I'm extremely proud, John.

There are a lot of LGBTQ+ nonprofits that do great work, and I'm thankful for their partnership in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality. But what makes Campaign for Southern Equality so special – and what makes me proud when I open my laptop every day – is that so much of the money donated to CSE goes right back to LGBTQ+ people through direct grants. And it's all thanks to you.

Together, we've been able to revolutionize individual grants to help LGBTQ+ people make a difference in their local communities in the South. For Giving Tuesday, please donate $50, $5, or whatever you can give to help us continue supporting LGBTQ+ people in 2026. All donations are MATCHED up to $25,000.

You've heard a lot about the Trans Youth Emergency Project, our national program that helps families of trans youth impacted by gender-affirming bans with 1-1 patient navigation services, renewable $500 travel grants up to four times per year, and more. We've given out $1.5 million through this program in just two years, including more than $1 million in direct grants to families of young trans people. And TYEP isn't the only way we're getting financial resources into the hands of LGBTQ+ people.

Other grant programs in 2025 included:

• The Supportive Schools program distributed $20,000 in grants to K-12 programs that are working to bridge gaps in LGBTQ+ programming following attacks on DEI.
• Our Healing & Resilience program distributed $25,000 to 5 healers across the South who are helping improve the well-being of their communities through therapy, reiki, meditation and more.
• The Southern Equality Research & Policy Institute already provided $20,000 in funding to 20 academics and early-career researchers to help study LGBTQ+ life in the South, and we're distributing another $20,000 in funding for researchers before the end of the year.
• Southern Equality Studios supports artists across the South for performances, exhibitions, and more, plus we've directly distributed $50,000 directly to 50 artists in recent years to help fuel their work. Our next artist grant round will start in the coming weeks!