effect change in LGBTQ lives across the country:

In-kind Donations

Stonewall grantee partner Out My Closet hosts regular free “shopping” events for homeless LGBTQ youth. We’re proud to support them financially, as well as through donations of new clothing, accessories, and cosmetics.

Our corporate partners often contact us to share in-kind donations such as clothing, face masks, cosmetics, and hygiene products. Since January, we have moved over $125,000 worth of donations from Everlane, Dockers, Winky Lux, Urban Decay, and Aritzia to organizations that are working with some of the most vulnerable parts of our community, particularly those serving homeless youth, transgender and nonbinary folks, and people of color.

Leveraging Stonewall Connection

Whether through written letters of recommendation or conversations with other foundations, we know that showing the support of Stonewall can be a powerful signal to prospective funders, and we encourage our grantee partners to leverage our relationship when seeking support from other institutional funders. Since January, we have leveraged our connections to raise over $500,000 for our grantee partners from a combination of private and government funding sources.

Networking Grantees

Our position as a small, queer-led community foundation allows us to have relationships with grantee partners where they can be honest about their struggles, victories, and hopes. Through our conversations with grantees, we often learn of common challenges organizations are facing, as well as shared goals. Stonewall regularly connects grantee partners with each other to facilitate collaboration and shared learning among LGBTQ leaders and organizations who may not be aware of each other.

Capacity Building Grants and Workshops

As a member of the New York Capacity Building Collaborative, our grantee partners are able to participate in free workshops to strengthen their infrastructure and gain skills in fundraising, communications, advocacy, and more. Since the start of the pandemic, the Collaborative’s workshops have taken place over Zoom and are recorded, making their content more easily accessible for dozens of partner organizations.