Three years in to our work of supporting nonprofit organizations that protect and uplift the LGBTQ+ community, one lesson has become especially clear: there is more work to be done in this movement than any one organization can do alone.
To that end, we at the Leonard Litz LGBTQ+ Foundation have been grateful for the opportunity to convene with other like-minded individuals and organizations in our community to share best practices, discuss capacity-building, and collaborate on ways to enhance our collective impact by working together.
In February, Leonard Litz traveled to San Francisco, CA, to take part in our first ever Creating Change Conference, hosted by The National LGBTQ Task Force. In addition to attending seminars about effective community-building and trans-specific outreach, we invited attendees to the inaugural Leonard Litz Leadership Reception, which provided a fun and educational opportunity for LGBTQ+ nonprofit professionals to network, amplify their work, and elevate their own potential. With a focus on heart-centered leadership, we hope to work toward a future where our community’s leaders are equipped for both organizational success as well as self-compassion. Huge thank you to Jacob Rudolph of The Pride Network for his collaboration on the event production.
In April, Executive Director Colin Hosten joined dozens of other leaders and funders at the OUTGiving Conference in Miami, FL. Hosted by the Gill Foundation, the conference brings together leaders and advocates from around the country for a focused conversation about maximizing the impact of funding, especially at a time when politicians in Florida and other places are attacking members of the LGBTQ+ community simply for existing. In this time of vitriol and hate, the Leonard Litz Foundation welcomed this opportunity to collaborate with others who are also committed to doing everything we can to spread the love.
This movement has always been about constant striving, about the diverse sectors of our community coming together to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts. As we re-commit ourselves to our own work serving community-based organizations in the Northeast, the Leonard Litz LGBTQ+ Foundation is grateful for these and other opportunities to engage with and learn from others in our shared goals of protecting and expanding the rights of LGBTQ+ people everywhere.