Our Mission
The mission of the Sonoma County LGBTQI Giving Circle is to strengthen Sonoma County through collective funding that nurtures and develops programs to benefit the LGBTQI community.
Supporting LGBTQI initiatives that address
SINCE 2014, OUR FUNDING HAS
- Added LGBTQI emphasis to anti-bullying training in local schools.
- Launched LGBTQI support for youth experiencing homelessness.
- Helped transgender and gender-fluid individuals to organize, educate, and build community.
- Trained county social workers to be culturally responsive with senior LGBTQI clients.
- Provided end-of-life workshops for LGBTQI seniors.
Our Grantees
On The Move: LGBTQ Connection
Awarded $10,000
On The Move (OTM) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing young leaders by building exceptional programs that challenge inequities in their communities. One of OTM’s core initiatives is LGBTQ Connection, which promotes LGBTQI youth leadership, supports under served people and builds a community’s capacity to include and welcome LGBTQI people.
Santa Rosa Community Health Centers
Awarded $10,000
Santa Rosa Community Health Centers (SRCHC) has been delivering high-quality care to under-served people in the North Bay for almost 20 years, including the LGBTQI community. They are the only health center offering transgender-specific services in Sonoma, Mendocino, Napa, and Lake counties, and they are skilled at serving the needs of this marginalized population.
Community Matters (Safe School Ambassadors)
Awarded $10,000
Community Matters’ Safe School Ambassadors (SSA) program is designed to increase awareness of LGBTQ-specific issues and be equipped with the skills and adult support to take peer-to-peer actions that stop, interrupt, de-escalate and prevent incidents of mistreatment targeting LGBTQI students including bullying, cyber-bullying, deliberate exclusion, name-calling and unwanted touch.
Sonoma County Human Services
Awarded $10,000
The Sonoma County Human Services Department, Adult & Aging Services Division (A&A) serves as the county safety net provider of senior services. In its second year of local programs to support LGBT seniors, the LGBT Seniors Outreach Project, has begun offering training and events at three local senior centers, while also planning the spring launch of the LGBTQI Senior Information & Assistance Program to increase elders’ access to social services for healthy aging.
Positive Images
Awarded $7,500
Positive Images provides support, advocacy and a safe space to Sonoma County’s LGBTQ+ youth and young adults (ages 12-24) and educates the greater community.
“We nurture positive self- image and leadership, and we envision a Sonoma County and beyond where all youth are valued community members contributing to a just society. ”
Social Advocates for Youth (SAY)
Awarded $7,500
Social Advocates for Youth (SAY) provides services to homeless, abused, and runaway kids and their families via comprehensive housing, counseling, and career services. A recent Homeless Census reports that 40% of the 678 homeless youth in Sonoma County identify as LGBTQI. By creating safe spaces and trusting relationships, SAY provides our homeless and disconnected LGBTQI youth with a pathway to increased self-worth, validation, and self-sufficiency.
