San Mateo County Pride Center

🌈 Help us RAINBOW-fy San Mateo County to allow us to say, “We’re here, we’re LGBTQ+, and we are LOVED!” 🌈

Why donate to the San Mateo County Pride Center this GiveOutDay? 🏳️‍🌈

Did you know that in the LGBTQ+ community, people are 3x more likely to experience general anxiety and/or depression? With the increasing number of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and hate incidents against us, the negative impacts on our mental health are increasing as well.

As the first and only county-wide LGBTQ+ Community Center in San Mateo County, we were created to support our community around mental health and substance use issues. Your contributions, of any amount, can directly support our education and training program, clinical therapy program, peer support groups, community events, and more. Our programs and services are effective and created with the intention to serve thousands of community members every year. Our evaluations demonstrate they increase mental health and decrease social isolation and stigma. Each year we continue to expand our services and our reach. To see what we’ve been able to accomplish last fiscal year alone, here is a summary of the impact we’ve made.

Below are Real Examples of the Real Difference You Can Make:

Just $10 makes a tremendous difference! 💖 

$20 | Don't ban LGBTQ+ books, help buy them!  📚

By donating $20 or more, you can help add to our library of books by LGBTQ+ authors and covering topics about our rich histories. Reading is knowledge, keeps us informed, can help us dream, and can help us escape. Where other states are banning our books, we want to buy them and support LGBTQ+ authors! 

$35 | Gift Trans joy. 👚    

With a contribution of $35, you will help us purchase a gender-affirming garment, such as a chest binder or tucking device, for a community member who needs one. Being seen as you are is so crucial for one’s self-image and mental health. The cost of these items can be prohibitive. With some of the current legislation targeting our beloved Trans and Gender Expansive community, supporting their mental and physical health is vital and one of our central priorities.  

Clinical Support

$50 | Help create access to housing, employment, and more. 📝Our case management program proudly offers a FREE Legal and Name Gender Change workshop to help Trans and Gender Diverse folks align their documents with their current identity. A donation of $50 can help clients pay for additional certified copies of their name and gender change. Having these documents aligned with your identity creates access to housing, jobs, and financial security. The positive ripple effects are life changing.

$100 | Give the gift of affirmation and hope. 💚

LGBTQ+ folks are already predisposed to mental health issues and the world continues to challenge us. Requests for financial accommodation for our therapeutic services continue to increase. We strive to keep our clinical services accessible to our community, especially those most disproportionally impacted by inequitable systems. We offer sliding scale and pro bono, when possible, but help is needed to continue this level of accommodation. 

LGBTQ+ Affirming Trainings 

$150 | Help educate and empower our county. 👩‍🏫 

With a contribution of $150, you are supplementing one organization’s training in Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) topics or one of our many other popular trainings such as our Trans 101, or Pronouns 101. Help us continue to educate San Mateo County and increase the number of safer and affirming places for the LGBTQ+ community! 

Increasing Visibility

$500 | Amplify LGBTQ+ visibility and access to resources and supportive services. 📣

We’ve received an influx of requests to table and outreach. There’s also a need to provide our promotional materials in more public spaces such as schools, other community organizations, libraries, and local hangouts. A donation of $500 or more will significantly help the Pride Center with printing costs to better inform San Mateo County of our vital resources. With your donation, you can help us better promote our services and create more safe spaces, like the Pride Center, throughout San Mateo County! 

Your donation reinforces our shared belief that: 

✨ Representation and visibility matter.  

✨ Access to resources and information matters. 

✨ We, as a beautiful and diverse LGBTQ+ community, matter. 

Whether your contribution is large or small this GiveOUT, we extend our gratitude for contributing to our community. 

With thanks and with pride,

Francisco "Frankie" Sapp (he/him/his), Program Director, and the entire San Mateo County Pride Center team