GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, today announced Bill McDermott as the organization’s new Chief Development Officer.

McDermott joins GLAAD after serving as Chief Development Officer for the Los Angeles LGBT Center where he created and led sustainable fundraising initiatives supporting the organization’s health services, housing, and advocacy programs. The Center’s over 700 employees provide services for more LGBTQ people than any other organization in the world. During his eight-year tenure, the Center’s annual giving, membership, planned and institutional giving programs saw double digit growth. Additionally, he oversaw special events teams responsible for the annual Vanguard Awards and the Evening with Women galas.

Under McDermott’s leadership, the LA LGBT Center most recently completed a successful $57 million capital campaign to open the Anita May Rosenstein Campus in April 2019.

At GLAAD, McDermott will sit on the organization’s senior leadership team, which sets the organization’s advocacy work as well as the fundraising initiatives to support that work. He will lead GLAAD’s annual $12M+ fundraising budget through membership, major donor, foundation grants, and corporate partnership programs. McDermott will also oversee GLAAD’s special events team, which produce GLAAD events including the annual GLAAD Media Awards. The GLAAD Media Awards honor outstanding LGBTQ images across media in over 25 English and Spanish-Language categories. The events also fund GLAAD’s advocacy work year-round. This year, the GLAAD Media Awards celebrated a 30^th anniversary milestone and reached a new level of visibility by welcoming talent including Beyoncé, JAY-Z, Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anderson Cooper, Don Lemon, Rosie O’Donnell, Lizzo, as well as casts of “Pose” and “Queer Eye” to send messages of LGBTQ acceptance around the world. GLAAD staff Mark Hartnett and Rich Ferraro will continue to serve as Executive Producers of the Awards.

McDermott will also oversee development and fundraising efforts for the GLAAD Media Institute. Launched in 2018, the GLAAD Media Institute has trained over ten thousand LGBTQ advocates and allies around the world on best practices for local organizing, telling personal stories, and leveraging local, national, and social media to accelerate LGBTQ acceptance. The Institute is also home to GLAAD’s research, including its annual reports on LGBTQ inclusion on television and film, as well as GLAAD’s consulting work with Hollywood, the video game industry, publishing, journalism, and global brands to ensure fair, accurate, and culture-changing LGBTQ representation.   

“GLAAD’s leadership team has transformed the organization into a respected agent of social change in a politically divisive time when we all must join together to ensure LGBTQ voices are heard,” said McDermott. “With new initiatives including the GLAAD Media Institute, GLAAD is quickly building a global network of changemakers working to create a culture where LGBTQ people will be accepted and embraced for who we are.”

Prior to joining the Center in January 2011, Bill served as the Director of Development for the Stonewall Community Foundation, a New York-based LGBTQ community foundation. Previously, he worked in sales and marketing for tech giants including roles under Tim Gill at Quark and a long career with Apple. McDermott was also a Roman Catholic priest in the diocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis prior to launching a career in non-profit development and LGBTQ advocacy.  He is a co-chair of the OutFund and on the advisory board of East West Players.

“As GLAAD and the GLAAD Media Institute continue rapid growth in both size and impact, Bill’s proven track record with funding large-scale initiatives will take our advocacy efforts to the next level,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “Bill is a LGBTQ leader who not only has a skilled approach to development, but true heart and a passion to improve the lives of everyone in our community.”

McDermott will begin his work with GLAAD later this fall.