The Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Art and Culture, also known as the Queer Cultural Center (QCC), is a grantmaking, fiscal sponsorship, cultural, and educational organization that focuses on the “queer arts community” in the San Francisco Bay area. ¹

Advocacy

The Queer Cultural Center has influenced public policy by advocating for cultural equity and arts funding in San Francisco. In the 1990s, the QCC joined with other organizations to form the Consortium of San Francisco Community Cultural Centers, which successfully pushed for changes to the city charter and secured a line item in the Hotel Tax Fund to increase funding for cultural institutions in 1997. The Consortium also helped create the San Francisco Arts Democratic Club to lobby for policy changes through charter reform, a Cultural Facilities Bond, and hotel tax allocations. The QCC also runs the Queer Conversations on Culture and the Arts (QCCA) program to address LGBT issues in collaboration with academic institutions. ²

Programs

The Queer Cultural Center conducts a fiscal sponsorship program to support “LGBTQA artists and community organizations,” providing them with management and financial oversight services. ³

The QCC also hosts an annual arts festival, the National Queer Arts Festival, which is usually composed of 20 to 30 events. ⁴

In addition, the QCC has run a professional development training program for queer and trans artists for 25 years. The Creating Queer Communities program had temporarily stopped but restarted in 2024. The program includes small grants, mentorship, and educational opportunities. ⁵

Financials

In 2023, the Queer Cultural Center reported $1,103,562 in revenues and $1,276,816 in expenses with $1,062,237 in total assets and four employees. ⁶

In 2023, the QCC reported $789,587 in government grants, making up 72 percent of its total revenues. ⁷ The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), a federal government agency, has granted the QCC $100,000 between 2021 and 2024 to support the Queer Arts Festival. ⁸ In addition, the NEA donated $150,000 to the QCC for COVID recovery. ⁹

In 2022, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, a private foundation established by Hewlett-Packard co-founder William R. Hewlett, gave a $50,000 grant to the QCC. ¹⁰

In 2023, the East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF), based in the Oakland, California area, gave a $36,000 grant to the QCC for “the commissioning of the Changer and the Changed” and the “commissioning of Because of Black Music I am.” ¹¹

People

The executive director of the Queer Cultural Center is Anand Kalra, a post Kalra has held since 2022. Kalra is a professional librarian, music teacher, and end-of-life doula. Prior to working at the QCC, Kalra worked as the health programs manager for the Transgender Law Center. ¹²

1. Queer Cultural Center. “About.” Queer Cultural Center. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://queerculturalcenter.org/about/?avia_forced_reroute=1.
2. Queer Cultural Center. “History.” Queer Cultural Center. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://queerculturalcenter.org/about/history/.
3. Queer Cultural Center. “Fiscal Sponsorship.” Queer Cultural Center. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://queerculturalcenter.org/fiscal-sponsorship/.
4. Queer Cultural Center. “National Queer Arts Festival.” Queer Cultural Center. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://queerculturalcenter.org/national-queer-arts-festival/.
5.  Queer Cultural Center. “Creating Queer Community.” Queer Cultural Center. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://queerculturalcenter.org/programs/creating-queer-community/.
6.  ProPublica. “QCC-The Center for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Art & Culture.” Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/943227839/202441359349305974/full.
7. QCC-The Center for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Art & Culture. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2022. Part 8, line E.
8. USAspending.gov. “Search Results.” Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.usaspending.gov/search/?hash=30e937c07e8e46b3523829b25c1dcec2.
9. USAspending.gov. “Award Summary: ASST_NON_1898534-66-22_5920.” Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.usaspending.gov/award/ASST_NON_1898534-66-22_5920.
10. William & Flora Hewlett Foundation. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2022. Schedule 1, part 2.
11. East Bay Community Foundation. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2022. Schedule 1, part 2, line 603.
12. LinkedIn. “Anand Kalra.” Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/anandkalra.