LGBT+ Giving Circle
Forecasted
LGBT+ Giving Circle supports organizations serving or allied with LGBTQ+ people in Greater Rochester, funding ongoing and new activities to advance equity, inclusion, belonging, and safety.
Funder: Rochester Area Community Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): May 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Likely $1,000–$5,000 per grant for one year
Summary: Supports organizations advancing equity, inclusion, belonging, and safety for LGBTQ+ people in Greater Rochester.
Key Information: Applicants must be located and operate in the eight-county Greater Rochester region.
Description
The LGBT+ Giving Circle is a philanthropic and educational initiative of Rochester Area Community Foundation, led by LGBTQ+ and allied community leaders. Through its LGBT+ Fund for Greater Rochester, it supports organizations that serve, are inclusive of, or are allied with the LGBTQ+ community. Its grantmaking aims to create safer, more inclusive communities, with potential focus areas including health and human services, arts and culture, and other specified activities.
In the 2026 cycle, priority was given to operational support for ongoing activities with proven impact. Program support and pilot funding were also welcomed for new activities centering historically marginalized LGBTQ+ groups, including BIPOC individuals, transgender and gender non-conforming people, youth, and elders. The Circle encourages an asset-based approach shaped by participants’ voices, needs, and lived experiences—work carried out with and by LGBTQ+ people, not only for them.
