Hey there! I'm Charlie (they/them) I'm asking for $2,900 to cover two months of rent and if I'm honest with you, I've never had to do anything like this before.

I run my own LGBTQ+ inclusion consulting and training business. It's work I'm proud of and genuinely good at, but the current political climate has hit independent consultants in this space hard. Corporate clients are pulling back on DEI commitments under pressure from the current administration, and the ripple effect has been brutal for my income. I've been applying for jobs that match my background (training, curriculum design, facilitation, nonprofit work) and getting silence back. No callbacks. Nothing.

To fill the gap, I've been on Rover doing pet sitting, and while I do get gigs here and there, it's not enough to close a two-month shortfall on a $1,450/month apartment. And I'm out of runway. I have no backup plan, no safety net, nowhere else to go if I lose this place.

The $2,900 goal covers my two months of rent. Anything beyond that goes directly to basics: groceries, health insurance, car insurance. Things that have been slipping while I've been trying to keep a roof over my head.

If you can give anything, truly anything, I am grateful in a way I can't fully put into words right now. And if you can't give, sharing this with even one person means the world to me. Thank you for reading this far. It means a lot. <3

PS: I'm also hosting three paid events via Eventbrite in June and a conference for HR, DEI, and ERG leaders in August. If you'd like to help me spread the word, I'll happily share those links as another way to support me. And if donating isn't an option, there are other ways to show up: attend my Twitch streams, stream my music, or just send me a random virtual hug. All of it matters more than you know.