Impact: Institute Annual Report 2016-2017

MIDWEST INSTITUTE FOR SEXUALITY AND GENDER DIVERSITY

A N N U A L

C E L E B R AT I N G

MBLGTACC @ 25

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R E P O R T

O U R N E X T QUARTER-CENTURY

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T H E PAT H FORWARD

PRE-LAUNCH Nick Pfost @nickpfost 20 Apr 2016 I currently have 34 tabs open in @googlechrome.

That's not including the 23 for @SGDInstitute in the separate window, minimized... for now ;) 2

T-00:00 "WITH GREAT PRIDE, WE ANNOUNCE THE LAUNCH OF THE MIDWEST INSTITUTE FOR SEXUALITY AND GENDER DIVERSITY." PRESS RELEASE: OUR NEXT QUARTER CENTURY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2016, SGDINSTITUTE.ORG

Midwest Institute for Sexuality and Gender Diversity September 12, 2016 “For twenty-five years, MBLGTACC has brought together students from around the United States for a few days each year to learn and grow through the knowledge and experiences of others."

Our next quarter century | Midwest Institute for Sexuality and Gender Diversity LANSING, MI--With great pride, we announce the... sgdinstitute.org 24

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4,349 people reached

MBLGTACC 2017 @mblgtacc2017 12 Sep 2016 We are so excited to be a part of this amazing step forward for LGBTQ+ Midwesterners!

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Erica Shekell @eShekell 12 Sep 2016 Proud to have been a part of @MBLGTACC2013 and the early conversations that eventually gave birth to this org!

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Alex C. Lange @itsAlexCL 12 Sep 2016 Kudos to @SGDInstitute, @jdrwe, @RozeWithaZee, @nickpfost and others on formalizing and launching this!

SGD Institute @SGDInstitute We're so #proud to officially announce the launch of the @SGDInstitute. sgdinstitute.org/news/post/our-...#mblgtacc 4

UWO LGBTQ Center @UWOLBGTQ 12 Sep 2016

Exciting news from the Midwest queer academic front!

Our next quarter century LANSING, MI--With great pride, we announce the Midwest Institute for Sexuality and Gender Diversity. sgdinstitute.org 1

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RB the enby @RozeWithaZee 12 Sep 2016 The seratonin has been flowing today with the outpour of folks supporting the launch of the @SGDInstitute website!

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Midwest Institute for Sexuality and Gender Diversity September 13, 2016 We're recruiting! Apply for a role suited to your skills and interests, or share this announcement with your friends and colleagues.

Make an impact--Join the Institute's leadership team The Institute is currently recruiting motivated and committed candidates to join its leadership team. sgdinstitute.org 86

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13,150 people reached

Justin Drwencke @jdrwe 17 Sep 2016 Come join us and help change the world.

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DECEMBER 2017

Hello

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Our story

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"Our resistance has always been queer"

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Growth and visibility

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A message from our chief executive officer ANNUAL REPORT CEO/Executive Editor: Justin Drwencke CMO/Editor: Nick Pfost CFO: Khamille De Lara Contributors: Katie Barnes, Noah Barth, Roze R.B. Brooks, Khamille De Lara, Justin Drwencke, Andrea Swick Design: Nick Pfost Cover: theispot Photographers: Ed Negron, Nick Pfost, Brie Weipert, Andrea Swick 4

And the next quarter century

The state of our flagship program, MBLGTACC Looking back at a year of firsts

ALSO FEATURED

Looking forward

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Financial overview

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Governance

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Hello.

I

t’s a curious and sometimes misunderstood place, the Midwest. In 2017, some still ask if queer work is even possible here. I embrace the idea that it is not

only possible, but it is happening and we exist to do our part. For all of its intricacies and challenges, I am proud to call the Midwest my home.

In the early 1990s, the mainstream gay, lesbian, and bisexual rights movement—a movement which ignored the needs and contributions of trans and gender nonconforming folx—continued to gain momentum on the coasts, building upon decades of critical community-building and access to the political and cultural capital those places offer. The Midwest was overlooked.

