Building our Movement from coast to coast
Over the past year, we’ve had the honor of supporting nearly 200 critical and innovative nonprofits. From coast to coast and across issue areas, these brilliant organizations are working to bring power, joy, and safety to LGBTQ+ people everywhere. Here at Stonewall, as we consider the impending challenges presented by the country’s new leadership, we are particularly committed to building up new, emerging nonprofit efforts that provide services and advocacy for LGBTQ+ folks on the local - and sometimes hyper-local - level. We’re always on the lookout for new partners, and among the hundreds of grantees we supported in 2024, there are dozens who we worked with for the very first time.
As our community enters a new, uncertain era, we’re expanding Stonewall’s geographic reach to ensure LGBTQ+ organizations in every corner of the United States - especially underserved regions like the South and the Midwest - receive the funding they need to keep our communities safe and to be effective agents of change. As of January 2025, Stonewall’s work touches LGBTQ+ lives in 132 cities across 42 US states and territories. Below, hear directly from two of our newest grantees and learn how Stonewall’s funding is powering their work:
Capital Tea - Tallahassee, Florida
Founded in 2023 by local community activist Janel Diaz, Capital Tea is a lifeline for trans and gender nonconforming folks in the Tallahassee area. Offering support groups, crisis intervention, sexual health services, and affirming housing for their clients, Capital Tea provides life-saving services to trans folks in one of the most virulently anti-LGBTQ+ states in the country. In 2024, the organization opened the Capital Tea Safe House, providing a safe haven for up to six at-risk trans women of color. As a Black and trans-led organization, Capital Tea knows firsthand the unique challenges faced by their community, and they’re dedicated to building a safe and inclusive environment where individuals can heal and grow.
In late 2024, with support from Stonewall, Capital Tea proudly opened the doors to a similar housing initiative, this one for trans-masculine individuals in need of supportive shelter. In a state like Florida, where LGBTQ+ identity is often met with hostility, these havens are more important than ever. We’re proud to fuel the critical, innovative work of Capital Tea.
Oklahomans For Equality - Tulsa, Oklahoma
For decades, Oklahomans for Equality (OKEQ) has provided essential services and advocacy to LGBTQ+ folks in a state that is not always welcoming to queer and trans identity. Their Tulsa Equality Center is a much-needed community space in downtown Tulsa, serving as a safe and welcoming place for queer folks to organize, build connection, and heal. OKEQ’s programs include legal rights workshops, support groups, arts education, community-building events, counseling services, and an affirming health clinic.
In early 2024, after the death of Nex Benedict - a nonbinary high schooler in the Tulsa area - OKEQ led the local response, hosting vigils for a grieving community, organizing actions in Nex’s honor, and using their platform to speak out against violence. Despite their critical place in the local LGBTQ+ community, OKEQ was facing serious financial strain after it was discovered that a trusted volunteer had embezzled a significant sum of money from the organization. With Stonewall’s institutional support, OKEQ was able to keep the doors of the Tulsa Equality Center open, rebuild trust among their supporters, and safeguard their mission work for years to come.
As attacks against queer and trans people - from all levels of society - continue to ramp up across the country, Stonewall is empowering LGBTQ+ organizations and leaders in vulnerable areas like Oklahoma and Florida and all across the US with the resources they need to thrive. The years ahead will present us with significant challenges, but we are firm in our belief that community will get us through, and we are committed to ensuring LGBTQ+ communities across the country continue to flourish.
Know of an essential LGBTQ+ organization that should be on our radar for potential funding? Let us know!