2025 Annual Report
Queer Joy is Resistance
55th Annual San Francisco Pride Parade & Celebration
Letter from the Executive Director
This year marked something of a turning point for us. After navigating the complexities of a post-pandemic world, we found ourselves asking: what does Pride look like when the world feels more uncertain than ever?
The answer came from our community. "Queer Joy is Resistance" wasn't just a theme—it became a rallying cry. Every person who showed up, every contingent that marched, every volunteer who worked a shift in 90-degree heat was making a statement: we're still here, and we're not going anywhere.
This report reflects both our successes and our struggles. We're proud of what we accomplished in 2025, but we're also honest about where we fell short and what we need to do better. That's always been the San Francisco way—radical honesty alongside radical joy.
— Suzanne Ford, Executive Director
Pride 2025: The Numbers
Let's be real about what we did and didn't accomplish this year.
What Went Right
- 287 parade contingents registered—up from 240 last year, including 47 first-time participants
- Hottest Pride on record: Hit 92°F on Sunday. Our water stations distributed over 50,000 bottles. Still ran out by 3pm.
- Zero major security incidents during the weekend, though we had three medical transports for heat exhaustion
- $2.8M raised in sponsorships, about 15% higher than projected
- Pink Triangle installation went off without a hitch—first year we completed setup in under 6 hours
What We're Working On
- Accessibility: We added more wheelchair viewing areas but still got complaints about sightlines. Noted for 2026.
- Bathroom situation: Porta-potty count was adequate but lines were brutal. Need 20% more units next year.
- Staff burnout: Lost two key staff members post-Pride. We're understaffed for year-round operations.
- Vendor equity: Only 23% of our vendors were LGBTQ+-owned businesses. We can do better.
- Community engagement: Our monthly Pride 365 events averaged 40-60 people. We want 150+.
About attendance numbers:
We don't have an exact count—nobody does for a free public event spanning multiple city blocks. SFPD estimated "over 1 million" based on crowd density analysis, which matches our vendor sales data and BART ridership spikes. What we know for sure: it was packed, it was joyful, and it felt like the whole world showed up.
Weekend Highlights (The Real Story)
Saturday, June 28
Civic Center Celebration kicked off at 11am. By noon, we knew it was going to be hot. Really hot. Our ops team made an emergency call for more water, and local businesses came through—shoutout to Rainbow Grocery and Bi-Rite for the last-minute deliveries.
The Main Stage lineup was strong: Kehlani headlined (her third time performing at Pride—we love to see it), and the crowd response to our local drag performers was electric. Heklina Tribute set had people in tears. 45 minutes of pure celebration of her legacy.
Unexpected win: The "Dykes on Bikes" opener drew the biggest cheer we've heard in years. Sometimes traditions just hit different.
Sunday, June 29
Parade started at 10:30am sharp—first time in three years we kicked off on time. Thank you to our contingent coordinators for actually enforcing the staging schedule.
By contingent #147, we realized the parade was running long. Really long. Instead of our usual 3.5 hours, we hit 5 hours. Note to self: maybe 287 contingents is too many? But also, how do you tell people they can't march in Pride? We'll figure it out.
The highlight everyone's talking about: The SF AIDS Foundation contingent brought a 40-foot banner with names of community members lost this year. The crowd fell silent as they passed. Then erupted in applause. That's what Pride is about.
Low-key proud of our volunteers who stayed until 11pm helping with breakdown in that heat. Y'all are the real MVPs.
Things Nobody Talks About (But We Should)
- We had six lost children reunions at the Info Booth. All successful. Our volunteer training works.
- The gender-neutral bathrooms were SO popular. We need 3x as many in 2026.
- Sound bleed between stages was bad this year. We know. We're fixing it.
- Three marriage proposals on the Main Stage. All said yes. 100% success rate.
- Our social media team posted 400+ times over the weekend and broke our engagement records. They're still recovering.
Financial Reality Check
Let's talk about money, because transparency matters.
Where Money Came From (2025)
- Corporate sponsorships: $2.8M (44% of revenue)—up from last year, thanks to renewed commitments from tech companies
- Individual donations: $1.4M (22%)—your donations matter, seriously
- Vendor/exhibitor fees: $1.1M (17%)—kept fees reasonable but had record participation
- Grants: $650K (10%)—secured California Arts Council grant for stage programming
- Merchandise & misc: $450K (7%)—those Pride pins really add up
Total Revenue: $6.4M
Where Money Went (2025)
- Parade & Celebration production: $3.5M (55%)—stages, sound, security, permits, porta-potties, you name it
- Staffing: $1.3M (20%)—15 full-time staff, benefits, contractors. We're working to increase this.
- Year-round programming: $650K (10%)—Inside Pride, community grants, educational programs
- Operations: $450K (7%)—office rent, insurance, tech, the boring but necessary stuff
- Marketing: $350K (5%)—ads, website, PR, design. Could use more here honestly.
- Fundraising costs: $200K (3%)—events, donor cultivation, grant writing
Total Expenses: $6.4M
The Good News
- We broke even (barely, but we'll take it)
- We have $800K in reserves—about 3 months operating expenses. Industry standard is 6 months, so we're getting there.
- Zero debt. We don't operate on credit.
- Our cost per attendee is about $6.40 if you use the 1M estimate. For a free event, that's pretty efficient.
Full Transparency:
Our IRS Form 990 is publicly available. We're a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 94-3006693). Want to see the detailed numbers? Email info@sfpride.org and we'll send you the full financial statements. No judgment, we love finance nerds.