Separated from the work happening on the coasts

Midwest experience. Yet, there is no singular Midwest

by geography and resources, Midwestern student

experience, much like there is no singular queer

leaders and activists took it upon themselves to

experience. We are committed to serving the whole

create their own change. They launched the Midwest

community. We are hard at work to develop new

Bisexual Lesbian Gay College Conference (MBLGCC,

programs that serve Midwest LGBTQIA+ college

now MBLGTACC), and decades of student leaders

students, and to enhance our existing programs.

carried the event forward. Who could imagine that the conference would persist—even thrive—for 26

As I look back on the first year of the Institute—our year

years? As the conference grew in size and scope,

of firsts—I find there is much to be proud of. Looking

new challenges arose. To assist in overcoming these

forward, there is much to be done. To present our

challenges, the Midwest Institute for Sexuality and

major accomplishments and our vision for the future, I

Gender Diversity was created. We are proud to carry

am proud to present the 2016-17 annual report for the

on the legacy of the student leaders and activists who

Midwest Institute for Sexuality and Gender Diversity.

came before us, and to support and uplift the next generations.

With pride,

Founded in early 2016, the Institute formed within the context of Ferguson and Flint; after the United States Supreme Court decided Obergefell v. Hodges, but also not long after former Indiana Governor—now Vice President—Mike Pence signed the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act. These events inform the

Justin Drwencke Institute CEO

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OUR STORY

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MIDWEST INSTITUTE FOR SEXUALITY AND GENDER DIVERSITY ANNUAL REPORT

I

n the early 1990s, planners of the inaugural Midwest

Those are the questions that members of the

Bisexual Lesbian Gay College Conference, or

MBLGTACC OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE—then, the

MBLGCC (now MBLGTACC), could scarcely imagine

conference’s legal decision-making body—asked

that their gathering of a couple hundred LGBTQIA+

themselves for a number of years. In 2015, they

students from the “fly-over states” would endure for

created an ad hoc committee to explore the potential

a quarter-century. Even scarcer would be the thought

for building a national board to provide basic

of that conference spawning a professional nonprofit

services, assume legal and financial liabilities, and

dedicated to building on their mission.

share expertise that would support the conference’s

BUT MORE THAN 25 YEARS LATER, THIS HISTORY IN THE MAKING.

continued growth, visibility, and spirit of constant innovation. And in 2016, the Institute officially launched. We’re dedicated to the long-term development of the conference, to supporting the

Two hundred attendees became two thousand. A

intrepid young leaders who make it all happen, and to

conference budget of a few thousand dollars—kept on

seeking out new opportunities to connect, educate, and

scratch paper—became $180,000. Student planners,

empower LGBTQIA+ college students from around the

dedicated to connecting, educating, and empowering

Midwest and beyond. ■

their peers in the Midwest, continued to innovate programming, logistics, communications, and more.

As all of these things grew together, so grew the magnitude and complexity of the undertaking itself.

And because the conference would be managed by a new team of students each year, efficiencies and standards normally achieved in organizations over time did not fully map onto subsequent years.

Conference planning teams found themselves reinventing basic processes and tools year after year.

What new heights could they reach if they had the ability to dedicate even more focus to the mission of their conference? What if they were given permission to dream their biggest dreams, and the reliable, experienced mentorship to make that a reality?

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MISSION WE EMPOWER STUDENTS OF DIVERSE SEXUALITIES AND GENDERS TO INSPIRE SUSTAINABLE CHANGE; LEAD HIGHER EDUCATION COLLEAGUES IN RELEVANT AND

INCLUSIVE

PRACTICES;

AND

ADVANCE

KNOWLEDGE OF SEXUALITY AND GENDER THROUGH ADVOCACY AND EXPANSIVE PROGRAMMING.

VISION WE

RE-ENVISION

AN

EDUCATIONAL

CLIMATE

THAT CENTERS THE NEEDS AND EXPERIENCES OF

SYSTEMICALLY

DISADVANTAGED

STUDENTS

AND AFFIRMS AND ENCOURAGES SEXUALITY AND GENDER DIVERSITY.

