Dear Funders for LGBTQ Issues Community,

When we relaunched our leadership search in February, we did so with lessons from the past year in mind and with a renewed commitment to conducting a rigorous national search to identify our next president. Today I am so pleased to share the outcome of that process and introduce you to Saida Agostini-Bostic, the next president of Funders for LGBTQ Issues.

Saida’s deep commitment to advancing justice, alignment with our values, and her inspiring vision resulted in a unanimous decision from our board of directors to appoint Saida as the next leader of our network. In Saida, our board and Leadership Transition Committee saw the qualities of a leader needed at this moment. In her former role as the Vice President of Member Services at YWCA USA, a national membership organization serving women and girls, Saida understands how to support a network of diverse constituents towards a common goal. As an activist and cultural worker, Saida has relentlessly uplifted the visibility of Black girls, women, and LGBTQ communities. Founder of the Rooted Collective, a gathering of Black LGBTQ healing justice activists in Baltimore, Saida is dedicated to building radical healing spaces that move us towards freedom.

Saida will join our network at an inspiring time for our organization and the sector at large. I certainly could not have imagined we would be sharing this news alongside the incredible gift to Funders for LGBTQ Issues and so many of our peers working to advance equity in the philanthropy and social justice movements. I am so excited to see how Saida will work with the board, staff, and members to collaboratively build the next chapter of our work together. As the organization enters its 40th year in 2022, Saida will work closely with our team, network, and movement leaders to guide our next strategic planning process. This process comes at the perfect moment to center justice, liberation, and joy for our communities in the future of our work.

Saida will join a strong and well-resourced organization thanks in no small part to the extraordinary leadership of Funders for LGBTQ Issues staff and our active and committed board. We have immense gratitude to our Interim President, Kristina Wertz, who provided tremendous leadership and direction, ensuring our strength and stability during such uncertain times over the past year. A special shout out to our Leadership Transition Committee of board and staff and Strategies for Social Change who put in countless hours to guide our values-driven search and transition process. The solid place we are in to welcome Saida was truly a team effort grounded in deep care and respect for each other and our shared work.

In his final letter as the outgoing president, Ben Francisco Maulbeck reflected on the astounding accomplishments we realized under his tenure and reminded us that “we still have so far to go to accomplish our vision of a world in which LGBTQ communities are equipped with resources that match the tremendous scale of our needs and the vast scope of our dreams.” I am so thrilled to welcome Saida to our talented and capable team to continue to pursue this vision. Saida will join the team on August 2nd.

I hope you will join us in welcoming her and celebrating this exciting moment for new leadership.

Sincerely,

Rickke Mananzala

Board Chair, Funders for LGBTQ Issues

You can find a press release with more information here and learn more about Saida in her bio, here. Please be on the lookout for more updates and opportunities to get to know Saida after her start date on August 2nd.