PLATINUM2023

MAMA DRAGONS

Fierce support for mothers with LGBTQ children

SYRACUSE, UT   |  mamadragons.org

Mission

Mama Dragons supports, educates, and empowers mothers of LGBTQ children.

Ruling year info

2018

Executive Director

Celeste Carolin

Main address

1996 ALLISON WAY

SYRACUSE, UT 84075 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

82-5393053

NTEE code info

Lesbian/Gay Rights (R26)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2021, 2020 and 2019.
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Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Mama Dragons seeks to address the misinformation about raising LGBTQ children and provide academic research-based education and address the isolation and fear that many mothers of LGBTQ+ children experience, particularly in communities where there may be limited understanding or acceptance of LGBTQ+ identities. By providing a network of mothers who have been through similar experiences, Mama Dragons aims to offer education programs, mental health support, emotional support, and practical advice to help these mothers and their families thrive.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Mama Dragons Closed Facebook Support Groups

The Mama Dragons private Facebook community has over 9,500 members, with 27 subgroups and regional groups to participate. The Mama Dragons Main Group is the primary support group for all mothers of LGBTQ children. This group strives to be a space that creates a safe place for conversation and support for individuals regardless of cultural or religious backgrounds. Mama Dragons offers 20 Facebook regional groups that cover various geographical areas to provide an opportunity for Mama Dragons to connect with members in their local area, share local LGBTQ-friendly resources, and empower one another to fight against local anti-LGBTQ legislation and support pro-LGBTQ actions. Mama Dragons 7 subgroups offer support through diverse intersections, including support in raising children who are transgender or gender-diverse, raising LGBTQ children who have special needs, raising LGBTQ children who are Hispanic, raising LGBTQ children while navigating religion, and parenting as a mother of color.

Population(s) Served
Families
LGBTQ people
Parents

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth ages 10 to 24, with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth at a significantly increased risk. LGBTQ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers (The Trevor Project, 2022). With these staggering numbers, Mama Dragons helps educate and empower our moms to keep their children safe.

Mama Dragons offers QPR Gatekeeper Suicide Prevention Training through certified QPR instructors. These instructors provide basic suicide prevention training to our members and to the public, teaching them how to to recognize the warning signs of suicide and how to respond effectively.

https://www.mamadragons.org/suicide-prevention-training

Population(s) Served
LGBTQ people
Caregivers
Families

Mama Dragons created PARACHUTE, an eLearning program that provides the resources needed to affirm, support, and celebrate LGBTQ children.

When parents and caring adults become more informed about their LGBTQ child’s journey, they become empowered to become the best possible advocates for their children. Parachute courses increase general understanding of LGBTQ issues, increase affirming behaviors among parents and caring adults, and improve the environment for LGBTQ people everywhere.

The Intro to Understanding Your LGBTQ Child series contains four self-paced e-courses that were designed by parents, for parents. The courses are full of evidence-based content, brought to life in beautifully illustrated and animated learning videos and personal stories.

Check out Parachute at www.parachute.mamadragons.org

Population(s) Served
LGBTQ people
Teachers

Wrapped in Hugs is a volunteer program created by Mama Dragons for members to have the opportunity to create and send homemade blankets to fellow Mama Dragons, in essence, "hugging" them with our support and friendship.

https://www.mamadragons.org/wrapped-in-hugs

Population(s) Served
Caregivers
Parents

Paper Hugs is a volunteer program where Mama Dragons sends cards to fellow Mama Dragons and their LGBTQ children who are struggling or need support. Paper Hugs helps support moms by being an additional voice of encouragement and love to them and their children. It empowers mothers to support the LGBTQ community through the cards they send which include:
*Stat Hugs - for LGBTQ individuals experiencing crisis including suicidal ideation, attempts, and hospitalizations.
*Welcome Hugs - welcoming new members of Mama Dragons.
*Birthday Hugs - celebrating major life events through the mail.

https://www.mamadragons.org/paper-hugs

Population(s) Served
Parents
LGBTQ people

An Embracelet is a handmade bracelet that is given out by Mama Dragons at events. It's a warm hug around their wrist to remind LGBTQ individuals and their family and friends that they are loved.

https://www.mamadragons.org/embracelets

Population(s) Served
Families
Parents
LGBTQ people

Where we work

Awards

Allies of the Year 2016

Equality Utah

Affiliations & memberships

Encircle 2023

Utah Foster Care 2023

Dragon Dads 2023

Videos

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of participants engaged in programs

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Mama Dragons Closed Facebook Support Groups

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Mama Dragon members in peer-led support groups.

Number of volunteers

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Input - describing resources we use

Direction of Success

Increasing

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

In addition to providing a support network, Mama Dragons also advocates for LGBTQ+ rights and works to promote acceptance and understanding of LGBTQ+ individuals within families, communities, and society as a whole. The organization's ultimate goal is to create a world where all LGBTQ+ individuals thrive.

To achieve this mission, Mama Dragons employs several strategies, including:

Providing a safe and supportive community: Mama Dragons creates a safe space where mothers of LGBTQ+ individuals can find support, share their experiences, and connect with others who have gone through similar challenges. They offer a range of support services, including online peer-led support groups, social events, and one-on-one support.

Advocating for LGBTQ+ rights: Mama Dragons advocates for LGBTQ+ rights at the local, state, and national levels. They work with legislators, policymakers, and community leaders to promote legislation and policies that protect the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and their families.

Educating communities: Mama Dragons aims to educate communities about the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly those who belong to non-affirming faiths and cultures including the LDS or Mormon faith. They provide eLearning courses, resources, information, and training to help families and communities become more accepting and supportive of LGBTQ+ individuals.

Empowering families: Mama Dragons empowers families to become advocates for their LGBTQ+ loved ones. They provide resources and training to help families understand the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals and learn how to support them effectively.

Supporting mental health: Mama Dragons recognizes the importance of mental health support for LGBTQ+ individuals and their families. They offer suicide prevention resources and support groups led by mental health professionals who are knowledgeable and supportive of LGBTQ+ issues and parenting LGBTQ+ children.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    Mama Dragons supports, educates, empowers mothers with LGBTQ children. While the creation of Mama Dragons has its history in mothers who were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint (LDS) community, over the last three years, the profile of religious affiliation has shifted dramatically. As of April 2021, 34% of Mama Dragons members identify as members of the LDS church, also known as Mormon. Over 9% identify as Protestant, 7% as Catholic, and 16% do not identify with a religious community. Many mothers seek out Mama Dragons from non-affirming religious backgrounds to learn more about affirming LGBTQ parenting practices and seek other mother's support and guidance.

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve

Financials

MAMA DRAGONS
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

MAMA DRAGONS

Board of directors
as of 06/07/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Sara Urquhart

Lisa Evans Dame

Sara Urquhart

SanDee Duncan

Maoputasi Young

Neca Allgood

Ruth Ashurst

Emily Mayfield

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 5/11/2023
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, or other sexual orientations in the LGBTQIA+ community
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 05/15/2021

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.