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VALUES OUR CORE VALUES ARE STATEMENTS OF WHO WE 1, 2, 3...

ARE AND HOW WE PRIORITIZE THE WORK THAT WE DO. THEY SHAPE HOW WE OPERATE AS A TEAM AND ORGANIZATION. THEY GROUND US, IN EVERYTHING WE DO, IN OUR VISION, MISSION, AND PURPOSE. ACCESSIBILITY

ADVOCACY

We provide opportunities that are considerate

We uplift the voices of systemically

of varying intellectual, physical, and financial

disadvantaged students and colleagues as well

capacities and levels of college readiness.

as act as accomplices to all those participating in anti-oppression work.

ACCOUNTABILITY

COMMUNITY

We vow transparency in our processes, take

Through intentional collaboration, we liaise for

ownership of our limitations and commit to

various social justice efforts to build sustainable

continuous self-work. Through this modeling, we

coalitions and strengthen relationships across

expect and challenge our colleagues and partners

difference.

to do the same.

EDUCATION

LIBERATION

We emphasize the importance of culturally

We situate ourselves in this work with

relevant academic experiences and expanding

determination to annihilate systemic barriers,

understandings of students’ integration into

combat deeply ingrained beliefs and practices

campus life.

that negatively impact our communities, and conduct our work with urgency toward an inevitable revolution.

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OUR RESISTANCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN QUEER PATRISSE CULLORS,

co-founder of Black Lives Matter, addresses 2300+ students, advisors, and attendees at MBLGTACC 2017 in Chicago, IL.

S O C I A L

F EE D

patrisse cullors @OsopePatrisse 17 Feb 2017 #mblgtacc2017 it's conferences like these that helped me survived my Queer childhood.

What a beautiful space today! We are Power!

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MIDWEST INSTITUTE FOR SEXUALITY AND GENDER DIVERSITY ANNUAL REPORT

MBLGTACC IS THE

dream the MBLGCC into existence. They wanted to be part of the solution; to give a voice to queer students

LARGEST AND OLDEST

in the Midwest; and to make it and MBLGTACC a

CONTINUOUSLY-HELD

thought leaders. They sought to create an oasis in what

destination for acclaimed entertainers, activists, and JUSTIN CONNOR (MBLGCC ‘94) would later call “a

queer desert.”

LGBTQIA+ COLLEGE

The group came together a year later to lay down the

CONFERENCE IN THE

organizing principles and logistical roadmap for a

NATION. WHAT'S ON THE

a college or university in the Midwest. The first annual

conference of LGBT students, to be held each year at MBLGCC was held at IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY in February 1993, a collaborative effort between students

HORIZON AND WHERE

at Iowa State and DRAKE UNIVERSITY.

WILL OUR INTREPID

As MBLGTACC grew in its first fifteen years, new challenges and opportunities emerged. The budget

QUEER AND TRANS

got bigger—way bigger. The logistics of hosting the

STUDENTS TAKE IT NEXT?

demographics of attendees became increasingly

conference grew larger and more complex. The diverse. Ensuring consistency in communication, program quality, community standards, leadership

PICTURE IT. DES MOINES. 1991.

P

lanned and organized entirely by students—a tradition that proudly continues today—MBLGTACC emerged in the

early 1990s as an answer to the question of how to connect, educate, and empower queer students throughout the region.

This came at a time when the continued growth of the mainstream lesbian, gay, and bisexual rights movement—largely

2006

2000 2005 2007

1996 1999 2010

underrepresenting transgender and gender non-conforming folx—was most present and powerful on the east and west coasts, isolating students in the Midwest from

2018

1993 2004 2012

national LGBT work by geography, political realities, and access to resources.

In 1991, a group of college students at

2014

1995 1998 2001 2008 2015 2017

2002 2011 2013 1994 1997 2009 2016

2003

another conference in Des Moines came together around this reality and dared to

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MBLGTACC Hosts and Themes 1993-2019

Figure 2.

