Our Past is our Legacy.
Our Present is our Responsibility.
Our Future is our Promise.
The San Diego LGBT Community Center enhances and sustains the health & well-being of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender, nonbinary, immigrant, and HIV communities to the betterment of our entire San Diego region. Your donation would help to ensure that every person feels and knows that they are welcomed, valued, and supported. As the beacon for our regional LGBTQ community, each day we actively recommit to be a more vibrant, bold, innovative, safe, and modern Center than the day before.
The San Diego LGBT Community Center has earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, their highest possible rating indicating that our organization adheres to sector best practices and executes our mission in a financially efficient way. Attaining a 4-star rating verifies that The San Diego LGBT Community Center exceeds industry standards.
The San Diego LGBT Community Center enhances and sustains the health & well-being of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender, nonbinary, immigrant, and HIV communities to the betterment of our entire San Diego region. Your donation would help to ensure that every person feels and knows that they are welcomed, valued, and supported. As the beacon for our regional LGBTQ community, each day we actively recommit to be a more vibrant, bold, innovative, safe, and modern Center than the day before.
The San Diego LGBT Community Center has earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, their highest possible rating indicating that our organization adheres to sector best practices and executes our mission in a financially efficient way. Attaining a 4-star rating verifies that The San Diego LGBT Community Center exceeds industry standards.
Give the gift of hope and help to so many this Holiday Season.
As the holidays quickly approach, many in our LGBTQ community will go into this season struggling more than they have before. While we still face very trying times, The Center stands as the place where every person can feel welcomed, valued, and supported no matter their circumstances. Over 80,000 direct service visits in the past year were because of your support. While we are still providing emergency services; we have also shifted to be able to provide essential support.
As another difficult year ends, The Center’s goal is to raise $450,000 to help thousands of LGBTQ community members secure the essential support they need – behavioral health services, food services, and a safe home – as we close out the second year of this pandemic that has deepened the challenges faced by so many. Will you help?
Give the gift of hope and help to so many this Holiday Season.
THE CENTER RESPONDS TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen the needs of our LGBTQ community grow exponentially. Because of Center Supporters like you, we have had the resources to provide vital Emergency Services throughout the pandemic, as well as continuing to provide Essential Support Programs to our community to ease isolation, help discover next steps, find resources, take care of mental health, and so much more. Watch this very special video about The Center’s Emergency Services and Essential Support Programs and how we continue to provide life-changing and often life-saving services to our community.
THE CENTER EMERGENCY FUND
As the challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic continue, The Center is dedicated to providing Emergency Services, both in person and virtually, to our LGBTQ community. These services include an Emergency Resource & Referral phone line, Food Resources and Programs, Critical Housing Services, Behavioral Health Services via Zoom HealthCare, Virtual Discussion Groups and 1:1 Check Ins, HIV Testing by appointment, and a Resource page with critical information for our community.
The Center’s Emergency Fund, established in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, allows us to provide these services and overcome the financial impact of postponing critical fundraising event.
Our LGBTQ community is especially at risk to COVID-19 due to social, health, and economic inequities, and the impacts of the virus outbreak have brought some of those inequities into stark relief. During this time, The Center has redoubled our efforts to both serve and support our community and we need assistance to get through this challenging time.
We ask you to make a special contribution to our Center Emergency Fund so we can continue to provide critical services and support our community. Thank you!
Join the Leadership Circle
The mission of The San Diego LGBT Community Center’s Leadership Circle is to recruit a diverse network of community members connected by their deep commitment to the development and strengthening of the LGBTQ community in San Diego County.
Leadership Circle members make a financial commitment of $1,500 or more each year and are the foundation of The Center’s funding and the fuel for emerging programs. Leadership Circle members receive many benefits designed to give an “inside” perspective of The Center’s work to connect and empower San Diego’s LGBTQ community. You also have an opportunity to be in on the ground floor of projects that support and strengthen our mission.
To join the Leadership Circle or for more information, please email development@thecentersd.org.
More Ways To Help
Throughout our lives, we have experiences that we want to celebrate or honor in a meaningful way. Many of our donors choose to make charitable donations in honor of such significant occasions: weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, or memorial services. When you notify our Development Department that you are making a gift, a special card will be sent to the person(s) you wish to honor or remember, indicating that you have remembered them in this special way. This card is in addition to the usual tax letter that you will also receive.
