Rainbow Labs, a nonprofit in Los Angeles, lost its AmeriCorps grant due to shifting federal priorities under the Trump administration. This funding was essential for connecting LGBTQ+ youth with mentors, a program that significantly relied on volunteer support and community engagement. The loss of $165,000, which represents 13% of their budget, puts pressure on the organization's capacity to expand and maintain its outreach and volunteer efforts. Executive Director Jacob Toups suggests that the decision to end the grant was influenced by the organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, conflicting with new government directives.
Without the grant, the organization can't build capacity for more outreach or volunteer support. It also means we may not have the opportunity to expand programming to new schools or youth sites.
We utilized the grant to hire staff to support the outreach, training, and engagement of our LGBTQ+ volunteers and mentors. The grant fits into our mission as we leverage volunteers as mentors across all of our programs.
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