2013-04-24T07:18:44-07:00 2012-12-31 Joseph J DiGiacomo CPA 270 Valencia St Unit 203 San Francisco CA 94103 990EZ 2012-01-01 943316616 COLAGE COLA 8554265243 PO Box 28448 Seattle WA 98118 Maria Nondorf 2013-04-24 true Joseph J DiGiacomo CPA P01506869 4158298885 X 2012 2016-02-25 16:41:14Z X X www.colage.org X X 0 0 0 0 0 374013 374013 X 360809 682 682 22426 383917 682 9904 374013 0 COLAGE unites people with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer parents into a network of peers and supports them as they nurture and empower each other to be skilled, self-confident, and just leaders in our collective communities. ADVOCACY & PUBLIC EDUCATION: COLAGE advocates for equality and justice for families. By elevating the unique perspectives of people with an LGBTQ parent, we ensure that these voices are heard on the issues that matter most to our families. From relationship recognition to safer schools, children of LGBTQ parents have something unique and important to say - and we're working to implement policies that improve families' day-to-day lives.In 2011, COLAGE proudly partnered with several organizations in the release of All Children Matter, a groundbreaking report that shows how unequal laws and social stigma harm LGBT families. Children from all walks of life, living in almost every U.S. county, are failed by society, government, and the law. The report shares the challenges faced by the over two million of children raised by LGBTQ parents in the U.S. and this report spells out how we can improve the lives of the children. The 100+ recommendations included in the report are focused on enacting simple changes to unfair laws and policies to ensure that all children have the chance to reach their full potential. The report is available at www.children-matter.org.Additional programming included sustaining a Speak OUT program, which provides media and advocacy training to people with LGBTQ parents and connects COLAGErs with productive media opportunities reaching millions of readers, listeners, and viewers. COLAGE also produced Family Time, a short film and on-line interactive historical timeline that chronicles the first 20 years of COLAGE and the LGBTQ family movement history, including outrageous talk show appearances, the stinging impact of the AIDS crisis, the marriage equality movement, and more. COLAGE also published groundbreaking Resource Guides for and about children who have transgender parents and children who were born through donor insemination. EMPOWERING LEADERS: COLAGE supports children of LGBTQ families as they grown and provides them with tools and support to speak out. Through leadership training and speaking opportunities, COLAGE helps youth build the sills to strengthen their families while strengthening themselves as individuals.Building Regional Capacity: COLAGE's Northeastern U.S. chapters organized a regional chapter gathering in New York, NY on January 15-17, 2011 with COLAGE support. COLAGE National and the New York City Chapter hosted 47 teens and young adults. The retreat included team-building, sharing of COLAGEr experiences and strengths, training on how social media can build community and leverage COLAGEr voices, workshops on community building, oral history, mapping leadership potential, and strengthening the regional COLAGE network. The individuals in attendance were primarily from New York State, with others coming from Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Washington DC, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania. 43% of attendees were COLAGErs of color. The topics covered during the retreat included social and racial issues, economic justice, and activism.Leadership Summit: COLAGE provided leadership training at a program titled Voices Raised Leadership Summit for young people of color held in Oakland, CA in May 2011. COLAGE's 2008-2012 strategic plan committed the organization to deeper integration of racial and economic justice commitments through its work. Given the particular challenges posed by invisibility and marginalization, COLAGE develops focused outreach and education programs to address the needs of diverse groups of constituents, such as those with transgender parents and those who were adopted or born through donor insemination. COLAGE launched its Voices Raised program in 2011 to seek, celebrate, and reflect the unique voices and experiences of COLAGErs of color with one or more LGBTQ parents or guardians of color. The program provided specialized leadership training for COLAGErs of color. Noted queer theorist, activist, and writing practitioner, Rebecca Walker, facilitated the event.Let's Get This Straight: COLAGE collaborated with Tina Fakhrid-Deen on the writing, publication, and dissemination of Let's Get This Straight: The Ultimate Handbook for Youth with LGBTQ Parents. COLAGE worked with the book publisher to host five public reading events with Tina in Washington, DC, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Oakland, CA. COMMUNITY CONNECTING PEERS: COLAGE is building a connected community of peers united by the unique experience of having an LGBTQ parent. Growing up knowing that LGBTQ families aren't treated