1993

Iowa State University and Drake University First annual MBLGCC

1994

Earlham College (Indiana) Greetings from the 90s... Wish You Were Here Queer

management became a

1995

Southern Illinois University at Carbondale Building Queer Success in the Midwest

And, beyond the confines

1996

Beloit College (Wisconsin) Building Queer Success in the Midwest

1997

Indiana State University We're Here! We're Queer! We're Fabulous!

to limit our freedoms and

1998

University of Illinois at Chicago Across the Fruited Plain

shame, intimidation, and

1999

University of Wisconsin-Madison Moving Forward, Looking Back

2000

Saint Cloud State University (Minnesota) Making Waves Into the New Millenium

2001

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Out and About: Breaking the Silence, Breaking the Boundaries, Breaking the Labels

2002

Michigan State University Still Moving Forward

2003

The Ohio State University Loving with Pride

2004

Iowa State University Speak Up! Speak Out! Celebrating the Power of Communication to Fight Hate and Fear

2005

Saint Cloud State University (Minnesota) Building the Bridge to Bring It All Together

2006

University of South Dakota Painting the Rainbow: Celebrating Unity Through Diversity

2007

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Alphabet Soup: No Matter the Letter We Stand Together

2008

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Voting for Change: Liberty and Justice for All

previous year’s conference,

2009

Indiana University-Bloomington Living Out Loud: Examining Our Past to Enhance Our Future

conference, as well as

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University of Wisconsin-Madison Get Real! Confronting Privilege, Provoking Dialogue, and Building New Foundations

from each state in our region.

2011

University of Michigan Justice or Just Us? Achieving Liberty and Justice for All

Under this framework,

2012

Iowa State University The Butterfly Effect: Evolution to Revolution

grow in size and reputation,

2013

Michigan State University Mosaic: Putting the Pieces Together

2014

University of Missouri-Kansas City Jazzin' it Up

2015

Illinois State University Narrating a New Normal

business standards. In 2015,

2016

Purdue University Introspection at the Crossroads

authorized the incorporation

2017

DePaul University, Loyola University-Chicago, and Northeastern Illinois University United in Solidarity

2018

University of Nebraska-Omaha All Roads Lead to Intersectionality

2019

Wichita State University (Kansas)

preparedness, and financial significant undertaking. of MBLGTACC, our nation’s leaders approved measures perpetuate a culture of discrimination, making the conference more necessary than ever.

Responding to this evolution, participants and organizers established an oversight committee at the 2007 conference (UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA-TWIN CITIES).

Their charge? To guide multi-year visioning, evaluate conference operations, and select future conference host campuses. That body, which continues to provide oversight and advice, consists of members representing the current conference, the and the following year’s popularly elected delegates

MBLGTACC continued to and some challenges persisted or re-emerged with turnover on the Oversight Committee and underdeveloped the Oversight Committee of a nonprofit organization and recruitment of a professional, volunteer staff to assume these responsibilities.

MBLGTACC AT 25 2017 wasn’t just a milestone year. Our 25th annual MBLGTACC brought on a

incarceration, and our collective resistance were perhaps more timely than ever.

new caliber of conversation with the inclusion of Black Lives Matters co-

The 2017 conference was the first iteration of navigating

founder PATRISSE CULLORS; trans+

a relationship between the Institute and the student

activist JENNICET GUTIÉRREZ; and

planning teams. This was a pivot year of determining

intersex activist PIDGEON PAGONIS as prominently featured voices.

where the Institute could most ideally support the 2017 conference planners with their vision-in-progress.

Undergirding our model is the belief that, if we

As the first conference hosted after the 2016 election,

undertake essential business functions and provide

messages about racial justice, immigration and

critical guidance and mentorship, we are creating a

“This weekend marks the 25th conference -- 25th time gathering together around the region to be in community, take ownership of our various identities, and challenge ourselves to engage in necessary conversation to continue proving that our region is contributing to the movement.” - ROZE R. B. BROOKS F O R T H E N E X T Q U A R T E R C E N T U R Y O F M B L G TA C C

FUNDRAISING FOR STUDENT SUPPORT At MBLGTACC 2017, we launched our first fundraising initiative to develop scholarship funds and defray the cost of attendance for students limited by their financial means.

