named programs · 2 · from sources
What they call their work
50-State Story Tour
Travel-based initiative to collect and archive personal narratives from LGBTQ+ individuals across all 50 states, highlighting regional and intersectional experiences.
Voices
Storytelling project featuring personal narratives organized by identity categories such as Black, Asian-Pacific Islander, Indigenous, Immigrant, Elders, and Women within the LGBTQ+ community.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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LGBTQ+ Cultural Competency & Community Education 3 activities
- Distributes LGBTQIA+ stories for professional useDistributes a curated collection of 17 first-person video stories to family counselors for use in supporting clients on LGBTQIA+ issues.
- Hosts public forums on LGBTQIA+ life and issuesOrganizes and operates public forums that raise awareness of LGBTQIA+ life and issues, creating space for individuals to share their experiences and foster dialogue.
- Provides storytelling coaching and development supportOffers one-on-one coaching to LGBTQIA+ individuals to help them develop and record their personal stories for inclusion in public archives and outreach efforts.
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Oral History Collection and Preservation 2 activities
- Collects and archives LGBTQIA+ personal storiesCollects, produces, and maintains a digital archive of over 1,400 first-person video, audio, and written oral histories from LGBTQIA+ individuals globally, including professionally produced content and user submissions, shared freely online to foster connection and understanding.
- Conducts national LGBTQIA+ story collection toursConducted a 4-month, 50-state story collection tour to document LGBTQIA+ experiences across the United States, with the resulting collection archived in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
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Cancer Awareness and Education Initiatives 1 activity
- Advocates for individuals facing health challengesEngages in advocacy for individuals facing serious health challenges such as cancer, informed by personal experience and recovery journey.
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Podcast and Radio Production 1 activity
- Produces LGBTQIA+ storytelling podcast seriesProduces and publishes themed podcast episodes featuring audio stories and discussions on LGBTQIA+ topics such as gender identity, bi-inclusion, and racism within the community, with hosts and special guests.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$344K
Contributions & grants$344K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$268K
Program expenses82%
Admin / overhead5%
Fundraising13%
Salaries & benefits$231K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$112K
Cash$11K
Investments$0
Liabilities$17K
Net assets$95K
Liquid reserves0.5 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +57.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nathan Manske | Executive Dir. | 40 | $96K |
board members · 6
- Dimitri Moise — Director
- Dr Gennifer Herley — Director
- Jason Costa — Chairman
- Melissa Driscol — Director
- Todd Grasinger — Treasurer
- William Bill Self — Secretary
relationships · 10
Who they work with
- Dr. Jacqueline Hudak, Ph.D., LMFT Partner — Collaborated on the creation of the Storytelling Toolkit for Family Counselors.
- Humanities New York Funder — Provides funding through a SHARP Grant for the podcast.
- IFD Podcast Partner — Collaborates on the production and distribution of LGBTQIA+ audio stories and discussions.
- National Endowment for the Humanities Funder — Supports the Humanities New York SHARP Grant that funds the podcast.
- New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Provides public funding support for the podcast in partnership with the City Council.
- Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History Partner — Archived the 50-State Story Tour, recognizing its cultural and historical significance.
- Sparky Town Partner — Location where a story was collected during the 50-State Story Tour in Syracuse, NY.
- Tobin Center Partner — Hosted a pride brunch event that was adapted to support the individual’s medical needs.
- YouTube Partner — Hosts IFD's story notifications, discussions, and community engagement through its platform.
- YouTube Partner — Platform used for sharing stories and building community engagement.
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.
- Equitable and Accessible Story Amplificationmethodology: story_equityBy implementing a Story Equity policy with structured amplification of BIPOC and non-cisgender-male voices, alongside accessibility practices like captions and transcripts, the organization ensures inclusive representation and access, because equitable curation and accessible formats enable broader participation and dignity across diverse identities and abilities.
- Storytelling as Empathy and Understandingmethodology: storytelling-for-empathyBy sharing first-person LGBTQIA+ stories through video, audio, and public forums, the organization fosters empathy, deepens public understanding, and shifts attitudes, because personal narratives create emotional resonance and humanize abstract social issues.
- Storytelling for Resilience and Belongingmethodology: storytelling-for-resilienceBy centering personal storytelling among LGBTQIA+ individuals—especially marginalized and elder voices—the organization promotes mental health resilience, reduces isolation, and fosters community belonging, because visibility and narrative ownership reinforce identity affirmation and collective connection.