Donate
Help sustain the affirming, empowering spaces our students need
The Lionel Cantú Queer Resource Center is a space of care, advocacy, and community at UC Santa Cruz. We co-create experiences that challenge cisheteronormative ideas about gender and sexuality while celebrating the fullness of queer and trans lives. Your support helps us continue building a more inclusive campus—one where all students can thrive, connect, and be their whole selves.
In addition to financial support, we welcome donations for our basic need resources such as non-perishable food items, clothing for our closet, gender affirming items such as binders, unused cosmetics, and donations of other items.
Why your gift matters
At the Cantú, students find more than resources—they find connection, support, and a community that affirms and celebrates who they are. Every gift helps us sustain and grow the programs and services students count on, including:
- Providing emergency financial support to students experiencing hardships and needing support with rent, medical bills, and other expenses.
- Resource referrals for students navigating housing, medical care, or financial challenges.
- Essentials like food, hygiene supplies, and gender-affirming clothing—available for free in a welcoming, stigma-free space.
- A cozy library filled with queer and trans books that inspire imagination, identity exploration, and healing.
Whether you’re an alum, a parent, or someone who believes in creating a more inclusive world, your support helps ensure LGBTQIA+ students have what they need to thrive—on campus and beyond.
Make a gift today
The Cantú Queer Center welcomes and depends on gifts of all kinds. Our students and programs thrive because of the generosity of folks like you! Here’s how to give:
Give online
You can make a one-time or recurring donation through the secure UCSC Online Giving Portal.
- Enter the amount you’d like to give and choose whether it’s a recurring gift.
- Under “Area of support,” type and select “Lionel Cantú GLBT Resource Center.”
- Complete the rest of the form to finalize your gift.
Consider joining our monthly giving community!
Monthly giving is flexible, budget-friendly, and one of the most impactful ways to support our students year-round. You’ll be joining a wonderful group of supporters—like Irene Reti—who help sustain UCSC’s one-and-only dedicated queer safe space.
More ways to give
You can also support the Cantú through:
- One-time or recurring gifts of cash, stocks, bonds, or mutual funds.
- Special gifts toward a specific program, scholarship, or endowment.
- Planned gifts through a bequest of cash, securities, or other assets via your estate plan.
For most gifts, including those designated for specific programs or questions about how your support can make a difference, please contact the Cantú Center’s Director, delfín w bautista at dewbauti@ucsc.edu.
To explore planned giving through your estate, contact the UC Santa Cruz Foundation at (831) 459-5227.
Thank you for supporting the Cantú Queer Center!
Your generosity helps build a more inclusive, vibrant, and affirming future for LGBTQIA+ students at UC Santa Cruz.