Investing In Our Community: 2026 LGBT Fund Grant Cycle Opens Sept. 4

By Bill Gonda, Chair of The LGBT Fund

LGBT Fund advisory board members and staff

The 2026 LGBT Fund grant cycle will open September 4, continuing the Fund's commitment to advancing and uplifting the local LGBTQIA+ community.

As the only resource of its kind in Erie County, the LGBT Fund at The Erie Community Foundation invests in organizations working to address community needs.

Across the region, LGBTQIA+ individuals continue to face barriers to affirming healthcare, sufficient mental health support, and safe environments. Behind each of these challenges are real people-neighbors, families, and young people-seeking support, connection, and opportunity. This grant is one way to respond by directing resources to the organizations making a difference on the ground.

The LGBT Fund encourages grant proposals from nonprofit organizations and those partnering with a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor. The Fund is seeking projects that respond to community needs such as family support and recognition, health and wellness, housing and workplace equality, mental health and substance use services, suicide prevention, safe schools, and youth homelessness. Organizations do not need to be exclusively LGBTQ+-focused to apply.

2025 LGBT Fund grant presentation to Compton's Table

Applications will open Friday, September 4, and will be accepted through Friday, October 30. Eligible applicants may request up to $10,000 in funding.

This funding makes a tangible difference-expanding access to services, strengthening programs, and helping to ensure LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies in the Erie region are supported and affirmed.

To learn more, visit eriecommunityfoundation.org/grant-opportunities/lgbt-fund-grants/ or contact LGBT@ErieCommunityFoundation.org.

2026 Spring Community Conversation by LGBT Fund at St. Paul's Episcopal with area organizations

About the Author

Bill Gonda Bill Gonda is a retired communications professional who currently serves as the Chair of the LGBT Fund of The Erie Community Foundation. He lives with his husband and their dachshund, Frankie, in Erie.