For more information or to make a tribute or memorial gift, email development@thecentersd.org.
Donating your car or truck to your favorite nonprofit has never been easier. To donate a vehicle to The San Diego LGBT Community Center, call Car Easy at 1.855.500.RIDE (7433) or visit www.careasy.org. to arrange your donation online. For personalized service, contact Heidi Artiga, Director of Development, at heidia@careasy.org or 858.300.2945. The process is quick, hassle-free, and you will receive tax deduction information.
Organizations
The LGBTQ community needs the involvement of the faith communities, so please encourage your church, parish, synagogue, or mosque to get involved. Ask your local PTA organizations to get involved in The Center’s Hillcrest Youth Center or suggest that your athletic team or organization host a small benefit game or competition.
Employers
Encourage your employer of any size to get involved with The Center. Even a small event sponsorship or silent auction item can make a huge difference! Many larger companies have corporate giving programs that are very responsive to employees and/or employee groups. Let your employer know you would like them to provide support to The Center!
Having a special occasion and want to support The Center? We make it easy and help you set up a personal fundraising page for your guests. Contact us for more information and to get started at development@thecentersd.org.
The Center graciously accepts donations of stock. For more information, please email development@thecentersd.org.
Many companies have programs that match the charitable contributions made by their employees. Through corporate matching, employees can double the impact of their gifts! Ask your employer about their matching gift policy and procedure.
You can support The Center by providing in-kind gifts or services like professional printing, catering, floral arrangements, or by donating goods we might otherwise pay for like food items or silent auction items for small fundraising events, gift certificates for volunteer recognition and appreciation events, and more. For more information on In-Kind gifts and giving, please email development@thecentersd.org.
Planned gifts honor the past and both shape and ensure the future of The San Diego LGBT Community Center. The Stonewall Society recognizes donors that have guaranteed The Center’s future with an irrevocable gift through a trust, bequest, or other planned gift. Read more.
Become a Center Supporter Today! We encourage you to set up monthly recurring donations, which helps both you and The Center plan for the future. Your ongoing support with a recurring tax-deductible monthly donation is the best way to increase your impact and ensure that our work continues. Two of the biggest things The Center depends on are consistency and financial stability. Recurring gifts provide both. Donate HERE!
More Ways To Help
Donating your car or truck to your favorite nonprofit has never been easier. To donate a vehicle to The San Diego LGBT Community Center, call Car Easy at 1.855.500.RIDE (7433) or visit www.careasy.org. to arrange your donation online. For personalized service, contact Heidi Artiga, Director of Development, at heidia@careasy.org or 858.300.2945. The process is quick, hassle-free, and you will receive tax deduction information.
Throughout our lives, we have experiences that we want to celebrate or honor in a meaningful way. Many of our donors choose to make charitable donations in honor of such significant occasions: weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, or memorial services. When you notify our Development Department that you are making a gift, a special card will be sent to the person(s) you wish to honor or remember, indicating that you have remembered them in this special way. This card is in addition to the usual tax letter that you will also receive.
For more information or to make a tribute or memorial gift, email development@thecentersd.org.
Many companies have programs that match the charitable contributions made by their employees. Through corporate matching, employees can double the impact of their gifts! Ask your employer about their matching gift policy and procedure.
Organizations
The LGBTQ community needs the involvement of the faith communities, so please encourage your church, parish, synagogue, or mosque to get involved. Ask your local PTA organizations to get involved in The Center’s Hillcrest Youth Center or suggest that your athletic team or organization host a small benefit game or competition.
Employers
Encourage your employer of any size to get involved with The Center. Even a small event sponsorship or silent auction item can make a huge difference! Many larger companies have corporate giving programs that are very responsive to employees and/or employee groups. Let your employer know you would like them to provide support to The Center!
You can support The Center by providing in-kind gifts or services like professional printing, catering, floral arrangements or by donating goods we might otherwise pay for like food items or silent auction items for small fundraising events, gift certificates for volunteer recognition and appreciation events, and more. For more information on In-Kind gifts and giving, please email development@thecentersd.org.
