As the world moved through 2021 – from insurrection to vaccination, from billionaires launching themselves toward space to the return of EuroVision, and from Alpha to Delta to Omicron – so too did the Stonewall family. The last twelve months have brought another list of firsts and other remarkable moments for our family.
In no particular order, may we present you with ten of our favorite moments from 2021 - moments that you made possible:
10. Our program manager, Maryse Pearce, was featured in the Dockers® Recognize campaign. Dockers® is a longtime friend of Stonewall, and in addition to amplifying Black stories and leaders, they financially support cultural change programs, like Stonewall’s Black Futures Fund.
9. The Little Bird Scholarship Fund for undocumented queer students awarded its first grants, and is currently supporting students at Columbia University and the Fashion Institute of Technology. Little Bird was created by a former Stonewall scholarship winner - talk about paying it forward!
8. Stonewall Board and Staff committed to furthering their understanding of racial justice and the intersection of anti-racism work, privilege, and philanthropy through a five-month series of workshops and discussions outside of regular Board business. The work continues!
7. Stonewall distributed nearly $300,000 worth of makeup, clothing, shoes, and coats to LGBTQ+ folks across the country. This was made possible through the generosity of corporate partners, including Winky Lux, Aritzia, Everlane and others.
6. Our largest-ever bequest, a gift of $2 Million, was used to create the Mark L. Brandt Legacy Fund. This new fund at Stonewall will center young LGBTQ people alienated from their families; immigrants and refugees; and support for the training and protection of service animals.
5. Rachel Korberg, Stonewall’s Board President, was named the founding Executive Director of The Families & Workers Fund. Created through a collaboration between more than 20 funders and foundations, the Fund is aimed at building a more equitable economy that protects workers and uplifts us all.
4. Cecilia Gentili, legendary activist and Stonewall Board member, wrote two incredible op-eds for the NY Times. In March, What Republicans Could Learn From My Grandmother drove home why we need the Equality Act, and October’s This is What Will Make Sex Work in New York Safer made clear the vital importance of decriminalizing sex work.
3. In June alone, Stonewall reached more than 35,000 people through various speaking engagements. Print ads in Out and Advocate magazines were seen by 400,000 folks, and our corporate partnerships brought us an additional 20 Million impressions. We’re proud to build awareness of our mission as we continue to deepen our investment in LGBTQ+ Movement work across the country!
2. This summer, Stonewall helped produce Unified for Pride, an online gaming/streaming event which raised over $500,000 for a dozen LGBTQ+ nonprofits. In November, we continued our work with streamers to raise funds for Stonewall during Trans Week of Awareness.
1. Stonewall’s grantmaking will surpass $1.5 Million this year, having only exceeded $1M for the first time in 2020! With your help, we made grants to almost 200 unique organizations, nearly 50 of whom were brand new to Stonewall. These grants funded work in 22 US states and 9 countries, and touched over two dozen issue areas, including health, advocacy, arts and culture, civil rights, and education.
If you haven’t yet made a gift this year (or if you want to make another one and get 2022 off to joyous start), please donate today. To learn more about the scale, scope, and impact of our work, check out our 2021 Activity Report. With your support, we will have even more to be proud of in 2022.
Thank you for being part of this amazing energy, and may the new year bring you - and all of us - closer to the world we deserve.
Happiest of holidays!
Jarrett Lucas
Executive Director
