Anonymous $350K Lifeline Gives Pride Center of Vermont a Path to Rebuild

One of Vermont’s most prominent LGBTQ+ organizations has received an anonymous, one‑time gift of $350,000, offering a crucial lifeline as it works to recover from a severe financial crisis and indefinite suspension of operations announced in October 2025.

The Pride Center of Vermont, based in Burlington, confirmed in a November community update that the donation arrived through a donor‑advised fund and was described by its board as “transformational bridge funding” rather than a permanent solution. Local outlet Burlington Daily News reported that leaders view the gift as essential to stabilizing finances while the organization undertakes a comprehensive rebuild.

In October 2025, the Pride Center of Vermont announced that it was suspending in‑person operations, closing its longtime Church Street office, and laying off most of its staff after years of financial strain. According to the center, a combination of accumulated debt, reduced philanthropic giving, and significant cuts to government grants—including a reported $200,000 reduction in HIV‑prevention funding—left the nonprofit unable to meet payroll and other obligations.

The organization’s leadership has said that the decision to pause operations was framed as a temporary but necessary step while it sought to raise at least $350,000 to reopen on stable footing. The closure triggered an emergency fundraising campaign that drew tens of thousands of dollars in community support, including small‑donor gifts and a matching commitment from Vermont‑based company Ben & Jerry’s.

Founded in 1999, the Pride Center of Vermont is one of the state’s largest organizations serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and other 2STLGBQIA+ people. The center has historically reached thousands of community members each year through health, advocacy, and social programs.

Programs highlighted by the organization and LGBTQ+ media include HIV testing, sexually transmitted infection education, and harm‑reduction services. The SafeSpace Anti‑Violence Program operates a hotline and provides comprehensive support to LGBTQ+ survivors of violence, discrimination, and other harms, including safety planning and referrals. The center’s transgender program fosters connection among transgender, nonbinary, intersex, and gender‑nonconforming people through peer groups and community‑building events.

Additional initiatives include programming for queer and trans people of color, services for LGBTQ+ people with disabilities, and Momentum, a network for LGBTQ+ people over age 55, reflecting the organization’s multigenerational focus. The Pride Center has also been a key organizer of Burlington’s annual Pride Parade and Festival, which has been held for roughly four decades and is a major celebration for Vermont’s LGBTQ+ communities and allies.

According to the Pride Center’s November 25 statement, the anonymous $350,000 gift will be directed first toward retiring outstanding debt and liabilities that precipitated the suspension of operations. Burlington Daily News reported that the funding will also allow the center to establish an emergency reserve so that essential services can continue during future periods of uncertainty.

The board has said that part of the gift will fund an independent financial review and professional bookkeeping support, intended to strengthen oversight and ensure transparent accounting going forward. Resources are also earmarked for a community needs assessment and a formal retrospective process that will bring together former staff, board members, program participants, and community partners to examine what worked and what failed in past structures.

In statements quoted by Seven Days and GO Magazine, the board called this “a pivotal moment to reimagine the Pride Center of Vermont’s future,” emphasizing the need to confront long‑standing structural challenges, repair internal systems, and rebuild trust after years of operating in crisis mode. Austin Grant, the board co‑chair, said the gift provides the stability needed to “clear the immediate obstacles” and create space to rebuild in a more sustainable way.

While in‑person operations remain paused, the Pride Center has stressed that some core services—particularly those tied to safety and crisis response—continue. The organization has repeatedly highlighted that survivors and community members can still reach advocates through the SafeSpace hotline at 863‑0003 and via the program’s website .

LGBTQ+ media coverage has framed the anonymous donation as a critical intervention for a regional hub that many transgender people, queer and trans people of color, elders, youth, and survivors of violence have relied on for affirmation, resources, and community. At the same time, the Pride Center’s board and local reporting outlets have underscored that the $350,000 infusion is bridge funding, and that long‑term stability will depend on continued community support and a funding model less vulnerable to shifts in state and federal priorities.

In public messages, the organization has encouraged supporters to contribute ongoing monthly donations through its website , framing recurring giving as essential to fully resuming operations and expanding services in the years ahead.