Report // Funding LGBTQ+ Projects
Project Overview
LGBTQ+ nonprofit organizations across the U.S. currently face a harsh funding reality that demands honest acknowledgment and strategic response. While existing funding data reveals concerning patterns — with resources concentrated among a few large institutions rather than flowing to community-based organizations, transgender-focused groups, and grassroots efforts — the challenges are deepening amid an increasingly hostile political climate.
In response to these realities and recognizing the urgent need to help organizations diversify funding streams and transition from small grants to larger funding pools, two stalwart LGBTQ+ funders — the Arcus Foundation and Tikkun Olam Foundation, Inc. — commissioned the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University to study the current LGBTQ+ funding landscape and develop this fundraising guide to support movement leaders navigating these complex challenges.
While this guide offers practical strategies drawn from successful organizations and the advice of experienced philanthropic funders and donor advisors, we recognize that our sector itself requires significant transformation. The fundraising challenges faced by many organizations are not simply matters of technique or strategy; they are symptoms of more profound systemic inequities that demand collective attention and action.