Beyond the Weekend: What We Did All Year
Pride isn't just two days in June. Here's what we actually did the other 363 days:
Inside Pride Speaker Series
Hosted 8 events throughout the year featuring LGBTQ+ leaders, activists, and artists. Highlights included:
- Bamby Salcedo on trans Latinx advocacy (February, 120 attendees)
- Honey Mahogany on Black trans representation in politics (April, 95 attendees)
- "30 Years Since Castro Sweep" panel with longtime activists (October, 180 attendees)
What we learned: In-person events crush virtual ones for engagement. Also, free wine helps attendance numbers.
Community Partnership Grants
Awarded $125,000 in grants to 17 local LGBTQ+ organizations, including:
- LYRIC (youth services) - $10,000
- Openhouse (LGBTQ+ senior housing) - $10,000
- El/La Para TransLatinas - $8,000
- SF LGBT Center - $10,000
- 13 smaller grassroots organizations - $77,000 total
Honest assessment: We wish this number was higher. It should be. We're working on it.
Pink Triangle Installation
The 35th year of the world's largest Pink Triangle installation on Twin Peaks. This year's team of 60 volunteers completed setup in 5 hours, 45 minutes—a new record. The installation was visible for 10 days during Pride week, reminding San Francisco that remembrance is resistance.
Education & Training
- Contingent training for parade participants (4 sessions, 180 people trained)
- Volunteer orientation and safety training (6 sessions, 400+ volunteers)
- LGBTQ+ history workshops in partnership with GLBT Historical Society (3 sessions)
- Youth leadership program pilot with 12 participants ages 16-22
The gap: We want to do way more educational programming. We need funding and capacity to make it happen.
What We Need to Fix (The Uncomfortable Part)
We're not going to sugarcoat it. Here's what didn't work and what we're doing about it:
The problem: Our board and senior staff don't reflect the full diversity of our community. We have work to do on racial diversity, trans representation, and age diversity.
What we're doing: Implemented intentional recruitment for board positions in 2026. Partnered with QTPOC organizations for outreach. Created paid fellowship program for emerging LGBTQ+ leaders—emphasis on BIPOC and trans candidates.
Timeline: We want to see measurable change in our 2026 report. Hold us to it.
The problem: Our monthly events aren't drawing the crowds we hoped for. Averaging 40-60 people when we planned for 150+. People know us for June, not the other 11 months.
What we're doing: Hired a Year-Round Programming Coordinator (started October 2025). Conducting community listening sessions to understand what people actually want. Testing different formats and locations.
Real talk: Building year-round community takes time. We're playing the long game here.
The problem: Only 23% of our Celebration vendors were LGBTQ+-owned businesses. That's not good enough for Pride.
What we're doing: Created priority application window for LGBTQ+-owned businesses. Reduced fees by 30% for certified LGBTQ+/BIPOC-owned vendors. Partnering with SF Chamber of Commerce's LGBTQ+ Business Alliance for outreach.
Goal for 2026: 40% LGBTQ+-owned vendors. It's ambitious but achievable.
The problem: 15 full-time staff trying to produce one of the world's largest Pride celebrations plus year-round programming. People are burning out. We lost two great staff members post-Pride who cited exhaustion.
What we're doing: Approved budget for 3 additional positions in 2026. Created better work-life balance policies. Actually enforcing the "no emails after 6pm" rule (mostly).
Reality check: We need more funding to hire more people. It's that simple.
2026: What's Actually Happening
No vague promises. Here are specific things we're committing to for Pride 2026:
🗓️ Save These Dates
- June 27-28, 2026: 56th Annual SF Pride
- Parade: Sunday, June 28, 10:30am (we're sticking with that start time)
- Celebration: Both days, 11am-6pm at Civic Center
- Contingent registration opens: February 1, 2026
- Vendor applications open: January 15, 2026
💪 Concrete Commitments
- Add 20% more porta-potties (yes, we're serious about this)
- Expand wheelchair viewing areas with better sightlines
- Install additional water stations (climate change is real)
- Fix stage sound bleed issues (hiring actual acoustics engineer)
- 40% LGBTQ+-owned vendor goal
- Launch monthly community events calendar by March
Theme for 2026: TBD (Seriously)
We're doing something different this year. Instead of the board picking a theme, we're asking the community. Watch for our survey in January 2026.
Because Pride should be what the community wants it to be, not what a committee thinks it should be.
Thank You (We Mean It)
This is the part where we get sappy, but we mean every word:
Volunteers
2,500+ of you showed up. Worked in 90-degree heat. Stayed until dark. Came back the next day. You're the only reason this works. We don't say it enough: thank you.
Sponsors
Your support kept Pride free for everyone. Special thanks to our longstanding partners who stuck with us through uncertain times. And to new sponsors: welcome to the family.
Contingents & Performers
287 contingents, 150+ performers, countless community organizations—you brought the energy, the creativity, and the joy. Pride is nothing without you.
"We showed up when showing up mattered most. We celebrated when celebration felt revolutionary. We found joy when joy was resistance."
That's what 2025 was about. That's what we'll keep doing.
With gratitude and determination,
SF Pride Staff, Board, and Volunteers
Questions? Want the Full Numbers?
We believe in radical transparency. Want to see our detailed financials? Have feedback on this report? Think we missed something important?
Full IRS Form 990 available upon request. EIN: 94-3006693
