2025 Impact Report
A Letter from the Board of Directors
Dear Friends of The Plus Collective,
2025 tested our community in real and lasting ways. LGBTQ+ individuals and the organizations serving them endured overwhelming and sustained pressure, with evaporating corporate and private sponsorship. Through it all, The Plus Collective lived up to its mission: we showed up, funded critical work, and stood behind the people and organizations carrying this burden.
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Last year, we awarded $140,000 in grants to 17 organizations across the Charlotte region. These funds supportedprogramming to build community and expand access to essential resources for LGBTQ+ individuals. This work is only possible because of the generosity of our donors and sponsors. We do not take that trust lightly.
Our donor appreciation event, The Celebration continues to evolve. In an effort to find a format that appropriately champions our stakeholders, our board has been brainstorming tirelessly, and we think we’ve got something special planned. We are not attached to tradition for its own sake, but sometimes the classics earn their place. Stay tuned.
We welcomed several new Board members this year, each bringing distinct perspectives and renewed energy. That kind of renewal matters. The challenges ahead require a board that is not only grounded in our founding mission but also willing to think critically about how we evolve our methods to advance it.
Looking ahead to 2026, our Board has aligned on three priorities:
Brand Visibility: We are investing in raising awareness of The Plus Collective across Charlotte. Our community cannot support us - and we can’t best represent our community’s needs - if they do not know us.
Donor Stewardship: We are strengthening relationships with current donors and re-engaging those who have supported us in the past. This work is relational, not transactional, and we don’t want anyone feeling taken for granted.
Sustainable Fundraising: We are building an event strategy rooted in long-term growth. Start small, execute well, and scale with intention.
A quarter of one percent of philanthropic giving in the United States reaches LGBTQ+ communities. That gap remains too large, and our responsibility is to narrow that gap, one grant cycle at a time.
Thank you for being part of this work. Your partnership makes it possible.
Thank you,
Malone Lockaby and
The Plus Collective Board of Directors
THE PLUS COLLECTIVE GRANTEE
Charlotte Gaymers Network
A 2025 Moment of Impact
“Thanks to the support of The Plus Collective, Charlotte Gaymers Network was able to make a meaningful and tangible impact in the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals across our community. Through their support, we distributed 50 laptops and mobile internet hotspots to LGBTQ+ individuals experiencing financial hardship, helping bridge the digital divide and expand access to education, employment, and connection. We also provided $10,000 in direct financial assistance through 27 microgrants focused on aiding trans community members with essential needs such as gender-affirming care, legal name changes, housing, and medication. Beyond direct aid, CGN hosted dozens of events—many of them free—creating vital, affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ Charlotteans to gather, build community, and find belonging. For many, these events served as a critical social lifeline, reducing isolation and fostering joy, connection, and resilience.”
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Charlotte Gaymers Network is most proud of the tangible impact we made in the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals through both direct support and community building. From distributing 50 laptops and internet hotspots to help bridge the digital divide, to providing $10,000 in microgrants to trans community members for essential needs like housing, healthcare, and legal name changes, our work centered on meeting people where they are. At the same time, we hosted dozens of events—many free—creating consistent, affirming spaces that served as a vital social lifeline for our community.
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We are most excited about scaling our impact: expanding programs like Project Paperclip and Project Save Point, deepening our STEM and workforce development initiatives, and continuing to grow our presence across the city through these lifechanging projects. As we evolve, we’re focused on building sustainable infrastructure that allows us to serve more people, more consistently, while continuing to create spaces where LGBTQ+ individuals feel seen, supported, and connected.
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The Plus Collective represents more than just funding; it represents belief in our mission and trust in our community-driven approach. Their support has directly enabled us to provide critical resources and create meaningful experiences for LGBTQ+ individuals who need it most. It’s a partnership rooted in shared values, and it has empowered us to turn vision into action in ways that would not have been possible otherwise.
THE PLUS COLLECTIVE GRANTEE
RAIN
A 2025 Moment of Impact
“The Plus Collective’s support of Gay Bingo Charlotte helped transform a single night of celebration into an affirming, joy-filled space that brought together members of Charlotte’s LGBTQIA+ community, strengthening connection, visibility, and collective resilience. Beyond the event itself, this support generates critical unrestricted funding that allows RAIN to sustain and expand services for individuals impacted by HIV, ensuring care and support remain accessible when they are needed most”
THE PLUS COLLECTIVE GRANTEE
Time Out Youth
A 2025 Moment of Impact
“In 2025, Time Out Youth helped 47 LGBTQ+ young people secure safe and affirming housing! This is a record for our housing program and a 27% increase in youth housed from the year prior. Upon moving in, young people received Welcome Home baskets with supplies to ease their transition, such as laundry baskets, bathmats, and dishes. Housing clients also received services and support to ensure their housing remained stable.”
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During a year in which LGBTQ+ young people were increasingly under attack from the outside world, Time Out Youth was still able to provide more services and expand our reach! In 2025, our drop-in space visits were up 50% and we welcomed 372 new young people to our Center. TOY housed a record number of young people. Our clinical department provided 1,075 free therapy sessions. Being able to provide additional support for LGBTQ+ youth who need it is a gift and a joy!
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Time Out Youth has embarked on a bold strategic plan for the next three years, beginning in 2026. We are excited to explore and expand our impact by investing even more in housing, clinical services, accessibility, advocacy, and more.
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The Plus Collective’s consistent support of our work is fundamental to our work every day. This funding allows us to empower LGBTQ+ young people and their futures, whether we are hosting a therapy group, providing laundry and supportive services, or hosting an affirming prom. Knowing with confidence that The Plus Collective wholeheartedly supports organizations doing work for queer and trans young people is a game-changer in a climate that is increasingly difficult for LGBTQ+ organizations.
THE PLUS COLLECTIVE GRANTEE
Charlotte Trans Health
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In 2025, Charlotte Trans Health remained a trusted resource for transgender and gender-diverse individuals amid increasing barriers to care. Through direct services and community-based education and events like T.H.E. Field Day, we continued to expand access to affirming care while fostering connection, health, and resilience.
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In 2026, Charlotte Trans Health is excited to continue to protect and expand access to affirming care while deepening community connection through a summer health education event and our biannual gala, T.H.E. Night Hits the Runway.
THE PLUS COLLECTIVE GRANTEE
We Rock Charlotte
A 2025 Moment of Impact
“Thanks to this grant, eight campers who identified as LGBTQ+ were able to attend Summer Rock Camp on scholarship and continue on with music lessons for the rest of the summer. This support didn’t just cover tuition, it made it possible for these young people to show up fully, build skills, and feel like they truly belonged.”
“We Rock has changed me, because I have been here years now, and it’s helped me gain a lot of confidence and self-esteem to just live as myself and be myself fully in my everyday life.”
“Something I will take into the new school year is just seeing people be themselves unapologetically at both camps definitely helped me accept myself as well as other people.”
THE PLUS COLLECTIVE GRANTEE
Gay Mens Chorus of Charlotte
“In 2025, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Charlotte deepened its commitment to building community through music—both at home and beyond. We brought connection and joy directly to our neighbors through outreach performances at Windsor Run Retirement Village, creating meaningful moments of shared experience across generations. Through collaborations with visiting directors from the GALA Choruses network, we enriched not only our singers but the broader Charlotte arts community, fostering growth, learning, and artistic excellence.”
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Beyond Charlotte, we proudly represented our city through regional touring, participation in World Pride in Washington, DC, and a performance at Lincoln Center for Sing for the Cure’s 25th anniversary. Across every stage, our work continues to uplift voices, foster inclusion, and build community through music.
Grantmaking Over the Years
