An update from your board
Hi everyone,
We are sending this email to keep you in the loop of the work we are doing behind the scenes at Queer Yukon Society. While we have been quite busy as a volunteer board, we want to ensure that we are taking time to also communicate openly with you, our community.
[scroll down for the TLDR version]
Queer Yukon Society has been in operation for almost six years. In that time, we have seen the opening of the Yukon’s first Pride Centre during the challenging time of the pandemic, the territory’s largest Pride celebration to date, the opening of two rural offices, and a rapid expansion of the organization’s team with services such as health navigation and cultural competency trainings for service organizations.
It is no secret that the past year has been one of many challenges. With four Executive Directors in the past six years, high board turnover, and a fiscal misalignment resulting in an unforeseen budgetary shortfall, the organization’s priorities have been focused on staying afloat. Our dedicated partners and funders played a vital role in ensuring that we weathered the storm.
However, this has not been without the need to navigate an ongoing tight budgetary environment and funding uncertainty. Ongoing funding pressures have led to a sharp decrease in core and operational funding from one of our key funders. Increasing price inflation across the landscape has eroded the real value of donations and grants, reducing purchasing power and squeezing budgets further.
As we look to the future of the organization and its role in meeting the needs of our community, it is essential that we are strategic and fiscally responsible in our approach. This has led to the hard decision to restructure our organization and reduce roles as well as hours. These decisions have not been made lightly but are out of necessity.
To ensure that we are able to adapt to the changes in a way that does not negatively impact our community that we serve, we have developed a Strategic Prioritization Plan, which is built on the foundation of the Strategic Plan, past community consultations, the territorial LGBTQ2S+ Action Plan, an audit of our current programs and services and the data collected on their usage, and a comprehensive literature review. The Strategic Prioritization Plan will ensure QYS is using its resources responsibly, sustainably, and in ways that best serve the community — now and into the future.
TLDR Version
What is happening?
In response to funding pressures, we have made the difficult decision to restructure our team and have had to reduce or remove certain positions. As we near the end of fiscal, we are also facing the natural ending of projects, which were funded through individual time-bound grants.
Will services be reduced or eliminated?
We have developed a Strategic Prioritization Plan to minimize impacts to our community. The Strategic Prioritization Plan will ensure QYS is using its resources responsibly, sustainably, and in ways that best serve the community — now and into the future. It will restructure our services and programs with the goal of better aligning our offerings with the needs of our community.
Why is QYS restructuring its team and reducing staff positions and hours?
Ongoing funding pressures have led to a sharp decrease in core and operational funding from one of our key funders.
At the same time, increasing price inflation across the landscape has eroded the real value of donations and grants, reducing purchasing power and squeezing budgets further.
In order to ensure continuity of the organization and its role in meeting the needs of our community, it is essential that we are strategic and fiscally responsible in our approach.
This has led to the hard decision to restructure our organization and reduce roles as well as hours.
Why is the Health Navigation service ending?
In 2022, the Government of Yukon committed to fund healthcare navigation services for 2SLGBTQIA+ Yukoners through a 3-year partnership with Queer Yukon Society. The service launched in 2024 and since then has provided healthcare navigation services to 2SLGBTQIA+ Yukoners and essential training to front-line providers and organizations.
The funding partnership comes to an end March 31, 2026.
Is this a repeat of last year?
No. This is not an unforeseen budgetary shortfall, but a result of funding pressures due to reduced operational funding and the scheduled completion of project-specific grants.
We're here if you have questions
If any of the updates above are relevant to you or someone you know, please feel free to pass them along or reach out with questions (board@queeryukon.com). Staying connected in practical, meaningful ways helps strengthen our work and our community.
Please note that we are quite responsive, but as a volunteer board we aren't always able to respond within 24-48 hours.
Thank you for taking the time to read and for your continued support,
your Board of Directors
Queer Yukon Society