Together, We Raised $1.1+ Million for 475+ LGBTQ Nonprofits on Give OUT Day

By Nikole Pagan–

April 18 was Give OUT Day, the only national day of giving for the LGBTQ community. And together, we made history, raising $1.1+ million for 475+ nonprofits—the first time that so many LGBTQ nonprofits raised so much through a single-day campaign.

Horizons Foundation organizes Give OUT Day because we believe that building a stronger future for the LGBTQ community requires us to strengthen the organizations, from youth groups to senior centers, from choruses to advocacy groups, from nonprofits in Alaska to Puerto Rico, working every day to ensure all LGBTQ people thrive.

One of these organizations is The Source LGBT+ Community Center in Visalia, California, a rural, conservative community located a couple hundred miles southeast of San Francisco. The Source has participated in Give OUT Day every year since 2016, growing its success each year.

In 2017, The Source secured enough individual donors to win second place on the national leaderboard for small-budget organizations, earning additional prize money. The next year, they took first prize, which helped to fund a move to a larger building for their organization to provide critical community services.

The Source has grown rapidly, this year moving to the medium-budget category—and winning first prize yet again. Funds raised on Give OUT Day this year will go toward their critical youth programs.

And The Source is only one of over 475 participating nonprofits. Organizations across the country, mostly small, local groups with limited fundraising capacity, use Give OUT Day to secure critical operating funds that power the LGBTQ movement.

The success of Give OUT Day is a community-wide effort. This success is because of the over 12,500 donors who made contributions. It’s because of the hundreds of participating nonprofits. And it’s because of our partners, including our funding partners, Laughing Gull Foundation, Harnisch Foundation, Lesbians for Good, and two anonymous funders; our promotional partners, Clever and The Blade Foundation; and our technology partner, Click & Pledge.

There’s no doubt that our community has incredible power when we join forces. Here’s to building a stronger future, together.

Nikole Pagan is the Program Officer and Give OUT Day Program Manager of Horizons Foundation.