How to Effectively Raise Money for LGBTQIA+ Initiatives (Whether Your Mission is Queer or Not)

Dear nonprofits,

Well, well, well. Welcome to Pride Month, where rainbow logos abound, but meaningful impact is still rare. If your organization wants to raise money for LGBTQIA+ initiatives this June–or work with the Queer community–it takes more than pronouns and a drag brunch. Albeit great starts, we need you allies to do MORE! It requires alignment, intentionality, and the willingness to interrogate your own systems of power. Whether your mission is explicitly Queer or not, your commitment to LGBTQIA+ communities can and should be resourced with integrity.

Let’s talk about how.

1. Start With Why: Connect Your Mission and Queer Liberation

If your nonprofit isn’t LGBTQIA+-specific, you might be wondering: "Do we have any business fundraising for Pride?"

Short answer: You do if you're doing the work.

Ask yourself:

• How do Queer and Trans communities intersect with the people we serve?

• How does homophobia, transphobia, racism, and classism show up in our field?

• What would it mean to uplift LGBTQIA+ people within our existing programs?

Fundraising for LGBTQIA+ initiatives is not about changing your mission. It’s about recognizing that LGBTQIA+ people are part of every mission–from housing justice to education to climate advocacy. The path to Queer liberation runs through every issue area, and your work can become a powerful part of that story.

2. Fundraising Without Representation Is Exploitation

If your board, leadership, and campaign teams are all or mostly cis, straight, and white, you need to ask some serious questions about power.

Before you launch a Pride campaign, ask:

• Who is crafting the message?

• Who benefits from these funds?

• Are LGBTQIA+ staff and community partners being compensated for their labor, input, and visibility?

Representation isn’t cosmetic. It’s fundamental. And it's directly tied to donor trust. Consider forming an advisory group of LGBTQIA+ community stakeholders to inform your efforts and offer accountability. And don’t just consult them–credit and pay them.

3. Move Beyond Performative Visibility

Rainbow flags and Pride month playlists won’t get you far if your policies, budgets, and behaviors don’t reflect Queer inclusion.

Effective fundraising requires trust, and trust comes from consistency. That means:

• Year-round inclusive practices

• Leadership buy-in

• Transparent budgeting that shows where Pride dollars go

• Visible commitment to racial and economic justice

If your organization publicly celebrates Pride but doesn’t offer gender-inclusive healthcare benefits, or if you support Queer causes while partnering with anti-LGBTQIA+ vendors, your credibility is compromised. Donors and community members are paying attention.

4. Tell Whole Stories

Too often, LGBTQIA+ fundraising campaigns focus solely on trauma. Yes, Queer and Trans communities face disproportionate violence, poverty, and political attack. But we are also sites of resilience, joy, and innovation.

Your appeals should:

• Reflect the full spectrum of Queer experience

• Highlight community-based solutions, not just charity

• Center voices from QTBIMPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, Multi-Racial People of Color) communities

When possible, use co-created storytelling methods that ensure dignity, consent, and collaboration–not extraction. And balance urgency with inspiration.

5. Talk to Funders About LGBTQIA+ Equity–Even If They Don’t Bring It Up

Foundations and corporate partners may not ask how your work uplifts LGBTQIA+ people. That doesn’t mean they don’t care–or that they won’t fund it.

Bring it up.

• Name how LGBTQIA+ people are impacted by your issue area

• Share disaggregated data (when available) that shows outcomes by gender identity and sexuality

• Highlight Queer leadership, community partnerships, and culturally responsive strategies

You might be surprised how many funders appreciate the proactive approach. And in a philanthropic landscape where DEI funding is being scrutinized or rolled back, showing how LGBTQIA+ equity is baked into your broader strategy–not siloed–can make all the difference.

6. Make Giving Feel Joyful

Too much LGBTQIA+ fundraising is crisis-driven. And while urgency is real, so is Queer joy. Donors want to feel part of something, not just responsible for fixing it.

Invite them into:

• Celebrations of progress

• Milestones of resilience

• Collective wins

Host joyful events, spotlight Queer creators and culture, and remind your audience that supporting LGBTQIA+ communities isn’t just an obligation–it’s an invitation to a more vibrant, just, and beautiful world.

7. Ally Organizations: Put Your Money Where Your Logo Is

If your organization isn't LGBTQIA+-led but wants to show up this month, that’s great. But put skin in the game.

• Budget for donations to Queer-led orgs

• Amplify their campaigns without co-opting them

• Partner in ways that honor autonomy, not tokenism

This work shouldn’t fall solely on Queer organizations. If you benefit from LGBTQIA+ culture, labor, or visibility–invest in its sustainability.

Raising money for LGBTQIA+ initiatives doesn’t require you to rebrand your mission. It requires you to reframe your lens.

Because Queer people are everywhere. In every issue. Every sector. Every story.

And when we center Queer leadership, equity, and joy in our fundraising? Everybody wins.

Happy Pride! Let’s make it count.

Sincerely,

Queers

Queer For Hire provides fundraising support to Queer nonprofits, LGBTQIA+ cultural competency to straight-led organizations and corporations, and individual coaching for Queer professionals.

Learn about our Fundraising Services <here> – we’ll lead or support your fundraising efforts, whether you need general support or want to focus on raising money from and for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Learn about our Fundraising Trainings <here> – we can coach your board, staff, and fundraising team on how to fundraise and how to engage LGBTQIA+ donors.

Learn about our other services <here> or our resources <here>.