Nonprofit spotlight: Phoenix Pride gives back to community amid pandemic – The Arizona Republic
This article is part of a series highlighting the work of Arizona nonprofits that received grants from one of The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com’s two giving-back campaigns: Season for Sharing and A Community Thrives.
Phoenix Pride wasn’t able to host either of its two annual community-wide events in 2020, but that didn’t stop the group from reaching a fundraising milestone: $1 million distributed in the form of scholarships and community grants.
A Community Thrives awarded the 40-year-old organization a $7,000 operational grant in late 2020, which helped it weather a challenging year.
The Phoenix Pride Festival is usually held in April, but is now scheduled for Nov. 6-7, 2021, because of COVID-19. June is LGBT+ Pride month, so we reached out to Phoenix Pride executive director Mike Fornelli and development manager Victor Avila.
Phoenix Pride
Mission: Unite, educate and engage people to support and empower the LGBTQ+ community and our allies.
Origin: The first pride parade in downtown Phoenix in 1981. The nonprofit Phoenix Pride organization was founded in 1991.
Annual budget: $2.1 million. Number of employees/volunteers: Four/more than 750.
Contact: Phoenixpride.org, 602-277-7433, @phoenixprideaz.
How many individuals do you help each year? We link more than 250,000-plus self-identified LBGTQ+ Arizonans with services, including trans health care and youth-related school programs. Our foundation provides scholarships and helps fund nonprofit partners that provide assistance to our community.
How did you spend your A Community Thrives grant? Operational costs to support Phoenix Pride’s programs and foundation expenses.
How do you gauge your success? Through the amount of scholarships and community grants we are able to provide every year.
Greatest need? Donations and engagement.
Additionally: “It is the goal of the organization to continue developing community programs and to continue working to eliminate homophobia, transphobia and discrimination.
“In the last few weeks, we celebrated an historic civil rights decision by the United States Supreme Court ruling that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans are protected by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, shielding us from being fired or discriminated against at work. This ruling impacts an estimated 11 million LGBTQ Americans. It is a good step in progress, but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. We are proud that these rights have already existed for nearly a decade in the city of Phoenix, even as the state has failed to recognize and protect these rights.
“Even as we celebrate this victory, we remain vigilant and aware of the fact that many in our community and amongst our allies still face the harsh cruelty of systemic racism and bigotry. In the face of this victory for human rights, we are committed to securing fair, just and equitable treatment for all.”
Want your organization included in this series? Email ssullivan@azcentral.com.
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