Happy February! 

The amount of work and preparation that went into our 2022 Palm Springs events was immense! What is normally planned over a 1.5 year period, was put together in less than 6 months as we were in limbo regarding the COVID restrictions which may or may not have been in place. Luckily the green light remained lit  and as quickly as the event arrived, it also quickly came to an end and I am so proud of the work that our volunteer team and staff put in to an incredible NGPA Family reunion in Palm Springs! We walked away from the event energized to continue where we left off in 2020 and grow our organization further through in-person events and new frontiers for LGBTQ+ visibility!

I was able to share with our members at our Dinner Gala in PSP that NGPA has maintained its upward trajectory of growth even in the hard times of the past 2 years. NGPA has increased its membership ranks by nearly 40% over the past 2 years. From an incredible 2,500 members in February 2020, NGPA now stands 3,900 members strong with a clear path to surpassing 4,000 active members in short order. This growth shows that NGPA is reaching people where they are and inspiring them to live authentically and proudly in their spaces. It proves that the family aspect our organization offers is one that is respected, loved and cherished. It’s truly an honor to be a part of this family!

As we look forward to the rest of 2022- there are some exciting events on the horizon for NGPA. With a return to in-person gatherings being solidified across the world- we can get excited for more local chapter get togethers, PRIDE events, DEI events, PTown and a NEW Flagship Event for NGPA this June! (More to come on this later this week- for those who were in PSP you already got a sneak peak at what’s coming and I hope you are as excited as I am!) 

Thank you all for your continued support, membership, friendship and candid feedback. I am excited for the path NGPA is on and we will all work to make NGPA better and better as we continue to grow!  Until next time- think warm thoughts, winter is almost over, I think! (For those of you who live in warm places- damn you’re lucky!)

When it comes to supporting an organization such as NGPA, there are a multitude of ways to make an impact. Volunteering and event participation is certainly top of mind, but one of the biggest ways is through financial support one can offer. At our recent Winter Warm Up in Palm Springs last month, so many of our members supported our non-profit with a financial contribution which directly impacts the legacy and longevity of NGPA. After an incredible few days in Palm Springs, I am so happy to report that our members banded together and far exceeded our financial hopes for the weekend. Our ultimate goal is to ensure NGPA continues to provide our members valuable resources and a affirming social network where they can feel welcome. As we continue onward in 2022, NGPA plans on growing our Scholarship Program to exceed $200K in awards this year, to expand our Ascend Mentorship Program organization wide and to grow our NGPA Cares Program to ensure the mental health of our membership is well looked after. It takes financial power to support these initiatives and as such we set goals in Palm Springs to raise $65,000 to ensure our 2022 initiatives could be fulfilled. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our members, not only did we meet that goal, we exceeded it! In total our members raised $82,906 for NGPA in Palm Springs and we could not be more grateful!

As always- no donation is too small, and every little bit helps us reach our destination of EQUAL, AUTHENTIC and RESPECTED- EVERYWHERE. NGPA would not be where we are today without the financial support of our membership. We offer a massive thank you to those who donate each and every year and also a big shout out to those who just began your journey to support NGPA's legacy.