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The Gilbert Baker Foundation Ltd
New York, NY · EIN 843774546 · Form 990EZ · FY2025 · NTEE A23 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Small ($100K-$1M) · gilbertbaker.com
revenue
$103K
expenses
$59K
net assets
$92K
employees
—
mission · from form 990

The Gilbert Baker Foundation seeks to protect and extend the legacy of Gilbert Baker, the creator of the LGBTQ Rainbow Flag, as an activist, artist, and educator. We want to record and promote the history of the creation of the Rainbow Flag and its impact on the world and educate future generations about the LGBTQ Rainbow Flag. We support and empower our mission on a collaborative level between the Foundation and allies, including the LGBTQ community and artists, organizations, educational institutions, non-profits, museums, archives, and the press. We promote this mission to the wider world beyond the LGBTQ community.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Gilbert Baker Foundation preserves and promotes the legacy of Gilbert Baker, creator of the LGBTQ Rainbow Flag, as an artist and activist. It educates the public on the flag's history and symbolism, supports the LGBTQ community through cultural initiatives, and ensures the flag's original design and meaning are maintained. The foundation collaborates with museums, educational institutions, and media to extend Baker's vision globally.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Color Meaning Standardization
Translates Gilbert Baker’s original Pantone color specifications into RGB, CMYK, and HEX values to preserve the flag’s authentic palette for future generations.
Global Rainbow Flag Distribution
Distributes sections of historic flags, such as the 1978 and 2003 banners, to cities worldwide to promote LGBTQ visibility and pride.
Rainbow Flag Legacy Preservation
Documents and promotes the history, design, and cultural impact of the original eight-color Rainbow Flag created by Gilbert Baker in 1978.
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • LGBTQ+ Community Events and Celebrations 2 activities
    • Administer the Gilbert Baker Award and related honors
      Establishes and presents the annual Gilbert Baker Award during Pride festivities in San Francisco to honor contributions to LGBTQ+ visibility and equality.
    • Create and display large-scale Rainbow Flags and banners for major events
      Designs and deploys monumental Rainbow Flags and commemorative banners for Pride events, political marches, and international commemorations, including a mile-long flag for the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, a 1.25-mile flag in Key West, and banners for the Democratic Convention, Pulse Nightclub Massacre, and Rise and Resist movement.
  • LGBTQ+ Legal and Policy Advocacy 2 activities
    • Advocate against bans on LGBTQ+ Pride flags
      Leads advocacy campaigns to oppose and overturn bans on the display of LGBTQ+ flags, including the Rainbow Flag and Progress Flag, through grassroots toolkits, legal collaboration with the ACLU, public education, and direct legal action, such as filing federal lawsuits and supporting challenges to local bans.
    • Restore and defend LGBTQ+ flag displays at historic sites
      Successfully advocated for the reinstatement of the Pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument after its removal and filed legal actions to protect the right to display LGBTQ+ flags at this and other protected sites.
  • Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
    • Conduct public exhibitions and installations of Rainbow Flag art and history
      Organizes and presents traveling exhibitions of Rainbow Flag artwork and history, including installations at the LGBT Community Center in New York City, the 2024 Paris Olympics, and simultaneous displays in San Francisco and New York, as well as conceptual designs for permanent installations at NYC Hall and other civic sites.
  • LGBTQ+ Community Grantmaking 1 activity
    • Support global LGBTQ+ activists through flag donations and international outreach
      Facilitates the donation of Gilbert Baker Rainbow Flags to LGBTQ+ activists internationally, including in Ukraine, and supports global visibility efforts through the Flag in the Map project, which collects and exhibits photographs and stories of Pride Flags from around the world.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Preserve and promote Gilbert Baker's legacy and the Rainbow Flag
      Preserves the historic legacy of Gilbert Baker and the Rainbow Flag through educational initiatives, exhibits, digital storytelling, and archival efforts, including translating the original eight-color Rainbow Flag's Pantone colors into additional color systems for future use.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$103K
Contributions & grants$8K8%
Program service revenue$95K92%
Investment income——
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$59K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$94K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$92K
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +43.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

board members · 4
  • Bill Berman — Director
  • Bruce Cohen — Director
  • Cathy Marino-Thomas — Director
  • Michelle Fisher — Director
relationships · 28

