Kellenberger + Tollefson Center for LGBTQ Philanthropy awards $398,000
The Arizona Community Foundation’s Kellenberger + Tollefson Center for LGBTQ Philanthropy has announced that it has granted $398,000 to 27 nonprofit organizations serving LGBTQ people across Arizona through its 2025 annual grant cycle. “At the heart of this effort is our relationship-driven culture, one that celebrates the transformational power of connection, philanthropy, and impact,” said Richard Tollefson, Leadership Council Member. “We are the community we serve, and together, connection amplifies our impact.”
The projects and programs that were funded respond to the Center’s three priority areas of focus: youth, aging/seniors, and transgender people. This year’s recipients of the Kellenberger + Tollefson Center grant cycle include:
- Amistades (Tucson, AZ)
- Applejack’s Ranch (Cottonwood, AZ)
- Arizona Food Bank Network (Phoenix, AZ)
- Aunt Rita’s Foundation (Tempe, AZ)
- Beatitudes Campus (Phoenix, AZ)
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona (Phoenix, AZ)
- Grant made possible by the Obrzut Ling DAF
- Child Crisis Arizona (Mesa, AZ)
- Coconino County Health and Human Services (Flagstaff, AZ)
- Grant made possible by the Obrzut Ling DAF
- Deaf Abuse Network and Education (DANE) Advocacy (Chandler, AZ)
- Wasted Ink Zine Distro (Phoenix, AZ)
- Gay for Good (Phoenix, AZ)
- Grant made possible by Steve May
- Mariposa Sin Fronteras (Tucson, AZ)
- Melabiz Community Hub (Phoenix, AZ)
- NAMI Valley of the Sun (Phoenix, AZ)
- Grant made possible by the Burton Family Foundation
- Northern Arizona Book Festival (Flagstaff, AZ)
- one·n·ten
- Phoenix Indian Center (Phoenix, AZ)
- Grant made possible by the Obrzut Ling DAF
- Phoenix Legal Action Network (Phoenix, AZ)
- Pima Council on Aging (Tucson, AZ)
- PMHDC Southwest Medical Aid (PSMA) (Tucson, AZ)
- Grant made possible by the Obrzut Ling DAF
- Rising Youth Theatre (Phoenix, AZ)
- Southern Arizona Senior Pride (Tucson, AZ)
- Grant made possible by the Obrzut Ling DAF
- Spotlight Youth (Glendale, AZ)
- Teen Lifeline (Phoenix, AZ)
- Grant made possible by the Burton Family Foundation
- TransIntimate (Flagstaff, AZ)
- United Way of Northern Arizona (Flagstaff, AZ)
- Voices of the Desert (Phoenix, AZ)
“This year, we are proud to fund organizations advancing justice and opportunity for LGBTQ+ people throughout Arizona,” said Kerry Blume, Chair of the Kellenberger + Tollefson Center Leadership Council. "With the support of generous donors and collaborative funding partners, these grants will help LGBTQ youth, seniors, and members of the trans and gender-diverse community improve mental health and wellbeing, meet basic needs, and access educational and health resources. Thousands of Arizonans will find connection, safety, better health, and the foundation to build strong, healthy families—thanks to the incredible work of our grantees."
The Kellenberger + Tollefson Center for LGBTQ Philanthropy contributes to a society that advances justice and opportunity for Arizona’s LGBTQ+ people and the communities where they live. With this recent grant cycle, the total grants awarded from the Kellenberger + Tollefson Center and ACF’s dedicated funds that support the LGBTQ+ community now exceed $1.3 million since 2021.
Kellenberger + Tollefson Center for LGBTQ Philanthropy Advisory Council:
- Debbie Esparza
- Diego Romero
- Dylan Wilder Quinn
- Gaelle Esposito
- Glenn Wike
- JD Kemper
- Jeanie M Zaporowski
- Kerry Blume
- Kyle Swartz
- Quinton Jenkins
- Richard Tollefson Jr.
- Rick McCartney
- Shawn Donnelly
- Shelley Cohn
- Steve May
- Tamara Woodbury
For more information about the Kellenberger + Tollefson Center for LGBTQ Philanthropy or to learn how to contribute, visit www.azfoundation.org/ways-to-give/give-by-impact-area/lgbtq-philanthropy/.