By Francisco O. Buchting–
Living in a place of great LGBTQ diversity like the San Francisco Bay Area, it is easy to underestimate that the heartbeat of our LGBTQ community has always been and continues to be our LGBTQ nonprofits and programs. From healthcare facilities to cultural spaces, from media projects to legal representation for asylum seekers, the services these organizations provide ensure that crucial needs are met every day in our community. Did you know that the San Francisco Bay Area is home to not one, not three, but nine LGBTQ centers?! I am not aware of any other geographical area that can claim such richness. And yet, there does not exist any single place where people looking for these services can search and be connected to them.
Until today.
For over 44 years, Horizons Foundation has had the honor and privilege of partnering with donors to resource our diverse, innovative, and dynamic ecosystem of LGBTQ nonprofits—or, as we refer to them in our office, our grantee partners. As your LGBTQ community foundation, Horizons is thrilled to announce the release of the first comprehensive online directory of LGBTQ organizations and programs serving the nine counties of the SF Bay Area: Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma! Check it out at https://bit.ly/4eBnViv.
Explore all the key features of your LGBTQ community directory. Get to know the almost 100 LGBTQ organizations and programs listed by subject area (Arts & Culture, Health & Human Services, Community Building & Leadership, Advocacy & Civil Rights, LGBTQ Centers, Sports & Recreation, and Scholarships) or using keywords from Horizons’ LGBTQ search tags. You can even filter by county. But most importantly, you will find vital information for each organization profile, such as address, hours of operation, website, and a brief description of the services offered.
The San Francisco Bay Area LGBTQ community is unique in many ways, including being at the forefront of many key events in our movement and pulling together at times of great challenges while collectively celebrating our lives, our community, and our incredible LGBTQ nonprofits. We created this directory based on two key findings from Horizons’ Needs Assessment of the LGBTQ community of the SF Bay Area: first, a significant number of respondents reported feeling disconnected from the LGBTQ community; second, a critical barrier to accessing LGBTQ-friendly or culturally appropriate programs and services was a lack of awareness about what services are available or where they are located. This online directory is designed to be a new vital resource for the LGBTQ community and its nonprofit ecosystem.
The creation of Horizons’ LGBTQ Organization Directory has been a significant undertaking, made possible by the LGBTQ nonprofits and programs that contributed their profiles and input. All of us at Horizons, along with the almost 100 LGBTQ nonprofits and programs, are working toward a future where all LGBTQ people live freely and fully. It starts with you connecting to the extensive network of LGBTQ nonprofits and finding community.
About Horizons Foundation
The world’s first community foundation of, by, and for LGBTQ people, Horizons invests in LGBTQ organizations, strengthens a culture of LGBTQ giving, and builds a permanent endowment to secure our community’s future for generations to come. Learn more at: https://www.horizonsfoundation.org/
As Vice President of Grants, Programs, and Communications at Horizons Foundation, Francisco Buchting oversees all of the foundation’s grantmaking, programmatic strategies, and communication activities. His more than 25 years of experience in government, philanthropy, and nonprofit organizations include forming private-public partnerships, leading knowledge brokerage initiatives, and problem-solving through a mix of creative yet simple solutions with clear implementation and success metrics.
Published on November 21, 2024
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