March 2026 Board Letter from Vice-Chair Pepper

In 2026, we’ll be featuring voices from members of Nevada County Pride’s incredible board. This month, we’re thrilled to share a message from Pepper. Pepper is a longtime community advocate and founding board member, serving as Vice Chair and supporting development, social media, our business liaison work, and community resources.

As we step into March, I’m filled with gratitude for the vibrant, resilient community we continue to grow together at Nevada County Pride. Our mission — to celebrate, support, and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community in western Nevada County through community, diversity, education, and respect — is only possible because of you. Your generosity helps us host joyful events, expand meaningful educational opportunities, provide swag and visibility materials to local school organizations, and collaborate with other nonprofits who share our commitment to inclusion. We’re also beginning important conversations about the possibility of creating a dedicated year-round community space — a place to gather, learn, celebrate, organize, and simply be.

We are now planning our 5th annual Pride Family Fest on June 28th, our largest event of the year, welcoming more than 400 youth, families, elders, and allies for a free, all-ages celebration. As a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) with no independent revenue, this event — along with our annual overhead of more than $4,000 for essentials like tabling supplies, storage, our PO Box, Mailchimp, and website support — is fully funded by donors and sponsors. We’ve already secured Rainbow Sponsorship from Dignity Health: Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital and are seeking three additional Rainbow Sponsors at the $500+ level or fifteen Pride Donors at the $100+ level to complete our 2026 fundraising campaign. Rainbow Sponsors receive recognition in digital and print advertising, logo placement on event signage, tabling opportunities, verbal recognition at the event, and acknowledgment in our monthly newsletter reaching more than 2,000 community members. Securing this support early allows our planning committee to focus less on fundraising and more on creating the thoughtful, welcoming details that make this event such a highlight each year.

If you believe in building a community rooted in belonging, visibility, and respect, we invite you to sponsor, donate, or volunteer with us this year.

Donate here: https://www.nevadacountypride.org/donate

With gratitude,

Kimberly (Pepper) Pepe