Planned gifts honor the past and both shape and ensure the future of The San Diego LGBT Community Center. The Stonewall Society recognizes donors that have guaranteed The Center’s future with an irrevocable gift through a trust, bequest, or other planned gift. Read more.
Become a Center Supporter Today! We encourage you to set up monthly recurring donations, which helps both you and The Center plan for the future. Your ongoing support with a recurring tax-deductible monthly donation is the best way to increase your impact and ensure that our work continues. Two of the biggest things The Center depends on are consistency and financial stability. Recurring gifts provide both. Read more.
Become a Center Supporter Today! We encourage you to set up monthly recurring donations, which helps both you and The Center plan for the future. Your ongoing support with a recurring tax-deductible monthly donation is the best way to increase your impact and ensure that our work continues. Two of the biggest things The Center depends on are consistency and financial stability. Recurring gifts provide both. Read more.
The Center graciously accepts donations of stock. Please contact us to get started.
the lives you are changing
Chelsea moved to San Diego to find a safe place for her gender transition. After several months of receiving support from The Center’s Project TRANS, she lost her housing. She was later accepted into supportive housing at The Center’s Sunburst Youth Housing Project. She lived at Sunburst for nearly three years and accessed case management support. During that time she received mental health support, went back to school, and met her partner.
Chelsea 
Martin had been living with relatives because of years of abuse and neglect by his parents. When his extended family found out he was gay, it was no longer safe for him to stay in their home. With no place to go, Martin slept wherever he could for over a year before coming to The Center’s LGBTQ Safe STAY Program. He worked with case management staff and accessed mental health services to cope with his trauma and eventually moved into The Center’s Sunburst Youth Housing Project.
Martin 
After her partner passed away and with no family support in the area, Lenore had a hard time managing their mortgage. She was often making hard choices between paying for food, medical bills, and housing. She regularly attended Senior Services at The Center and learned about the North Park Senior Apartments. She met the income requirements, Senior Services staff helped her complete her application, and she moved in at the beginning of this year.
Lenore 
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the lives you are changing
Chelsea moved to San Diego to find a safe place for her gender transition. After several months of receiving support from The Center’s Project TRANS, she lost her housing. She was later accepted into supportive housing at The Center’s Sunburst Youth Housing Project. She lived at Sunburst for nearly three years and accessed case management support. During that time she received mental health support, went back to school, and met her partner.
Chelsea
Martin had been living with relatives because of years of abuse and neglect by his parents. When his extended family found out he was gay, it was no longer safe for him to stay in their home. With no place to go, Martin slept wherever he could for over a year before coming to The Center’s LGBTQ Safe STAY Program. He worked with case management staff and accessed mental health services to cope with his trauma and eventually moved into The Center’s Sunburst Youth Housing Project.
Martin
After her partner passed away and with no family support in the area, Lenore had a hard time managing their mortgage. She was often making hard choices between paying for food, medical bills, and housing. She regularly attended Senior Services at The Center and learned about the North Park Senior Apartments. She met the income requirements, Senior Services staff helped her complete her application, and she moved in at the beginning of this year.
Bernice
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DONATION POLICIES AND INFORMATION
The San Diego LGBT Community Center is a donor-driven and donor-directed organization with .83 cents from every dollar donated going directly to fund vital programs and services. Donors can designate which program they would like their funds directed to, as well.
The San Diego LGBT Community Center is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Donations are deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
To contact The Center’s Development Department, email development@thecentersd.org
To mail a donation, please mail to: The San Diego LGBT Community Center, PO Box 3357, San Diego, CA 92163
EIN/Tax ID # 23-7332048
United Way # 6204
donor privacy policy
The personal contact information that you share with The San Diego LGBT Community Center is always treated with respect for your privacy and your wishes. The Center does not sell, lease, rent, or give donor contact information to any outside party. We use this information only to inform you of opportunities to participate in and/or support the mission and work of The Center.
Our annual report does publish the names of our supporters; however, you may choose to waive that benefit and give your gift anonymously, so that your name does not appear on that list. Contact information does not appear on any public donor list.
At any time you may request that your name or contact information be withheld, to be removed from our files, or that we mark your file “Do Not Mail.” To do this, simply email development@thecentersd.org. Thank you.
