Nonprofit supporting Charlotte’s LGBTQ+ faces massive funding shortfall

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte nonprofit supporting LGBTQ+ youth is grappling with a significant funding shortfall this Pride Month as corporate partners step back from financial support.

Time Out Youth, which has served the community for nearly 35 years, says it’s facing a $175,000 funding gap after losing corporate support. The organization provides therapy and housing services to LGBTQ+ youth in the Charlotte area.

CEO Sarah Mikhail says they have noticed a shift in how public companies are being about their support for LGBTQ+ rights this June, but the impact goes beyond logos and ads.

“The on-the-ground, obvious reality of that is that it means dollars are not coming in,” Mikhail said. “We have not had someone say out loud to us, ‘We don’t want to support it.’ It is a change in the way in which they’ll support our work and how much dollars and how public they can be about it.”

Mikhail attributes the funding loss to a national push to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, pointing to legislation from both the Trump administration and North Carolina state leaders targeting such programs.

“We see how the federal climate is going to impact the local in this way, it feels like I get an armor on in a way that’s like, OK, this fight is going to be a little greater,” Mikhail said.

The funding crisis comes as demand for the organization’s services has surged. In the first five months of 2025, Time Out Youth welcomed 183 new youth — double the number from the same period last year.

She says the team is doing everything they can to keep services up for the young people who rely on them.

“We know that our young people need us in this time, so people are pulling it together, and they’re taking breaks, and they’re making sure that they find joy,” Mikhail said. “Our building, despite the heaviness, is always filled with joy.”

Time Out Youth is seeking both donations and volunteers to help bridge the gap.

Contact Julie Kay at juliekay@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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