San Diego Pride Executive Director KishaLynn Elliott is stepping down after nine months on the job, leaving the nonprofit searching for its seventh leader since 2023 as it prepares to implement staff layoffs and significant operational cuts. San Diego Pride announced the resignation in the wake of mounting financial pressures.
Revolving Door of Leadership at San Diego Pride
The departure marks another difficult chapter for an organization grappling with economic strains and community friction. Elliott’s exit is effective in November, arriving as the nonprofit moves to implement full-time layoffs and reduce other staff to part-time status. In a statement reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune, board co-chairs Martha Henderson and Paris Quion acknowledged the mounting fiscal reality.
“San Diego Pride is navigating significant financial challenges that require difficult decisions about our organizational structure and operations,” Henderson and Quion said. “In recognition of these financial realities, Executive Director KishaLynn Elliott has made the decision to resign from her position in November.”
Elliott is the seventh person to lead San Diego Pride since 2023, and only the third permanent leader during that span. Speaking with ABC 10News, Elliott emphasized that the organization’s financial model is no longer tenable in its current form.
“San Diego Pride can and will succeed. It just means that we’re gonna have to prepare to look very different than what we just produced this year or what we historically have produced,” Elliott said.
Corporate Pullbacks and Escalating Security Costs
Financial strain has hit the organization across multiple fronts. Elliott detailed a compounding mix of declining corporate sponsorships, reduced grant funding, and rising security costs. Furthermore, the controversy surrounding last year’s festival headliner, singer Kehlani, contributed to sponsorship pullbacks. Kehlani’s remarks regarding the conflict in Israel prompted Mayor Todd Gloria and several local Jewish organizations to boycott Pride events.
Wider Industry Headwinds and Institutional Strain
Tax returns reviewed by ABC 10News showed the organization was already operating near the break-even point. Meanwhile, external community pillars are watching the transition closely. A spokesperson for The San Diego LGBT Community Center noted in a statement to News 8 that while the center and Pride operate independently with distinct boards and missions, the leadership departure reflects broader headwinds facing LGBTQ+ nonprofits nationwide.
A Public Appeal
Despite the looming layoffs, reduced staffing, and warnings that the annual parade and festival must scale back, organizers insist the tradition will persist. Elliott confirmed that the 2027 Pride parade will still take place, though it will look different. In an effort to stabilize operations, the organization has set a goal to raise $300,000 in annual, sustained donations, urging the community to contribute time, connections, and financial support.
Community Conversation Scheduled at St. Paul’s
The San Diego Pride board is scheduled to host a public community conversation on Tuesday from 6:30-8 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral at 2728 Sixth Avenue, where stakeholders will discuss the path forward and the future structure of the organization.
