It’s May and You’re Just Now Thinking About Pride? Here are Dos and Don’ts

Dear nonprofits and businesses,

Let’s be real: if you’re reading this in May and you’re just now scrambling to figure out what your organization is doing for Pride Month… you’re late, darling. But you’re not alone. Every year, countless straight-led nonprofits and companies suddenly realize they haven’t built a Pride strategy, engaged LGBTQIA+ partners, or even considered how they’ll show up – and then they panic.

This blog isn’t here to shame you. It’s here to help you do something meaningful, even with a short timeline. Because yes, it’s late. But no, it’s not too late to shift your approach, avoid performative allyship, and still uplift Queer communities with respect.

This is part one of a three-part series designed to guide last-minute Pride planning with urgency and intention. Let’s start with what to avoid, what to prioritize, and how to course-correct with care.

What NOT to Do (Even If You’re in a Rush)

Don’t center yourself. This isn’t about your brand looking good during June. Don’t create Pride content or campaigns that make your organization the hero. Your role is to uplift LGBTQIA+ voices and show solidarity – not steal the spotlight. Be a partner to the Queer organizations and initiatives that already exist in your community.

Don’t email a Queer organization asking for free labor. If you haven’t built a relationship before May, asking a Queer leader or nonprofit to drop everything and speak on your panel, attend your event, promote your program – for free – is exploitative. Respect their time, capacity, and need to be compensated for their expertise. IF you must do these things last minute, pay them!

Don’t slap a rainbow on your logo and call it a day. If you’re not doing internal education, redistributing resources, or showing up for LGBTQIA+ people in your programs or workplace, then the rainbow logo is empty. Visibility without action is performative.

Don’t plan a party before you plan a purpose. Pride is joyful, yes. But it’s rooted in protest and collective liberation. Don’t throw a Pride celebration if you haven’t done the work to understand and honor what it actually represents. LGBTQIA+ cultural competency can help you explore these themes and history.

What You CAN Do Right Now (That Actually Helps)

Give to LGBTQIA+ organizations. If your organization doesn’t have time to plan a big campaign, here’s the best fallback: write a check. Prioritize Queer and Trans-led grassroots organizations, especially BIPOC-led ones. Then use your platforms to amplify their work – and don’t expect a public thank you.

Feature Queer voices that are already in your ecosystem. Instead of inviting outside speakers at the last minute, ask your LGBTQIA+ staff, volunteers, or community partners if they’d like to contribute a story, quote, or reflection – with full credit and consent. And pay them if it's above their job description.

Audit your internal practices. What better time than Pride to update your forms to include gender-inclusive options, revise your HR policies to affirm all identities, or start that gender pronouns training you’ve been putting off?

Make a public commitment to do better. If you’re late this year, be honest. Own it. Then share how you plan to support LGBTQIA+ communities beyond June. This builds trust and keeps you accountable.

Looking Ahead: This Isn’t Just About June

If you’re only showing up for LGBTQIA+ people when the calendar turns to Pride, that’s not allyship – that’s marketing. True solidarity is year-round. That’s why in Part 2 of this series, we’ll explore quick but respectful ways to support Queer communities before and beyond Pride Month – even if you missed the early planning window.

And in Part 3, we’ll look at how to build the kind of long-term infrastructure and relationships that make last-minute scrambles a thing of the past.

Pride isn’t a campaign. It’s a commitment. And you still have time to make yours 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>.