Dear Friend,

As the Co-Chair of Openhouse’s Board, I get a first-hand look at this organization’s profound impact. I hear stories about some of the thousands of LGBTQ+ older adults the team connects to housing, services, and community every year. I see how the services Openhouse provides are life changing, and lifesaving.

As a Board we are deeply invested in this work, and we hope you’ll join us in standing with the LGBTQ+ older adults who have long fought for the rights we now enjoy. In putting out this challenge, we are guided by our beliefs in the strength of this organization, and in the urgency of this work.

We believe that Openhouse’s success is vital to our community’s resilience.

As basic needs become increasingly expensive, and attacks on our community are pushing many people into isolation, Openhouse’s work has never been more crucial. Today, nearly 1 in 5 LGBTQ+ older adults in San Francisco receives services through Openhouse, and we know there is still a need to reach even more people. It is our mission to serve more community members that are in need in these challenging times.

We believe in Morey’s leadership.

When we hired Morey Riordan as Executive Director, we were confident that he was the right leader for this moment. In his first three months we see the incredibly positive impact he is already making with his trusted leadership. We could not be more thrilled with the energy, vision, and warmth he is bringing to the team and the community, and he is just getting started. 

We believe that this is the time to be bold.

We know that the attacks against our community will have a long-lasting impact. But we also know that, as Morey shared in a recent letter, we have long been a people that shine brightest in the dark. We believe that the road forward is paved with solidarity with one another, celebration of the trailblazers who have shown us the way, hope for a better future, and the belief that a world where LGBTQ+ older adults are cared for and celebrated is not just possible but imperative.

I invite you to stand with us as we build the world our community deserves, by making your year-end gift to Openhouse today. With our donation match, your gift will go twice as far as we work to meet the myriad needs of folks in our beloved community.



Thank you for being a part of our Openhouse family. Thank you for being a light in the dark.

In community,

Mark Buchanan

Co-Chair, Openhouse Board of Directors