About

Niagara Pride, Inc., is excited to announce that we will be holding our 3rd annual WNY Shopping with Pride event this June 2023.

Last year, this event was able to showcase over 30 different local WNY businesses that are LGBTQ+ or ally owned.  The event was not only a successful fundraiser for our organization, raising over $10,000, but it was an incredible opportunity to highlight the importance of supporting locally owned merchants and businesses and demonstrate how diversity only serves to strengthen and enrich the tapestry of the communities we live, work, and play in here in WNY.

As a result of the donations we received from WNY Shopping with Pride in 2022, Niagara Pride, Inc. was able to implement the following programs:

  • LGBTQ+ Diversity and Inclusivity Trainings for businesses and organizations – over 7,000 individuals, both locally and nationally, attended these trainings throughout the year.
  • Jean Hopkins Memorial Scholarship – a $500 scholarship was awarded to a graduating high school senior pursuing higher education.
  • Niagara County GSA Grants – seven $500 grants were given to local GSAs to help fund LGBTQ+ diversity programs at their high schools.
  • Know Your Status – a campaign designed to provide free sexual health information and resources to residents of WNY as well as create an online tool that allows individuals to easily locate HIV/AIDS and STI testing sites throughout the 8 counties of Western New York.
  • WNY LGBTQ+ Youth Vocational Training Conference – a one day event aimed at providing LGBTQ+ youth between the ages of 15-21 with lifelong skills and tools to seek employment, create resumes, interview for jobs, and effectively seek out training programs.
  • WNY LGBTQ+ Health and Wellness Fair – an opportunity for community members to learn about LGBTQ+ specific and/or affirming programs, services, and resources offered by local community service providers.
  • WNY Pride 5K – a virtual 5K race/walk in WNY with a focus of bringing awareness to, while also celebrating the local WNY LGBTQ+ Community
  • Community-based Pride Celebrations – Niagara Falls Pride, Newfane Pride, North Tonawanda Pride (in partnership with the Oliver Street Merchants Association)…and coming in 2023, Lockport Pride!
  • And in partnership with other agencies, Niagara Pride has been able to offer groups/services for addictions and housing discrimination assistance.  

In terms of a little background, Niagara Pride, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving LGBTQ+ individuals and families in Niagara County and the surrounding WNY area.  We offer community-based educational programming and engage in charitable work.  Niagara Pride collaborates with other organizations to offer LGBTQ+ programming, social meet ups, Diversity and Inclusion training for organizations and businesses, health-based initiatives, and other events.  We host June Pride events.  As part of our charitable outreach, we have multiple donation drives throughout the year, which benefit individuals, families, and children in need.  Niagara Pride, Inc. also facilitates welcoming social events, creating safe spaces in the community for LGBTQ+ individuals. 

This June, we are planning a number of events aimed at celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride as well as bringing awareness to our community.  During this month-long celebration of our community, we strongly believe that WNY Shopping with Pride would be greatly enhanced through partnerships with local WNY businesses donating to this event as a corporate sponsor.  

WNY Shopping with Pride will take place from June 1 to June 30, 2023.  As Niagara Pride’s primary fundraiser event for the year, we are asking participating merchants and businesses to donate at one of four sponsorship levels (see attached sponsorship level descriptions).

Our goal is to expand upon the partnerships we developed last year with local LGBTQ+ and ally owned businesses and merchants, in an effort to not only promote their establishments, but to also share the message that diversity and inclusion in business serves to strengthen our communities as a whole.

We look forward to partnering with you!