Since 2003, Rainbow Families’ Annual Family Conference is the largest gathering of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ)headed family community in the region, drawing hundreds of families each year. Our Conference is a full day of workshops, inspiring speakers, awards/giveaways, and more. Our carefully structured workshop sessions allow LGBTQ+ families (and those considering family planning) to not only learn more about the topics that matter to them, but also to build on their own community of support. Unlike other massive conferences, attendees and sponsors appreciate our ‘mid-size’ scale which allows for more personalized connections and relationship building
Business sponsor at a variety of levels, with varying returns at each level. Sponsors can also opt to participate in our Resource Fair, to connect even more personally and directly with attendees. We honor our Sponsors with significant ROI, introductions to new potential customers, and the ability to be recognized throughout the year
In 2020, our conference was held as a virtual program, and thankfully saw our greatest attendance ever – even drawing attendees from across the United States. As such, our 2021 conference will be held virtually as well
Aside from sponsorship of our Annual Family Conference, we have a variety of opportunities for leading businesses to show support of equality and inclusion for LGBT families. Our combined channels reach up to 10,000 every month, our membership and engagement has grown solidly each month since 2017, and we offer several ways to reach the LGBT family market, a very loyal segment
Please, reach out to Darren Vance, Executive Director, to discuss how Rainbow Families can showcase your business or service
Rainbow Families is long recognized as a trusted, vetted nonprofit offering important services to the community
Your Monthly Donation Has Significant, Direct Impact in Supporting LGBTQ+ Families & Prospective Parents
Levels at $50 per month or greater, earn a Lifetime Membership in Rainbow Families:
Additionally, these levels of support, our Sustaining Heroes, receive a token of appreciation from Rainbow Families:
Rainbow Families’ educational programs, events and support programs
cannot happen without you.
Donations of any size vital to ensure we are here to support, connect, and
empower LGBTQ parents, families, and parents-to-be for years to come.
To make a gift, click above or mail a check to Rainbow Families, 5614 Connecticut Ave NW, #309, Washington, DC 20015.
Rainbow Families donations are tax deductible as allowed by law; please consult your tax adviser.
Thank you for supporting LGBTQ+ parents and parents-to-be and LGBTQ+ families
Rainbow Families
5614 Connecticut Ave NW #309
Washington DC 20015-2604
This outlines liability, photography, privacy & cookie (among other) policies. Participation in any Rainbow Families related event or program signifies agreement with these policies. Some events or programs may have their own additional rules and terms as well.
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To all who joined us May 14, 2022
THANK YOU for a memorable day – what a turnout – full of fellowship,
togetherness, empowerment and celebration.
Special thanks to Senator Zach Wahls, Keynote Speaker V Spehar, and Jon Kidder for
an emotional and powerful opening session, and congratulations to 2022’s Hero of the Year
recipient, Whitman-Walker Health CEO Naseema Shafi and Volunteer of the Year, Jamie McGonnigal
V joined Rainbow Families in 2021 as an Honorary Board Member. V is the Host/Creator of TikTok’s @underthedesknews with over 1.6 million subscribers. Under The Desk News offers 60 second daily wrap ups of current events, political analysis, and special interest stories “explained”. When not “under the desk” – V can be found as a frequent guest interviewer for Cherry Bombe, and as host of the @latimes tiktok.
V has been a decades-long champion for LGBTQ+ leadership in the policy and food space, having served as Director of Impact for the James Beard Foundation. They are also a founding board member of the Queer Food Foundation. V is beyond thrilled to join Rainbow Families.
Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs
In addition to being a Rainbow Families Board Member, Sean Carlson is the founder of Apollo Collaborative. Sean has over a decade of experience in strategic communications and online organizing and works at the intersection of digital media, culture, and organizing.
Formerly Chief Strategy Officer at Revolution Messaging and Senior Digital Director at FitzGibbon Media, Sean is an experienced strategist and consultant. He has worked with clients such as Resource Generation, Media Matters for America, Melissa & Doug Toys, the National Democratic Training Committee, the Clooney Foundation for Justice, Alliance for Justice, Care2, Amal Clooney, National Wildlife Federation, Communications Workers of America, Independent Driver’s Guild, National Center for Transgender Equality, Restaurant Opportunity Centers United, Casa Ruby, the American Federation of Teachers, Good Jobs Nation, People for the American Way, and many more. He has campaigned against corporate abuses, designed national public education campaigns, marketed award-winning documentary films, and created content that received national media coverage.