In addition to meeting the Institute's humans, visitors to our exhibitor booth had the

opportunity to purchase a limited-edition, commemorative MBLGTACC 25th anniversary ceramic mug or BPA-free water bottle, with all proceeds directed to the initiative. We're delighted to report that, through this effort, we raised $1,169.96.

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supportive environment for their professional

S O CIAL

FEED

development and enabling them to focus on the creative, educational, and programmatic visions they want the conference to center. The learning curves from this unprecedented relationship provided the operations division with ample ideas for how to improve this relationship moving forward.

Through the execution of the 2017 conference, it has been observed that a revamp and envisioning of the existing Oversight Committee is a worthy consideration moving forward. Working with our vice president for climate assessment, early plans for enhancing and determining a new purpose for this entity are in the works. As a means to start conceptualizing what the new purpose of the group may be, the Institute facilitated a lengthy

Robyn Ochs @robynochs 11 Feb 2017 I'm so excited to be a Featured Voice at #mblgtacc2017 next weekend - it's one of my absolutely favorite conferences. #professionalbisexual 3

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Midwest Institute for Sexuality and Gender Diversity shared their video.

February 17, 2017 Today marks the beginning of the 25th annual MBLGTACC! All of the students who have participated in MBLGTACC over the last 25 years should be proud of their accomplishments. Thank you for being the change. Here is to another #25queeryears Our message: http://sgdin.st/2l3o4Uh

conversation with the state representatives regarding continuous improvement of the conference.

As the 2018 conference is steadily underway, we are able to recognize many first takes on the relationship between the Institute, the student planners, and the campus relations coordinator. It is exciting to host the conference

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27 shares

4.1K views

4,754 reached

in the state of Nebraska for the first time in the conference’s history. As we set our sights on heading to Omaha, we have been able to offer more resources, support, and services to the planning team than was readily available for the 2017 planners. This includes a fully developed

Sebastian Kay @seb1ks 2 Apr 2017 A belated thank you @SGDInstitute for #MBLGTACC2017 and making me feel safe.

I wouldn't have come out if it wasn't for you.

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and tailored website, a more refined registration tool, and more direct support on marketing,

development and programming strategies. ■

HERE'S TO YOU─To celebrate the 25th annual MBLGTACC, the Institute debuted a 3-minute video celebrating the contributions

and legacy of a quarter century of student activists, thinkers, and leaders, without whom the conference would not still be around.

Featuring voice of 1994 conference planner Justin Connor, with help from fellow '94 planner Josh Riley and 2013 planner Erica Shekell.

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WATCH: youtube.com/c/sgdinstituteorg

Figure 3.

Figure 4.

Evolution of the MBLGTACC name and organizational structure

Key MBLGTACC numbers and stats

MILESTONE YEARS MBLGCC (1993-96)

1993 First MBLGCC Iowa State University and Drake University Ames, IA 1997

MBLGTCC (1997-00)

We’re Here, We’re Queer, We’re Fabulous Indiana State Univ.

Indianapolis, IN “Transgender” added to conference name.

2001 MBLGTACC (2001-present)

Out and About: Breaking the Silence, Breaking the Boundaries, Breaking the Labels Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Campaign, IL “Ally” added to conference name.

2007 Alphabet Soup: No Matter the Letter, We Stand Together University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Oversight Committee created

2015 Oversight Committee authorizes creation of a non-profit with professional staff

M B L G TA C C B Y T H E N U M B E R S

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states in our region will have hosted MBLGTACC at least once, as of 2019

24 Students from

schools will have planned and hosted MBLGTACC, as of 2019

2.3K+ 34 Students from

students attended MBLGTACC 2017 in Chicago

states have attended MBLGTACC

MBLGTACC 2017 generated

$19.3K in net revenue for the Institute and future conferences

Student support is one of our primary fundraising goals

MBLGTACC has attracted leading advocates and thought leaders including Angela Davis, Robyn Ochs, Janet Mock, Laverne Cox, Kate Bornstein, Patrisse Cullors (pictured below), Faisal Alam, Jennicet Gutiérrez (pictured below), and LZ Granderson; and entertainers and artists including RuPaul, Bianca del Rio (pictured below), Todrick Hall, Margaret Cho, J Mase III, Chely Wright (pictured below), and Loren Cameron.

