Leading Female Fundraiser

As LGBTQ nonprofits face the loss of government support, the work of community fundraisers like Kelly Nicholls (she/her) becomes even more significant.

Nicholls, winner of this year’s Gayest & Greatest Leading Female Fundraiser, is the chief development director of the Montrose Center, a community center that provides an array of vital services to LGBTQ Houstonians.

“Our organization is about 60 percent federally- and state-funded through grants, so when we face political challenges like we’re facing now, it gives us a level of uncertainty,” Nicholls says. “This amplifies the need for us to go out, connect with donors, and find people who can help the Center by asking for their support.”

Members of the LGBTQ community are rising to the challenge. “There’s a lot to be celebrated,” she notes, adding that the past year has seen major commitments from individual donors. “We’ve had foundations who are increasing their support. Even in the climate we’re facing, there are corporate sponsors who are stepping up and doing more where they can.”

Under Nicholls’ leadership at the Montrose Center since August 2024, events like the 2024 Out for Good Gala and this year’s Pride Brunch broke records in both attendance and donations. “There’s been a lot of momentum in the past year,” she says. “I’m really excited to see that keep snowballing and moving forward.”

Nicholls joined the Montrose Center after nearly 15 years of fundraising experience for prominent Houston institutions. A major figure in Houston’s LGBTQ philanthropic community, Nicholls previously held leadership positions at the Houston Grand Opera, Theatre Under The Stars, and Allies in Hope (formerly AIDS Foundation Houston).

Her path to becoming a fundraiser in Houston was “completely accidental,” Nicholls says. After graduating from high school, the Sacramento, California, native attended UC Santa Barbara and received a bachelor’s degree in English. Her degree initially led her to teaching English in Costa Rica, where she also met her future wife.

“We were both teachers in Costa Rica and became very fast friends,” Nicholls remembers. “After moving back to the States, my dad passed away. I was back in California looking for something different, and she said, ‘Why don’t you come to Houston with me?’ We then became more than friends, and the rest is history.”

The couple has been together for ten years, and married for five.

While living in Houston, Nicholls organically met a director of development who was looking for a grant writer. “That’s how I got my foot in the development door,” Nicholls says. “Once I started doing that, I was introduced to galas, special events, and interacting with donors. I just instantly fell in love with it.”

On being voted this year’s Leading Female Fundraiser, Nicholls says she feels incredibly humbled and gives credit to the rest of her team. “To be recognized just really means a lot to me. I have to give a huge thanks to my colleagues at the Montrose Center because any fundraiser is only as good as their CEO, the development team behind them, and the colleagues who do the work every day to make it all possible.”

Looking forward, Nicholls plans on continuing her work to secure donations for the essential programs the Center provides to LGBTQ Houstonians.

“In the climate that we, as the LGBTQ community, are facing, it’s challenging and stressful,” she says. “I hope the community knows that the Montrose Center has been here for almost 50 years and will continue to be here with supportive programs and services. There is hope beyond this. Our community has fought the fight before, and we will continue fighting now.”

For more information, visit montrosecenter.org.