Pride parades around the country have taken a hit this spring, but not in Boston
Gary Daffin, a member of Boston Pride for the People's executive committee, says nearly half of that amount last year came from corporate sponsorships, and nearly half came from registration fees from groups that want to participate — the two main sources of funding.
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Daffin expects a similar budget for the events this time around: just above $700,000. So far, all the big sponsors are back — a list that includes Delta Air Lines, MFS Investment Management, the Boston Foundation, Beth Israel Lahey Health, Eastern Bank, MassMutual, Rockland Trust, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Eversource, and National Grid. The big-ticket corporate sponsorships range from $10,000 to $50,000.
He said a few previous sponsors have not yet committed, but they're not among the big contributors.
This is the third year that the event has been organized by
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This year, Daffin said the organizers had been concerned that fund-raising could take a hit because of economic uncertainties and the anti-DEI rhetoric in Washington, including executive orders targeting diversity programs.
'There was a fear that people were not going to reply to our requests,' Daffin said. 'But almost everyone who was there last year is back. It just took a little longer [to line up the commitments]. It's a relief, though we still need a little bit more money. We're not there yet.'
This is an installment of our weekly Bold Types column about the movers and shakers on Boston's business scene.
Jon Chesto can be reached at
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