Who they work with

  • Absolut Vodka Funder — Underwrote the creation of the 1.25-mile-long Rainbow Flag for Key West Pride in 2003.
  • American Civil Liberties Union Partner — Collaborated with the Foundation on an initiative opposing Rainbow Flag bans.
  • American Civil Liberties Union Partner — Collaborates with the Gilbert Baker Foundation to create and provide a legal letter for inclusion in the 'Save the Rainbow Flag' toolkit.
  • Artie Bressan, Jr. Partner — Encouraged Gilbert Baker to create a new symbol for the gay movement and contributed to discussions around LGBTQ+ identity and visibility.
  • Cleve Jones Partner — Collaborated with Gilbert Baker on activism and cultural events, contributing to the development of LGBTQ+ symbols and community expression.
  • Equality New York Partner — Co-plaintiff in a legal effort to protect the right to display LGBTQ+ flags at Stonewall
  • Google Partner — Honored Gilbert Baker with a Google Doodle in 2017.
  • LGBT Community Center Partner — Hosted the Rainbow Flag exhibit in New York City in 2002.
  • LGBTQ community Partner — Collaborative relationship to support and empower the foundation's mission
  • Lambda Legal Partner — Legal partner in advocacy efforts to defend the display of LGBTQ+ flags
  • Museum of Modern Art Partner — Displayed the Milk Flag in New York, NY in 2017.
  • Museum of Modern Art Partner — Received a Rainbow Flag for its permanent collection in 2015.
  • National Gallery of Art in Dublin Partner — Honored Gilbert Baker in 2011 and received a Rainbow Flag presentation.
  • New York City Hall Partner — Subject of conceptual Rainbow Flag installation designs.
  • ReportOUT Partner — Collaborated with the Gilbert Baker Foundation to launch the Flag in the Map project.
  • San Francisco City Hall Partner — Displayed the Milk Flag in 2017.
  • Stadtlander’s Pharmacy Funder — Underwrote the creation of the mile-long Rainbow Flag in 1994.
  • Stonewall National Monument Government — Site where the Foundation successfully advocated for the reinstatement of the Pride flag.
  • Village Preservation Partner — Co-plaintiff in a legal effort to protect the right to display LGBTQ+ flags at Stonewall
  • Washington Litigation Group Partner — Legal partner in advocacy efforts to defend the display of LGBTQ+ flags
  • White House Government — Hosted Gilbert Baker for a Pride Month reception in 2016 where he presented a Rainbow Flag to President Obama.
  • archives Partner — Collaborative relationship to support and empower the foundation's mission
  • artists Partner — Collaborative relationship to support and empower the foundation's mission
  • educational institutions Partner — Collaborative relationship to support and empower the foundation's mission
  • museums Partner — Collaborative relationship to support and empower the foundation's mission
  • non-profits Partner — Collaborative relationship to support and empower the foundation's mission
  • strategic partnerships Partner — Engages in strategic partnerships to advance educational and inspirational initiatives.
  • the press Partner — Collaborative relationship to support and empower the foundation's mission
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Grassroots and Legal Advocacy Partnerships
    methodology: legal_and_grassroots_advocacy
    By equipping grassroots advocates with tactical toolkits and forming strategic partnerships with civil rights organizations, the foundation combats political and legal restrictions on LGBTQ+ symbols because coordinated civic pressure and legal advocacy amplify community resistance and institutionalize protections for symbolic expression.
  • Story-Based Public Education and Advocacy
    methodology: story_based_advocacy
    By using personal stories, photographs, and digital storytelling to illustrate the global significance of the Rainbow Flag, the organization educates the public and inspires action because narrative fosters empathy, humanizes abstract rights issues, and strengthens transnational solidarity—particularly for LGBTQ+ individuals in high-risk environments.
  • Symbolic Activism through the Rainbow Flag
    methodology: symbolic_activism
    By stewarding and amplifying the Rainbow Flag as a living, evolving symbol, the organization advances LGBTQ+ visibility and liberation because shared symbols create collective identity, foster pride, and resist erasure. This includes defending its use against bans, promoting its display in public spaces, and grounding it in personal and historical narratives to sustain cultural relevance.