Lambda Legal has just shattered its own fundraising record, pulling in a staggering $285 million for its “Unstoppable Future” campaign—$105 million more than its original target. This achievement is all the more remarkable given the organisation’s simultaneous legal offensives against the federal government. At a time when many corporate sponsors have stepped back from LGBTQ causes, Lambda Legal’s volunteers and smaller donors stepped up in unprecedented fashion, proving that grassroots support can drive real change.
A record-breaking campaign
Quietly launched in 2022 as the political climate darkened for LGBTQ rights, the Unstoppable Future effort attracted major gifts alongside a vast number of modest donations. Fourteen individuals, two foundations and a law firm each gave over $1 million. The single largest gift, $25 million, came from the Kathryn G. Graham Trust. Around $80 million of the total will be spent over the next five years to bolster legal services and public education. The remaining $205 million comprises planned estate gifts, ensuring stability for decades to come.
This fundraising triumph arrives against a backdrop of heightened legal challenges. Under CEO Kevin Jennings, Lambda Legal has filed at least six major lawsuits against the Trump administration’s rollbacks of LGBTQ protections. These include challenging the ban on accurate sex designations in passports for transgender and non-binary citizens (Schlachter v. US), and fighting the prohibition on transgender military service (Shilling v. Trump) which led to a nationwide injunction in March.