Our Partners in Impact: Anthony Pritzker Family Foundation

In April 2025, at a pivotal moment of growth for Rainbow Labs, we received a $15,000 unrestricted capacity-building grant from the Anthony Pritzker Family Foundation.

At the time, we weren’t just thinking about programs. We were thinking about sustainability. About infrastructure. About how to ensure that every mentorship circle, every leadership workshop, every summer lab, and every safe-space conversation for LGBTQ+ youth could continue to grow — and grow well.

This investment allowed us to do something powerful: strengthen the foundation beneath the work.

Over the past year, that support has shown up in meaningful and tangible ways.

It showed up in our monthly professional development sessions, where our team gathered to sharpen skills in trauma-informed care, inclusive programming, and youth development tailored specifically to LGBTQ+ young people. It showed up in August 2025, when our entire staff came together for an all-staff retreat — a moment to realign, dream bigger, and build deeper connection as a team. And it showed up again in January 2026, when we held a wellness retreat, prioritizing the mental and emotional health of the very people who show up every day for our youth.

Because when we care for our staff, they can better care for LGBTQ+ youth.

This grant also helped us take a major step forward in leadership. With this support, we hired our new Director of Operations, Grecia Mondragon. Grecia now directly supports nine team members overseeing programming, marketing, and fundraising — strengthening the engine that powers Rainbow Labs.

Since stepping into her role, Grecia has helped elevate our financial and programmatic reporting systems and updated our HR policies and procedures, bringing clarity, structure, and accountability to our growing organization. As Rainbow Labs expands, her leadership ensures that we are scaling responsibly and sustainably.

And perhaps one of the most visible transformations has been our new office space in Downtown Los Angeles.

What began as an operational investment has quickly become a living, breathing community hub. This space now hosts our One Bold 4-week summer program. It serves as a landing space for LGBTQ+ youth between programs — a place to feel safe, seen, and supported. It houses our Leadership Lab and will soon launch a new Tech & Computer Club this summer, expanding access to technology and skill-building for our young people.

Behind the scenes, the grant also helped cover expanding administrative costs — HR, finance, payroll — the often unseen but essential backbone of a sustainable nonprofit.

Since our founding, Rainbow Labs has engaged over 500 LGBTQ+ youth and 100 LGBTQ+ adult mentors through programs like Storytelling Lab, Accelerator Lab, Youth Council, Sports Lab, and Leadership Lab. We partner with more than 30 afterschool programs and public agencies across Los Angeles County. And we do this work in response to urgent realities — including the fact that 1 in 5 foster youth in Los Angeles identifies as LGBTQ+, and more than half of transgender youth have contemplated suicide.

Capacity-building may not always make headlines, but it makes impact possible.

The Anthony Pritzker Family Foundation’s investment was not just about operational support — it was about belief. Belief that LGBTQ+ youth deserve mentorship. Belief that organizations rooted in community should have strong foundations. Belief that sustainability matters.

We are deeply grateful for this partnership and for the trust placed in Rainbow Labs.