Sean has helped launch a nationwide campaign to close youth prisons, was the chair of communications for the United for Marriage coalition during the landmark marriage equality cases in 2013, and has served as a teaching and training fellow at the New Organizing Institute.
Sean was formerly a professional Trombonist, studying at Duquesne and Carnegie Mellon Universities, and is proud to have multiple degrees in Bass Trombone performance that he’s totally using (sorry Mom!). He lives in Hyattsville, MD with his husband Jamie McGonnigal, their son Malcolm and their dogs Lily and Rose.
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Eduardo is the Sr. Director of Account Management at Generali Global Assistance, with more than two decades of experience leading high performance operations centers, including customer facing departments as well as procurement and provider relationship areas. During his tenure, Eduardo also led the implementation and managed successfully global accounts of large scale clients in several different business lines. Eduardo currently volunteers at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in the neighborhood of Petworth in Washington DC and has had experience with nonprofit organizations supporting the elderly and children populations in his home country.
Native from Brazil, Eduardo lives in the District with his husband Nick, their two cats Liz and Valentino and their dog Xena.
Eduardo is thrilled to be part of Rainbow Families, to support LGBTQ+ families and their needs.
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Beth joined the board in 2019. Prior to that, she volunteered for many Maybe Baby groups about the realities of transracial adoption for queer families who are contemplating adopting across race. Beth has been actively involved in Rainbow Families for many years and has also worked at The Lambda Center and Whitman Walker Clinic.
Beth has a private practice as a psychotherapist specializing in trauma, gender, gender-Identity, sexuality, adoption, race and the intersectionality of identities. She consults with adoptive families raising children of color and works with white people to better understand white racial identity, white privilege and how to become better anti-racist advocates. Beth also works with organizations who want to address and have courageous conversations around issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. Beth has also appeared on radio shows and podcasts.
She lives in Silver Spring with her two domestically adopted African American boys. She parents her children with her ex-wife and is thrilled to be on the board of Rainbow Families.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Patrick and his husband Elliott first joined the Rainbow Families community as members of the Spring 2019 “Maybe Baby” cohort. The experience was highly beneficial for their family, and inspired Patrick to become more involved with the organization and to help other LGBTQ+ people explore a path to parenthood. He joined the Rainbow Families board in Summer 2020.
After graduating from the University of Virginia with a BA in History and African American & African Studies, Patrick began a career as an educator and non-profit fundraiser. He spent four years living and teaching at boarding schools in New York’s Hudson River Valley, where he developed a passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion education among students and colleagues. He currently works as the Director of Development Operations, Strategy, and Research at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac, MD.
Patrick and Elliott live in Washington DC, and proudly welcomed their newborn son, Kit, into the family through adoption in April 2020.
Pronouns: He/him/his
Rosemary joined the Board of Rainbow Families in 2018. Rosemary and her wife live in Washington DC with their cat, August.
Rosemary graduated from Wheeling Jesuit University with a BS in Accounting and Marketing. She is currently an assurance professional at Raffa, a regional public accounting firm and works with many nationally known non-profit organizations.
Previously, she worked at Ernst and Young, focusing for-profit audits and consulting. She is an official auditor for Miss DC USA pageant and a part-time beauty pageant judge.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Ali Don joined the board of Rainbow Families in 2020. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, she now lives in Capitol Hill in DC with her wife, daughter, and cat.
Ali has a BA in Modern Asian Studies, an MA in Applied Linguistics, and an MA in Education, and is currently working as an English as a Second Language teacher, English language examiner, and curriculum writer. She works with international students seeking scholarship in the US, or new Americans transitioning to the US workforce. She has also lived and taught English in Australia, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.
While living in Sydney, Ali was a seasoned worker the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras as parade route volunteer. She enjoys spending time hiking, camping, and tending to the family vegetable garden.
Liz joined the Board of Rainbow Families in 2019. Prior to that, she served on the Boards of the Jim Toy Community Center in Ann Arbor, MI and the DC Center for the LGBT Community. She has volunteered with Capital Pride, Point Foundation, and Women in Their Twenties & Thirties.
Liz has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and a Master’s degree in Human-Centered Computing. She has served in several UX/IT management roles in non-profit, for-profit, higher education, and consulting spaces. Liz is currently a Senior Content Strategist for a technology provider in the DMV area.
Liz lives in Washington, DC, with her wife. She is excited to be part of the Rainbow Families community, happy to be making a difference in the lives of LGBTQ+ families, and looking forward to taking on the role as Vice President of the Board in 2020-2021.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
