Dear PFLAG Supporter,

Have you started placing your orders for Pride Pack swag? Now’s the time…we’re nearly one month away from Pride—and one month away from the deadline to use your $100 credit—on us!—to spend on the items of your choice. Learn all about it below!

In addition to information about 2026 Pride Packs, in this edition of Leadership Learnings you’ll find: 

• Safety and Security on Zoom

• Advocacy Corner

• Think Tank Alert!

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Webinar

• Resilience Roundup

Pride Packs 2026: One Month Left

You’ve got one month left—between today and 5pm ET on June 30th—to order swag using your $100 credit. Here’s how it works: 

1. For the $100 credit, you’ll use your unique PFLAG Chapter ID as your code at checkout. This ID number is commonly used when completing your PFLAG Annual Report or on documents from PFLAG National. It can be found in the Member Portal on your chapter’s “Details” page. Not sure where to find that? We’ve made a visual walkthrough for you or you can contact your Chapter Engagement staffer for support. 

   1. Once you locate your code, connect with your fellow chapter board members, visit the shop, make your decisions about what items you’d like, then place your order using your PFLAG Chapter ID to get that $100 off. Spend it all on that order—once you use that code it will NOT be usable again, and we are NOT tracking whatever is not spent, so you’ll want to spend it all!

   2. It is very important that you enter your discount code during checkout to receive the $100 off. If you fail to use that code to place your order, we will need to work with our providers to get you a refund; however, we will deduct from that refund the charges incurred from having to re-add the code—which are 2.9% of the order total, plus $0.30. 

2. When you place ANY order, tell us in the section called “Leave a Note With Your Order” your chapter name and when your soonest event is; our team will do its best to prioritize events that are earlier (for example, our Florida chapters who celebrate Pride in March!).

Remember: Your PFLAG Chapter ID code for $100 off your order can be used only one time, and for one order. This means that if you spend only a portion of this $100 credit on an order, you will NOT have a remaining balance to use on a future order. Please work with your board to make ONE order to use up the full $100. 

The code expires on June 30, 2026, so if you have Pride events later in the year please order ahead of time to take advantage of this credit. Shipping times might be slightly longer given the anticipated volume of orders, so please plan in advance as it may take anywhere from 7-20 days from placing your order to delivery date. 

The chapter leader-only swag shop is still open all year round, and items there will continue to be offered in bulk and at a lower price than in our regular store. Note: This shop is ONLY for PFLAG chapter leaders. If your members and supporters want to purchase swag, please send them to shop.pflag.org to purchase from our public-facing shop. 

If you are experiencing issues with your code, the shop, or need assistance with your order, please contact the team at [email protected]; someone will follow up with you within 48 hours. 

We’re excited for you to choose your own PFLAG swag adventure—head on over to chapterswag.pflag.org and get started today.

Safety and Security on Zoom

It’s important to be vigilant about safety with any Zoom meetings your chapter may host. If your support meetings are virtual or hybrid, evaluate how folks find and join your meetings. It is a security risk to have your Zoom link available on your social media or website, as bots can find that easily and are able to then join your meeting. Bots are able to join virtual meetings that require registration as they are now capable of filling out simple forms.

In order to circumvent this safety risk, include open-ended questions in your registration process. Requiring registrants to answer questions like “What brings you to this PFLAG meeting?” or “What are you hoping to get out of this PFLAG meeting?” can help you filter out answers that are clearly from bots. This question-asking process should be included whether you have meeting attendees fill out a form or you have them email you. Alternatively, some chapters use sites like Eventbrite or MeetUp which have built-in registration processes that require safety measures like captcha and external ticketing. 

For more important safety tips, visit pflag.org/chapter-leader-home/#stay-safe, where you’ll find Chapter Leader resources on Zoom safety.

Advocacy Corner

It’s your last chance to register for our 2026 Legislative Session Wrap Up! Join us TOMORROW, Wednesday, May 20th at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT to hear from our Advocacy team about what happened in state legislatures across the country. You’ll hear about what legislation passed, what didn’t pass, and most importantly: the lifesaving work our PFLAG advocates did Fighting For Our Pride at statehouses across the country. In addition to a brief presentation and providing next steps to take as this legislative season comes to an end, there will be time for some questions for the team. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend; whether you’re an expert advocate or just getting started in your advocacy journey, all can benefit from this webinar. Register now to join us tomorrow night!

Think Tank Alert - all chapter leaders welcome!

Summer as a PFLAG chapter means tabling, tabling, tabling! Pride events and other summer activities take center stage. When you table, you have folks drop by and take your materials, follow you on social media, or sign up for your email list. But then what? In June's Think Tank, we will discuss how to turn contacts into committed community—meeting attendees, volunteers, community partners, and more. 

This 90-minute session, taking place on Thursday June 25th at 8pm ET/5pm PT  is open to PFLAG chapter leaders from all geographic areas, so whether you’re in a rural community, the suburbs, or an urban setting, we encourage you to attend. 

Bring your questions—and your own chapter success stories—as chapter leaders who have built a strong pipeline from casual interest to dedicated PFLAGer via tabling at Pride events share information. 

Register today to attend!

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Webinar

Navigating Public Service Loan Forgiveness can be confusing—especially for nonprofit and public service professionals balancing many responsibilities. That’s why Public Service Promise, PFLAG National, and Out for Undergrad are teaming up to break it down in a free, live webinar built for you. Join us on Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at 12pm ET / 9am PT for a 90-minute presentation. 

You’ll learn how PSLF works, who qualifies, and what steps to take now. We’ll walk through the application process and tackle common myths and mistakes. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re already counting qualifying payments, this session will help clarify your next steps. Register today!

In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)

• In case you haven’t already registered for this month’s PFLAG Academy Online, it is coming up on Thursday, May 28th at 8:30pm-9:30pm EST. Titled Mutual Aid: Rethinking Volunteerism to Meet Community Needs, it will cover how mutual aid differs from traditional charity work (and what your chapter may already be doing!) and how you, as an individual, can engage in mutual aid work in your community. 

• Give Out Day is 2 weeks away! While it’s too late to register as an organization, chapters can still use this day to encourage supporters to donate to your chapter on the only national day of giving for the LGBTQ+ community. You can find social media graphics in our PFLAG Canva team. 

Regional Roundup

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! This year’s theme is “More Good Days, Together” to promote community togetherness and well-being. In addition to some of the activities we’re seeing within the chapter network like participating in mental health and suicide prevention awareness activities, many of you are also facilitating challenging conversations in your peer support spaces. Here are some resources to help you navigate those moments as a chapter leader. 

• Facilitating PFLAG Support Meetings: Navigating Difficult Times offers support to facilitators who are addressing some of the challenging topics that can come up in support meetings. It provides strategies for refocusing the conversation, centering gratitude, and acknowledging and normalizing when things are challenging. 

• Taking a Step Back: Prioritizing Self-Care as a PFLAG Chapter Leader covers different methods of stepping back that have worked for fellow chapter leaders and talks through common hurdles that leaders experience in caring for themselves.

As you’re looking ahead to June and all the workload and stress that may come with it, please remember to take time to care for yourself and spend some time in community with an eye toward celebrating!

Stay safe,