like everyone else's can be challenging or isolating. COLAGE lets participants know they are not alone. Whether through local chapters, online communities, or family events, having shared experiences with a community of peers helps combat the isolation and invisibility of LGBTQ families. COLAGE's chapters, online community forums, and leadership trainings are all critical strategies for breaking isolation and engaging thousands of youth and young adult COLAGErs where they live, learn, work, play, and pray. Together, the chapters reach more than 2,000 youth a year with direct programming. COLAGE's leadership programs continue to foster the activism of a new generation of youth and young adults who may or may not be LGBTQ themselves, but whose lives are deeply intertwined with the LGBTQ community. Giving youth and young adults the tools and training needed to engage local campaigns, participate in local and statewide coalitions, and build organizational partnerships as leaders in their community, COLAGE empowers children of LGBTQ parents to bring the unique and important COLAGEr perspective to the issues that matter most to our constituency.In January 2011, a Field and Chapter Coordinator, based in Atlanta, GA, was hired and provided three individualized trainings for each chapter leader. For the first training, best practices for organizing and maintaining a successful chapter were outlined, followed by a discussion for how to adapt them and/or implement them for each chapter's unique needs. Workplans for each chapter were developed. The second training covered the new COLAGE curriculum. The COLAGE curriculum was written and developed by the Field and Chapter Coordinator. The third training was a chapter by chapter fundraising and outreach planning session. Each chapter discussed their recruitment and fundraising goals and created a plan to achieve them. As a result of these first-of-a-kind trainings, the chapters entered the 2011-2012 school year with plans, curriculum, and goals for the first time. Chapter leaders reported feeling more clarity around their roles, and feeling more prepared and supported to be successful.To further build a national network of COLAGErs, in winter 2011, we launched our newly redesigned and restructured website, which integrates Web 2.0 functionality and upgraded online community forums. We further developed our web site as an organizing tool, with a focus on interactivity and social networking tools popular with youth and young adults. X Crystalle Crain 2.00 0 Caitlin MacIntyre 2.00 0 Alexis C a minor 2.00 0 AJ Costa 2.00 0 Michelle Duso 2.00 0 Becca L a minor 2.00 0 Morgan Green 2.00 0 Cathy Sakimura 2.00 0 Tobi Hill-Meyer 2.00 0 Ernest Cooper 2.00 0 Adrienne Mundy-Shephard 2.00 0 Rachel Sondheimer 2.00 0 Bobbi Kay 2.00 0 Jesse Carr 2.00 0 Deanna M a minor 3.00 0 Steve Scarlato 2.00 0 Beth Teper 40.00 0 Maria Nondorf 3.00 0 Adrian Ogle 5.00 0 Paul Perry 3.00 0 Aaraon Sachs 5.00 0 X false false false false false false false false 0 0 false false Maria NondorfUC-Berkeley 545 Student Servs Bldg1900 Berkeley CA 94720 5106425372 false false false false false false false false false true false false false NONE NONE true X 632701 803798 343411 441880 2221790 0 0 632701 803798 343411 441880 2221790 1001285 1220505 9517 2398 1968 1472 15355 0 0 2237145 148182 X 0.00000 false false false 124084 141621 102780 368485 552728 3463 1702 310 5475 31021 35405 25695 92121 138182 3463 951 148 4562 Form 990-EZ, General Explanation.1 History and Summary of Program Service Accomplishments COLAGE was founded in 1990 as a handful of young people in a room at a lesbian and gay parents' conference and transformed into a robust national organization with programs that connect a vibrant, diverse community of peers and support people with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer parents (COLAGErs) and work to make a difference on issues that affect them and our families. COLAGE is committed to our grassroots youth empowerment model and we focus our programming on training and empowering our youth leaders.COLAGE continues to be active in creating meaningful connections among peers who share the experience of having an LGBTQ family. Within that community, COLAGE develops new leaders ready to speak out on behalf of themselves and their families. Through our community, leadership, and advocacy work, we help children of LGBTQ families get the recognition, respect, and rights every family deserves. In 2011, 484 youth and young adults participated in COLAGE trainings and leadership development activities. Form 990-EZ, Part II, Line 26.1001 Total Liabilities.1001 Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses - Beginning $9904 Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses - Ending $0 Form 990-EZ, Part II, Line 24.1 Other Assets.1 Security Deposit - Beginning $4947 Security Deposit - Ending $0 Form 990-EZ, Part II, Line 24.1011 Other Assets.1011 Prepaid Expenses and Deferred Charges - Beginning $7479 Prepaid Expenses and Deferred Charges - Ending $0 Form 990-EZ, Part II, Line 24.1006 Other Assets.1006 Pledges and Grants Receivable - Beginning $10000 Pledges and Grants Receivable - Ending $0