2016 Midwest Institute for Sexuality and Gender Diversity launches

DISCOVER MORE MBLGTACC HISTORY :

sgdinstitute.org/mblgtacc 15

GROWTH & VISIBILITY As we’ve continued to find our footing, year one has been marked by a series of proud firsts. We were excited to expand our human capacity, explore new programming, and engage key networks and stakeholders.

S O C I A L

F EE D

Justin Drwencke @jdrwe 7 Feb 2017 .@MBLGTACC2017 in 10 days. Much to do first, but I can't wait to be w/ the full @SGDInstitute team. Are you joining us for #25QueerYears?

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Katie Barnes @katie_barnes3 27 Jun 2017 I choose to be publicly out because that's what I need to live authentically. I also believe in the idea that being visible helps someone.

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MIDWEST INSTITUTE FOR SEXUALITY AND GENDER DIVERSITY ANNUAL REPORT

A YEAR OF FIRSTS FIRST LEADERSHIP TEAM The Institute’s leadership is entirely volunteer. From our social media specialist to the chief executive officer, each member of the team works to support the mission of the organization without financial compensation.

We do this because the work is important, we believe in the vision and mission of the Institute.

FIRST BOARD MEMBERS Throughout the year, we’ve continued to evaluate the team we have and the roles we play to ensure the Institute is best-prepared to carry out its mission. Initially, the Institute was designed so that the executive leadership of the organization served as its board of directors. However, as we defined the vision of the organization, we identified that recruiting an independent board of directors would bring greater value to the organization. We’ve been very intentional and

Justin Drwencke Chief Executive Officer

Roze R. B. Brooks Chief Operations Officer

Khamille De Lara Chief Financial Officer

deliberate about recruiting board members, starting by defining the value we hoped to realize by recruiting a board and naming specific skills and perspectives we wanted to included.

Recruiting a diverse set of identities has been a priority throughout the process. We’ve recruited three board members so far and we look forward

Nick Pfost Chief Marketing Officer

Andrea Swick Chief Technology Officer

Katie Barnes Chief Development Officer

Mariam Mustafa Lee Dyer Robert Alberts VP for Climate VP for Community Campus Relations Assessment Accountability (former) Coordinator

Kate Miller Campus Relations Coordinator

Michelle Walters Social Media Specialist

Noah Barth Historian

to engaging in conversation with additional candidates to build the board.

Matthew Anderson Varnum Law

Bryan Guffey Netsmart Technologies

T.K. Morton Edgewood College 17

INAUGURAL 'STATE OF THE REGION' PANEL

IT'S FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Our inaugural STATE OF THE REGION panel,

Under the guidance of our chief development

orchestrated and executed by members of the Institute

officer, KATIE BARNES, we’ve undertaken our first

team at the 2017 conference, was a vital outlet for our

development plan that we expect to position us to:

organization to provide commentary, insight and take attendees to task on pressing and prominent issues facing our broader community. We envision this programming model will become a staple presentation by the Institute at upcoming conferences. Panelists,

• hire a full-time paid staff member within two years, and • establish stipends for c-suite level folx within one year.

pictured above, were (L-R) NICK PFOST, ROZE R. B.

To achieve those goals, we anticipate requiring a

BROOKS, JUSTIN DRWENCKE, KATIE BARNES, and

2019 baseline revenue of $100,000 from across four

LEE DYER.

focus areas: individual donations, board recruitment, revenue-generating programs, and partnerships.

FIRST PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTS • KATIE BARNES and ROZE R. B. BROOKS represented the Institute at Creating Change 2017, our first official professional presence at another conference.

