WHAT SUSTAINS YOU? GIVEOUTDAY 2026
By UCC Coalition | June 2, 2026
Give Out Day Early Giving is Underway! Give Out Day is June 4, 2026 Click Here to Give Now!
This year Give OUT Day, the nation’s largest day of giving for LGBTQ+ organizations, is June 4, 2026 and we’re asking a simple question:
What sustains you?
Honestly, things feel heavy right now.
If you’re LGBTQ+, or you love someone who is, you know exactly what we mean. It feels like every day brings a new attack, a new headline, a new reminder that some people are uncomfortable with the simple truth that LGBTQ+ people deserve to live openly, safely, and with dignity. Just existing right now is exhausting. The anger is real. The grief is real. Some days it takes every ounce of energy that I have to stay hopeful, engaged, and keep believing that a better future is possible.
And yet, I must keep going. We all must keep going.
We keep going because we are sustained. By love, community, faith, creativity, and purpose. We are sustained by the practices, relationships, and moments of grace that remind us who we are and why we keep showing up. Most of us can name something that helps carry us through when life feels heavy.
Maybe it’s your dog who still thinks you’re the greatest person in the world, even on your worst day. Maybe it’s chosen family. A friend who checked in without needing an explanation. Time in the garden. A public witness action. Church. Therapy. Prayer. Art. Music. A group chat that makes you laugh when everything feels impossible. Swimming. Running. Journaling. A quiet moment of peace before the day begins.
We all have something or somethings that helps carry us through.
This Pride Month and Give OUT Day, the Open and Affirming Coalition invites you to honor what sustains you.
We’re inviting supporters to make a gift of $100 (or whatever amount feels meaningful) to help sustain LGBTQ+ affirmation, advocacy, and community during a difficult time for LGBTQ+ people and communities of faith. (Click Here to Donate Now)
Make a gift in honor of the individuals, pets, small joys, and practices that help carry you through.
Need a little inspiration?
• $10 for your dog, cat, favorite plant, or daily walk
• $25 for chosen family
• $50 for the friend who keeps showing up
• $100 for the joy, faith, or community that carried you through
Or make a gift in honor of whatever sustains you.
Every gift matters.
When you give, you help sustain something real: affirming churches, leadership development, advocacy, coaching, educational resources, and communities where LGBTQ+ people of faith can remember they are loved, worthy, and not alone.
We’re also Collecting Stories!
If you’re willing, share a photo or story on social media using #WhatSustainsONA. Sometimes the very thing that helped you through a difficult season is exactly what someone else needs to see today. Or feel free to complete this form and we may share your story on our social media outlets.
For more than 50 years, the Open and Affirming Coalition has helped LGBTQ+ people, their families, and allies/accomplices find belonging, courage, and hope. This work continues to matter.
In difficult times, joy matters. Community matters. Love matters. Hope matters. The work of open and affirming churches and the people who sustain them matters!
Let’s celebrate what sustains this movement!
In hope, courage, and solidarity,
Rev. Derek A. Terry, Acting Executive Director
Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ
