Charlotte’s Plus Collective shares announcements amid board resignations

Earlier this year Charlotte’s Plus Collective (TPC) announced their intentions to hold their annual flagship event “The Celebration” gala at the Foundation of the Carolinas in Uptown. As the mid-May date grew closer, the organization announced a temporary pause on the festivity with an email on May 9, just six days before the event was to take place.

While not giving specifics as to why the plug had been pulled, TPC promised a reimagining of their event in a statement released on May 23. “While we were looking forward to celebrating with you in person,” the release reads, “we remain steadfast in our commitment to our mission: to support local LGBTQ+ non-profit organizations and enable them to continue their critical programming and services for our community.”

In the email sent out to supporters and stakeholders, TPC put a silver lining onto the turn of events by highlighting the organizations chosen to receive grants for 2025. “Despite the changes to our event, we are thrilled to be distributing a total of $140,000 to these deserving organizations, underscoring our unwavering commitment to the community.”

The categories and recipients are:

Basic Operating Grants

• Be More Foundation
• Charlotte Black Pride
• Charlotte Gaymers Network
• Charlotte Royals Rugby Football Club
• Charlotte Trans Health
• Gay Men’s Chorus of Charlotte
• One Voice Chorus
• PFLAG Charlotte
• Time Out Youth
• Twirl to the World Foundation

Project, Program & Events Grants

• Building Hope Building Commitment
• Hare Bandits
• RAIN
• Theatre Gap Initiative
• We Rock Charlotte
• Winter Awakening

Grassroots Grants

• Charlotte Pride FC.

Also in the email, TPC announced the names of five new board members that have joined the organization between late 2024 and early 2025. Each new addition hails from a local organization or corporation, Scott Mealus and Ebony Watts of Bank of America, Tim Gwynn of Krispy Kreme, Sam Behrend of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, and Erin Goldstein of Charlotte Jewish Preschool.

While all of this would have been great to share in front of many of TPC’s peers and supporters, the sudden cancellation of “The Celebration”  has put a damper on the announcements. The organization will soon give more information on their plan to reimagine the event. The grantees will be able to share how their funding is being of service to the community as part of the reimagining. “We are listening to our stakeholders in order to give them what they want,” Kemp told QNotes.

The cancellation itself has left community members scratching their heads. One primary reason may be due to low ticket sales leading into May 15, the previously scheduled date. Louis Kemp, the current Board Chair of TPC, alluded to that as a possibility in a few lead-up emails, but also pointed to a problem plaguing LGBTQ+ organizations around the country: diminishing donations. Prior to the Trump Administration regaining control of the government, LGBTQ+ non-profits experienced substantial support for queer initiatives.

“As Board Chair, I’ve witnessed firsthand the incredible impact our organization has in supporting the vital work of local LGBTQ+ non-profits right here in Charlotte,” Kemp said in his message to supporters. “These organizations are the backbone of our community, providing critical programming and services to those who need them most.

“However, the landscape of funding is shifting dramatically. Due to evolving priorities within many corporations, both nationally and here in Charlotte, the financial support our local LGBTQ+ organizations have relied on is becoming increasingly uncertain. This means that the generosity of individual donors like you is now more crucial than ever before. Your support directly empowers these organizations to continue their life-affirming work, ensuring that our community has access to the resources and care it deserves.”

One last, but certainly not minor reason for poor ticket sales could have come from a bit of controversy surrounding the TPC’s BOD meeting in April.

Kemp, now the outgoing Board Chair, as also announced in the May 23 email, was not present to lead the meeting. Instead, much of the action came under the gaze of current Vice Chair Malone Lockaby, who will be taking on the full Board Chair role as of June 1.

During the meeting, according to sources, the incoming chair expressed descent toward a specific organization and an individual in it while discussing how they could assist grant applicants with their applications. Those who worked with QNotes to understand the situation depicted the outburst as creating tensions within the group, to the point where two board members resigned; Jenny Gunn and Doug Taylor. At least one, Taylor, allegedly texted the acting chair, during the meeting, with his resignation.

The next day, following the meeting, both members were sent letters signed by Kemp, effectively removing them from their positions on TPC’s board. In an effort to explain the follow-up documentation after the member’s resignations, Kemp told QNotes that the letters were simply a professional formality and were sent by decision of the executive committee. 
Hoping to push past the problems of the evening in April and look forward Kemp, wants the positive to outshine everything happening. “I want people to look past the dysfunction of the board and look at the fact we’re adding board members and building more relationships so that we can support the critical organizations in the LGBTQ+ community in the Charlotte region,” Kemp expressed to QNotes.

Despite some of the funding shortfalls LGBTQ+ organizations around the United States are dealing with, Kemp remains hopeful. The support by residents in and outside Charlotte is certainly not lost on him, if his words are anything to go by.

“We deeply appreciate your ongoing support and belief in the mission of The Plus Collective. We are excited about this new chapter and look forward to sharing more details about our re-imagined event, one which will create a more impactful and sustainable fundraising model, in the near future. In the meantime, your continued donations are crucial in helping us sustain our work and support our grant recipients.”