• Our first MBLGTACC under the new relationship between planning teams and the Institute included crisis planning and real-time response, trainings and mentorship, and resource creation.

• For the first time, MBLGTACC will be hosted at schools in Nebraska (2018) and Kansas (2019).

• First official historian for MBLGTACC: NOAH BARTH. Noah is responsible for investigating the

rich history of the conference. Noah has worked with several archives to track down details from its 25-year history.

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MIDWEST INSTITUTE FOR SEXUALITY AND GENDER DIVERSITY ANNUAL REPORT

We view the responsibility for this plan as highly collaborative. We love the work that we are doing, and therefore we can ask those around us to invest in this work and in us as leaders.

FIRST TWEET SGD Institute @sgdinstitute 11 Sep 2016 We're getting outselves ready to make some exciting announcements this week—stay tuned, friends! #myfirsttweet 5

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Figure 5.

RAISING VISIBILITY

Visibility overview

INSTITUTE METRICS FOR VISIBILITY

WE BELIEVE THAT DOING OUR JOBS WELL REQUIRES THAT WE AFFIRMATIVELY ACT TO MAKE OURSELVES VISIBLE. For this, we need to be easily found, reach others where

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they are, and actively engage in our communities and

+

networks. Our approach to this includes a coordinated set of efforts, within operating constraints, spanning traditional and social marketing, public engagement,

Tweets

and key initiatives and partnerships. We’ve taken first steps in this process, including:

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• Making a public statement regarding the Trump-

+

Pence Administration's withdrawal of transinclusive federal guidance on Title IX;

Facebook Likes

• Hosting an State of the Region panels at MBLGTACC in 2017, 2018, and beyond;

00:02:06 Average duration of visit, sgdinstitute.org

• Creating and maintaining a website with news, program information, history, leadership, and resources; • Engaging our audiences on social media; • Ensuring search engine optimization; • Co-branding on flagship MBLGTACC pieces and

3,248 Page views, sgdinstitute.org

any future external partnerships; • Including LGBT journalists and journalists at LGBT publications on our news advisory list; • Recruiting a board; • Encouraging our leadership and board to include the Institute in bios for their other affiliations;

2300

+

students at MBLGTACC 2017 saw our 25th anniversary video

• Taking the lead on inviting schools to bid to host MBLGTACC; • Advertising in MBLGTACC programs, and also at Creating Change going forward; • Having an official presence at Creating Change ; • Developing a visual identity and brand standards guide for the Institute;

12,958 email touchpoints with our audiences and MBLGTACC attendees

• Creating branded video; • Ongoing initiative to deliver workshops at MBLGTACC; and • Exploring relationships with similarly situated organizations. ■

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LOOKING FORWARD

S O C I A L

F EE D

Josh Riley February 15, 2017 I am INCREDIBLY excited to be spending the weekend at MBLGTACC 2017 in Chicago, IL. I attended the very first conference in 1993 in Ames, Iowa, and then helped co-plan the second conference, held at Earlham College in 1994. That year, 250 students from around the Midwest attended. Now, in its 25th year, the conference hosts upwards of 2,000 attendees and is the largest and oldest queer student run conference in the U.S., and it even sparked the creation of a non-profit to help carry its vision forward, the Midwest Institute for Sexuality and Gender Diversity. Happy 25th Anniversary, alphabet soup conference! See you on Friday!

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4 comments

MIDWEST INSTITUTE FOR SEXUALITY AND GENDER DIVERSITY ANNUAL REPORT

Mariam Mustafa shared Midwest Institute for Sexuality and Gender Diversity's note, "Institute statement on withdrawal of federal guidance on trans+ students."

