Last year, at the outset of Horizons’ 40th Anniversary, Horizons’ board of directors adopted a new strategic plan, outlining the foundation’s course for the following several years. Of course, no one could have expected that a mere two weeks later, the first shelter-in-place orders would take effect, upending our strategic priorities. In that time of crisis, supporting our community immediately jumped to our primary focus.

Now, after multiple rounds of COVID-19 responsive grants, we’ve refocused our attention on the years ahead, returning to our strategic plan with an even deeper understanding of its importance at this critical juncture. As I shared earlier this month at Horizons’ 2021 Gala Celebration, our new strategic plan outlines an ambitious set of goals, which are all the more urgent as our community pushes toward recovery.

In short, this strategic plan calls on us to take major steps toward our vision of a world where all LGBTQ people live freely and fully; it’s our roadmap toward the dreams we all share for our community. That’s why I want to invite you to view our new strategic plan webpage, which outlines the key elements of our plan, and join us in dreaming big for our community. 

Although our focus since early 2020 has been our COVID-19 response, key components of our strategic plan are already underway. For example, we recently launched an update to our flagship Community Issues funding program, deepening our commitment to the most underserved segments of the LGBTQ community while increasing the size and duration of many grants. We’ve also engaged a consultant who is supporting our work in strengthening diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, at all levels of the foundation, as well as conducting a thorough audit of our grantmaking, programs, staffing, policies, and leadership. 

But this is only the beginning. We have plans to launch a community-driven, multi-year initiative supporting transgender people of color, one of the most under-resourced segments of the LGBTQ community. We also plan to expand our donor-advised fund and legacy-giving programs in order to better serve our donors while deepening their impact both today and for future generations. And throughout all our work, we’ll expand our role as a leader in the LGBTQ community, in all nine counties of the Bay Area, across the country, and around the world.

When Horizons’ founders awarded the foundation’s first grants in 1980, I know they were dreaming big. Forty-one years later, having achieved perhaps even more than they dreamed, we follow in their tradition. Thank you so much for all you do in helping us advance our strategic plan — in reaching for our community’s dreams.