Give Out Day
A chance to put to good use all the money you’ve been saving by not shopping at Amazon, Target or Starbucks
Woah, is it the middle of June already?
Pride month has taken me by surprise this year. Maybe it’s the fact that I just finished the first year of my PhD (it was a JOURNEY) but this summer has absolutely taken me for a spin. Not in the least because I’ve become hyper-aware of where I’m spending my money.
Voting with your dollar has always seemed a little trite to me, and for a long time I wasn’t super sure I believed in it. Late-stage capitalism is here to get us all anyway, right?
But the more involved I get in community organizing and advocacy, the more I’ve come to understand that small actions can, in fact, have great impacts. Switching from buying candles at Target to buying from a Bi+ owned business means something.
So yeah, I’ve brought most of my shopping to a standstill. Target and Amazon are no longer top-contenders for my attention, and as for Starbucks, well, I prefer making my own coffee anyway.
But that begs the question - what do I do with my money now?
Which brings me to Give Out Day.
Give Out Day is a fundraising campaign for queer organizations - and it’s a bit of a misnomer. It’s not just a single day, but rather, the entirety of pride month. LGBTQ+ nonprofits sign up on giveoutday.org and set their fundraising goals for the month.
This is a brilliant opportunity for queer orgs to set clear financial goals and meet them through group effort. For all communities, but especially queer ones, support includes monetary contributions.
We’re no strangers to the sticky feeling that comes with talking about money, but monetary compensation is what makes the world go around. It’s what allows orgs to provide resources, host community-building programs, table at Pride events, and compensate folks for their labor. (Very often in that order, with so many people going entirely uncompensated for all the work they put in.) When it comes to how long an organization stays around, it depends entirely on how much funding there is to keep the good fight going.
For us Bi+ folks, these monetary contributions are even more important.
Less than 1% of all LGBTQ+ domestic grant funding go to Bi+ specific organizations.
The fact that Bailey and I sound like broken records repeating Bi+ statistics about health, poverty, and other struggles has everything to do with this fact. Less money available to Bi+ specific orgs means less resources, less outreach, less community-building… you get the gist.
So, in honor of our Bi+ community, we’ve compiled a list of the Bi+ orgs that are fundraising this year!
If you’re like me and you’re wondering where to put all the money you’ve been saving from the lack of shopping at all the usual go-to’s — this is your chance to make a (usually tax-deductible) donation that contributes to the tangible preservation of Bi+ history, knowledge, and community.
And for those of you who cannot make a monetary contribution at this time, please spread the word.
Getting these organizations to meet their goals is an important milestone for the entire Bi+ community, and a fantastic way to celebrate Pride month. If nothing else, more folks will know about the existence of important Bi+ work being done. These groups continue doing good work no matter how political winds shift and change, and we’re here to back them up with the same tenacity.
In labor and monetary solidarity,
Jace
Bi+ orgs who are fundraising this year:
Bisexual Resource Center
Originally started in 1985 as the East Coast Bisexual Network, the organization incorporated in 1989 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit and changed its name to the Bisexual Resource Center in the mid-nineties. Since its inception, the Bisexual Resource Center has been creating resources, providing support, and helping to create a stronger sense of community for bi/pan/fluid people across the U.S. and beyond. As one of its first actions, the BRC published the Bisexual Resource Guide from 1990 through 2002 and helped to connect organizations and individuals around the world from Argentina to Zambia.
Your donation ensures the oldest nationally-focused bisexual organization in the US continues to provide crucial Bi+ specific resources, including outreach, community-building, and workplace training.
Bisexual Organizing Project
Bisexual Organizing Project (BOP) is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit, located in Minnesota, working to build, serve, and advocate for an empowered bisexual, pansexual, fluid, queer, and unlabeled (bi+) community to promote social justice. Since first incorporating in 1999, we have been serving the bi+ community by creating and providing community-building spaces, resources, events, and connections. BOP is working hard to continue to provide bi+ community spaces and resources in new, safe ways.
Your donation ensures BECAUSE annual conference continues to thrive and promote Bi+ community-building and longevity in that process. BECAUSE has been hosted every year since 1992.
Bi Women Quarterly
Bi Women Quarterly (BWQ) is a completely free resource, available online and in print to readers globally. We’ve been in continuous publication since 1983! What started as a local quarterly newsletter more than four decades ago has expanded to a global publication. The Spring 2025 issue of BWQ features folks from 11 different countries! BWQ's editor is speaker, writer, and advocate Robyn Ochs.
Your donation helps this tangible piece of Bi+ history to continue existing, as well as remain free and accessible to all, while still compensating interns for their labor.
Los Angeles Bi+ Task Force
The Los Angeles Bi+ Task Force (LABTF) is a grassroots 501(c)3 non-profit organization that promotes education, advocacy, and cultural enrichment for the bisexual, pansexual, fluid, queer, and other non-monosexual ("bi+") communities and allies in the Greater Los Angeles area, which includes Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Ventura Counties.
Your donation helps keep the Bi+ Well annual conference going, as well as other Bi+ specific wellness, community, and mentoring events.