Why does Nashville Pride need to raise money right now? Corporate sponsors that have historically supported Nashville Pride pulled back this year, leaving us with a $250,000 budget gap. This is not unique to Nashville — Prides across the country are facing similar challenges. Without urgent community support, we risk losing Tennessee’s largest LGBTQIA+ gathering.

Where does my money go? Every dollar raised goes directly toward closing Nashville Pride’s $250,000 budget gap and keeping the Festival & Parade alive. Your donation covers essential costs like staging, security, accessibility, insurance, and medical staffing — the things that keep Pride safe, visible, and inclusive for all. In addition, your support helps Nashville Pride continue to uplift LGBTQIA+ organizations year-round through partnerships, programming, and community engagement.

Why should I donate? Because Pride belongs to the people. When you give, you’re helping protect and sustain a safe space for LGBTQ+ visibility, joy, protest, and connection. Without you, there is no Nashville Pride. Nashville Pride has a rich history in both the city of Nashville and the state of Tennessee. Learn more about the role of Nashville Pride in Tennessee LGBTQ+ History by visiting our friends at Nashville Queer History.

How else can I help besides donating?

• Share the campaign on your social media channels. Download our media kit here!

• Encourage your workplace or employer to contribute or become a sponsor.

• Sign up to volunteer at nashvillepride.org.

• Have other ideas? Contacts? Funding opportunities? Contact us at info@nashvillepride.org or fill out THIS FORM.

Is my donation tax-deductible? Yes. Nashville Pride is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and all contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Is Nashville Pride just a festival? No. Nashville Pride is a nonprofit that works year-round. Beyond the June festival and parade, we host community events like Turnabout, the Nashville Pride Pageant, T-Journey Mixers, and Martinis & Jazz, while also investing in and supporting dozens of local LGBTQ+ organizations.

How many people does Nashville Pride serve? The Pride Festival & Parade draws around 100,000 attendees annually, making it Tennessee’s largest LGBTQ+ event. Throughout the year, thousands more participate in our community programs, fundraisers, and educational events.

Is this due to poor budgeting? No. Nashville Pride is a financially responsible and transparent organization. Our financial reports are publicly available on our GuideStar profile. In combination with weather issues, the shortfall is directly tied to a national trend of corporations reducing or withdrawing support for LGBTQIA+ events. Our nonprofit model reinvests every dollar back into the festival and the community.

Who are the sponsors that dropped out? This year, Nashville Pride lost more than $270,000 in sponsorships, a 40% drop compared to previous years. Several corporations withdrew their commitments, some as late as 30 days before the festival. These withdrawals left us with painful shortfalls and forced us to rely more heavily on our community to keep Pride alive.

Among those who walked away are some of Tennessee’s most recognizable brands: Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nissan, Cracker Barrel, Dollar General, and Jack Daniel’s. Their step-backs hurt deeply, not just because of the dollars lost, but because these are institutions rooted here in Tennessee — companies that profit from our people and communities while turning their backs on the largest LGBTQ+ gathering in the state. Our number one priority remains clear: Save Nashville Pride.

Is Pride even necessary anymore? Isn’t Pride a new thing? Yes, Pride is necessary. No, Pride is not new. Pride celebrations in Nashville specifically can be traced back more than 50 years, but the first official Nashville Pride Festival took place in 1988. For more information about why Pride is necessary, visit the ‘OUR IMPACT’ page. For more information on Nashville Pride history, visit the ‘OUR HISTORY’ page.

Why don’t you just move the festival to the fall to increase attendance and raise more money? Heat, weather, and accessibility are real challenges. Accessibility is core to our mission. Nashville Pride is finalizing a strategic plan that includes reviewing the timing and structure of the festival — all through a DEIAB lens. Community input is a key part of that process. First priority: survival. If we don’t raise the funds now, there will be no Pride to move. Before we can consider future changes, we have to make sure Nashville Pride survives this year.

I have ideas for how Nashville Pride can raise money or improve the festival—how can I share my feedback? We want to hear from you! We’re reading every comment, email, and form submission. Nashville Pride is a volunteer-led organization, and your input is essential to shaping the future of the festival and parade. Whether you have fundraising ideas, thoughts on how to make the event stronger, or feedback on your experience, please share through our feedback form HERE. Every suggestion helps us better serve the community and ensure Nashville Pride continues to grow.

Why does Pride cost so much? Producing the largest LGBTQIA+ gathering in Tennessee is a multi-million-dollar effort. Costs include stages, artists, lighting, security, medical staff, park rental, insurance, accessibility, and city-required infrastructure. Pride looks like a festival on the surface, but behind the scenes it takes the same logistics as a multi-day concert and parade. Every dollar is reinvested to keep Pride safe, visible, and inclusive. The bottom line: if we don’t raise this money, there will be no Pride to debate the future of.

Why not make Pride smaller? Nashville Pride has grown to welcome nearly 100,000 people each year because size matters — especially in Tennessee. Visibility is protest. Breaking records is protest. Joy, at scale, is protest. A large Pride sends a powerful message that our community is here, united, and unapologetic. At the same time, we hear the feedback and are actively listening. We are evaluating how to balance scale, cost, and accessibility so Pride continues sustainably. But without closing this gap, there will be no festival or parade — large or small — at all.

Questions?
info@nashvillepride.org

Media Inquiries?
media@nashvillepride.org

View our press release here.