February 4, 2017 #protecttransyouth 9

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ HIGHLIGHTS OF NOTE

WE'LL DO MORE

We are grateful for the contributions everyone makes to

Over the next few months, we’ll finalize our first

the team, and we are amazed at the accomplishments

strategic plan. In the coming year, we look forward to

our team makes outside of the Institute. Some of these

fulfilling established goals and adjusting to emerging or

accomplishments include:

shifting priorities. We’ll begin mapping out strategies for success and then implementing them. We’ll

• ROBERT ALBERTS (they/them), campus

relations coordinator, graduated from University of Nebraska at Kearney with a master of science degree in education, with a specific focus on school counseling and student affairs. Robert has published research on queer identity

finalize recruitment for our board of directors. We’ll continue to explore and define our responsibilities and possibilities around climate and community accountability. We’ll define processes to ensure our history is well-documented and archived. We’ll seek opportunities for partnerships. We’ll announce a new

development within college students.

program. We'll do more. ■

• ROZE R. B. BROOKS (they/them), chief

operating officer, continues to advance the national discourse on trans and non binary lives through news outlets and their Medium blog.

• KATIE BARNES (they/them), chief development

officer, was named journalist of the year by The Association of LGBTQ Journalists. In additional to their work with the Institute, Katie writes about sports and culture for espnW.

2016-17 BY THE NUMBERS

A DOZEN 6 3 20K 88K 3 3 H U N D R E D S 5K team members across

$

+

in volunteer labor to build web assets

+

total volunteer hours across all divisions

$

states and

We built

+

in volunteer labor for marketing and design

time zones

websites

web apps

of leadership, c-suite, one-on-one, and project meetings in 2016 and 2017

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FINANCIAL WELLNESS INCOME STATEMENT, FY 2017 PRIOR FISCAL YEAR NET INCOME

$37,244.18

Contributed Revenue

$192,236.37

Donations

$27,452.00

Investment Income

$67.83

Net profit (or loss) from sales inventory

$1,169.96

NET REVENUE

$220,926.16

Professional Fees

$40,905.02

Occupancy Fees

$151,038.58

Printing, Publications (Marketing)

$358.00

Other Expenses

$11,727.10

NET EXPENSES

$204,028.70

NET INCOME

$ 54,141.64

Figure 6.

Net revenue, by percent FY 2017

12%

Donations

<1%

Investment income and net profit from sales

87%

Contributed revenue

Figure 7.

Net expenses, by percent FY 2017

5%

Other expenses

<1%

BALANCE SHEET, FY 17 Beginning of Fiscal Year

End of Fiscal Year

Cash, Savings, and Investments

$37,244.18

$54,141.64

Professional fees

Land and Buildings

-

-

74%

Other Assets

-

-

TOTAL ASSETS

$37,244.18

$54,141.64

TOTAL LIABILITIES

-

-

NET ASSETS

22

Printing, publication

$37,244.18

$54,141.64

MIDWEST INSTITUTE FOR SEXUALITY AND GENDER DIVERSITY ANNUAL REPORT

20%

Occupancy fees

Due to rounding, numbers expressed as percentages may not add up to 100.00%

Governance VOLUNTEER STAFF

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CONTACT INFORMATION

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T.K. MORTON Edgewood College Madison, WI

NICK PFOST Chief Marketing Officer nick@sgdinstitute.org ANDREA SWICK Chief Technology Officer andrea@sgdinstitute.org KATIE BARNES Chief Development Officer katie@sgdinstitute.org MARIAM MUSTAFA Vice President for Climate Assessment mariam@sgdinstitute.org ROBERT ALBERTS Campus Relations Coordinator robert@sgdinstitute.org KATE MILLER Campus Relations Coordinator kate@sgdinstitute.org MICHELLE WALTERS Social Media Specialist michelle@sgdinstitute.org NOAH BARTH Historian noah@sgdinstitute.org

Historical archives noah@sgdinstitute.org MBLGTACC rb@sgdinstitute.org Press or media inquiries marketing@sgdinstitute.org Social media facebook.com/sgdinstitute flickr.com/sgdinstitute instagram.com/sgdinstitute issuu.com/sgdinstitute twitter.com/sgdinstitute youtube.com/c/sgdinstituteorg Sponsorships & giving justin@sgdinstitute.org Website comments webmaster@sgdinstitute.org

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