The Mahogany Center is moving!
When we established The Mahogany Project in 2017, it was always our intention to establish The Mahogany Center as Black trans and queer cultural hub that supports our community in more diverse and impactful ways ranging from arts and culture, civic engagement, storytelling, food security, and other community programming that reflects our people and the issues important to us.
We’re focused on fundraising $15,000 to help move us out of our current location. Support with a deposit for a new location and/or storage until we can find the perfect location.
To reach our goal for Phase One, we still need to fundraise $7,785. You can donate today to help us reach our goal, or become a long term sustainer to be part of our continued growth and keep track of our progress of each phase.
Without your support, the critical work we provide for the transgender community in Texas doesn’t make the impact it could.
As many know, most trans-led organizations in the South rely exclusively on individual donors like you- and philanthropic institutions to sustain our work.
The Mahogany Center
Relocation Fund
Learn more about our three-phase approach to our longterm goal of establishing The Mahogany Center’s forever home and owning the land it occupies.
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We’re focused on fundraising $15,000 to help move us out of the current location and mitigate the potential costs of storage during our search for a new space.
Funding Breakdown:
Moving Cost: $2,500
Moving and Packing Supplies: $1,500
Insurance: $885
Trash Hauling Service: $500
Painter(s): $500
Painting Supplies: $400
Move-out Cleaning: $500
Minimum Move-in Deposit: $3,000
Drywall Repair: $300
Supplies: $65
PO Box: $500
Uhaul Rental: $150
Snacks and Refreshments: $500
Additional Staff Support Hours: $3,700
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We will shift our focus to the long-term sustainability of the new space, and bringing the center to life with the inclusion of new programming, support recourse and building layout, and opportunities for new employee growth modalities. Our goal is to create generational wealth for community, and establish the first Black trans-led cultural hub in the South focused on preserving our history, telling our stories and resourcing our people.
Our fundraising goal in Phase Two will increase to $161,060.
Funding Breakdown
Annual Center Rent: $72,000 ($6,000 a month based on current market and square footage needed)
Annual Utilities Cost: $33,600
Annual Insurance Policy: $5,460
Staff Growth: $50,000
The numbers were established based on current funding needs, cuts to our organizational budget, and the current rental market based on areas we would like to occupy.
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This where ownership, community, cooperation, and endowment support will come into play, as we seek to own the land and building of the future Mahogany Cultural Center.
This will require a huge amount of support from community, with buy-in support to match, and help build a future focused on Black trans and queer liberation.
Please stay tuned as we work to locate our forever home, and establish a funding plan.
How Your Donations Fuel Our Impact
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Donate $5-80 Monthly
Our Ambassador donors help us meet the needs of our folks in need of real-time support- be it a bus pass to get to work or job interviews or relocate to a shelter, or help us reduce the costs of hygiene kits, toiletries, and safer sex supplies. $80 monthly can cover:
$3 is the cost of a “day pass” for Houston Metro | $77 for (1) one monthly pass for Houston Metro
$55 - $62 for one night of hotel lodging for our emergency housing clients
hygiene kits (toothbrush/toothpaste, bar soap, grooming supplies)
safer sex supplies packets for 35 clients
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Donate $80-100 Monthly
Our Sustainers are donors who help us provide key essential services in our community center. $100 monthly donors help us make a fast impact for folks who need it most:
Groceries for 2 weeks for our participants accessing the Food Pantry program
Hotel lodging for 1-2 nights for our unsheltered/unhoused folks
Food for participants accessing a workshop/events
Job interview clothing for participants accessing our Clothing Closet
Art supplies for our workshops and activities center
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Donate $150-200 Monthly
Our Champions are the angels we need more of in the world of social change. $200 monthly donors help us maximize our impact and in tremendous ways:
Name and Gender Marker change fee sponsorships for participants who don’t qualify for hardship waiver but can’t afford the cost of court fees
Full sponsorship of our Self Defense workshops for trans femmes
Groceries for 1 month for our participants accessing the Food pantry program
Sponsorship of trainings for peers on staff to learn effective peer counseling and motivational interviewing skills to support folks in our drop-in center effectively
Sponsorship of monthly bus passes and Uber Gift cards for folks in need
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Donate $250+ Monthly
Our Trailblazers see and know our vision and are maximizing our impact to heights we haven’t seen before at The Mahogany Project. $300 monthly donors help us provide all of the efforts we’ve previously listed combined. Clothing, Emergency Housing, Food Pantry & Grocery program, Bus Passes, and Peer Counseling, and more. In addition, the Trailblazer helps us in the following:
Sponsoring cost of venue rental, security, photography, and gift bags for our community events
Sponsoring costs of food/meals provided to participants of events/workshops/gatherings
Sponsoring travel costs for the Executive Director to drive/fly back and forth to the state capitol for advocacy and organizing efforts
Our Trailblazers are listed as premiere donors in event promotional materials and on our social media.
Other Ways to Give
Donate food to our food pantry! Support our grocery and food pantry program by purchasing or donating groceries. You can drop off your food items to our Community Center.
Donate new/gently used clothing to our Community Closet! TMP Members can shop our “boutique” for free clothing options. (Highly desired: tall clothing, plus-size clothing, menswear. Note: we currently cannot accept furniture or household items.
Other suggested donations:
$25: A hot meal, hygiene & toiletries kit
$50: Shoes, socks, and gender-affirming undergarments
$100: Jackets/coats, shoes & socks
$250: Bedding, bus pass, gift cards, hygiene & toiletries necessities
