Community leaders turn out for Wanda Alston Foundation Fall Reception
At the Fall Reception, the room overflowed with love and LGBTQ+ power as we launched the next chapter of the Foundation,” Cesar Toledo told the Blade.
Annual event serves as fundraiser in support of homeless LGBTQ youth
D.C. Council members Robert White (D-At-Large) and Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5), the Council’s only openly gay member, and former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams were among the more than 130 people who turned out Sept. 19 for the Wanda Alston Foundation’s annual Fall Reception.
The event serves as a fundraiser for the D.C.-based organization, founded in 2008, which provides transitional housing and support services for homeless and at-risk LGBTQ youth.
“The Foundation operates a transitional housing program offering up to 18 months of support, including case management, life skills, and connections to health services, helping hundreds of youths toward independence and stability,” the Foundation has said on its website.
D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) and Council member Matt Frumin (D-Ward 3), who did not attend the event, joined Williams, Parker and “many others” as Honorary Hosts, according to a statement released by the Alston Foundation.
The statement says the theme of this year’s Fall Reception was “celebrating queer resilience and building a bold future together.” It says it also marked the beginning of an “exciting new chapter” under the leadership of Cesar Toledo, who became the Alston Foundation’s executive director earlier this year following the retirement of longtime executive director June Crenshaw.
“As the Foundation enters a transformative new chapter, we’re scaling and deepening our impact to meet the urgent needs of at-risk and homeless LGBTQ + youth,” the statement adds.
Toledo told the Washington Blade this year’s Fall Reception raised over $55,000.
He said the location of the upscale space where the reception was held, a Penthouse Rooftop reception area overlooking the city’s Southwest Waterfront and Wharf at 800 Maine Ave., S.W., was provided free of charge by Cornerstone Government Affairs, a local consulting firm that supports the work of the Alston Foundation.
Williams, who served as D.C. mayor for two terms, from 1999 to 2007, told the gathering he was honored to have hired Wanda Alston, an acclaimed feminist leader and LGBTQ rights advocate, as the first director of his newly created Mayor’s Office of LGBT Affairs.
Alston served in that position from 2004 until her death on March 16, 2005, when she was murdered in her home by a neighbor who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 24 years in prison.
Williams joined others who spoke at the Fall Reception in saying Alston’s dedication to the rights of minorities, including LGBTQ people, inspired them to become lifelong LGBTQ allies and committed supporters of the Wanda Alston Foundation.
D.C. attorney Darrin Glymph, the longtime chair of the Alston Foundation’s Board of Directors and the principal partner in a law firm that has provided financial support for the Foundation, was honored at the reception as a recipient of the Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Others who were honored with awards at the reception included Lamont Atkins, Director of Government & External Affairs at PEPCO, who received the Community Impact Award; D.C. Front Runners, the LGBTQ sports group, received the Partner of the Year Award; and Alston Foundation staff member JoElla Goodwine received the Icon of the Year Award.
“At the Fall Reception, the room overflowed with love and LGBTQ+ power as we launched the next chapter of the Foundation,” Toledo told the Blade.
“With leaders like Council members Robert White and Zachary Parker, allies like Pepco, and friends by our side, we didn’t just meet our fundraising goal – we smashed it,” he said.” Every dollar raised will directly support the LGBTQ+ youth at our housing facility who need us now more than ever.”
Read more here in the Washington Blade.
June Crenshaw Steps Down from WAF
“When I first joined the foundation, I was facing the real possibility of closing our shelters,” Crenshaw said in a statement. “But thanks to the unwavering support of the LGBTQ+ community and strong, steady leadership of our Board, nearly a decade later, we’ve not only kept our doors open — we’ve expanded our impact. As I pass the torch, I’m filled with pride in the organization’s next chapter.”
June Crenshaw, the executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, has stepped down from her position after nearly a decade.
The organization provides support services and operates transitional housing programs for LGBTQ young people experiencing homelessness.
“When I first joined the foundation, I was facing the real possibility of closing our shelters,” Crenshaw said in a statement. “But thanks to the unwavering support of the LGBTQ+ community and strong, steady leadership of our Board, nearly a decade later, we’ve not only kept our doors open — we’ve expanded our impact. As I pass the torch, I’m filled with pride in the organization’s next chapter.”
Crenshaw will continue serving the LGBTQ community as the interim deputy director of Capital Pride Alliance and DC WorldPride 2025.
“June’s nearly decade of service transformed the lives of hundreds of LGBTQ+ youth in the nation’s capital,” Darrin Glymph, the board chair of the Wanda Alston Foundation, said in a statement. “She led with heart, vision, and an unshakeable commitment to our most vulnerable youth. We are immensely grateful for her service and look forward to her continued leadership in the community.”
The Wanda Alston Foundation announced that Cesar Toledo will succeed Crenshaw as executive director as part of a planned transition process started in November 2024.
Toledo, who most recently served as the National Deputy LGBTQ+ Engagement Director for the Harris for President campaign, brings with him a decade of experience leading political campaigns, shaping public policy, and promoting LGBTQ inclusion.
Toledo also served in multiple positions at the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, including as its political director from October 2021 to March 2023.
While calling Crenshaw’s leadership “transformative,” Glymph, the foundation’s board chair, said the organization was “excited for the energy and experience that Cesar brings to lead us into this next chapter.”
Wanda Alston Foundation Names New Executive Director
The Wanda Alston Foundation, the D.C.-based organization that has provided housing and support services for homeless LGBTQ youth since its founding in 2008, announced it has appointed longtime LGBTQ rights advocate Cesar Toledo as its new executive director.
The Wanda Alston Foundation, the D.C.-based organization that has provided housing and support services for homeless LGBTQ youth since its founding in 2008, announced it has appointed longtime LGBTQ rights advocate Cesar Toledo as its new executive director.
In an April 22 statement, the organization said that as part of a planned leadership transition launched in November 2024, Toledo will succeed June Crenshaw, who Alston Foundation officials and LGBTQ community activists say has led the organization with distinction in her role as executive director for the past nine years.
In a statement released last November, the foundation announced Crenshaw was stepping down from her role as executive director after deciding to “to step into her next chapter.”
“June’s leadership has been truly transformative,” said Alston Foundation Board Chair Darrin Glymph in the group’s April 22 statement. “We are immensely grateful for her dedication and equally excited for the energy and experience that Cesar brings to lead us into this next chapter,” Glymph said.
“A seasoned LGBTQ+ advocate, Cesar brings over a decade of experience leading national campaigns, shaping public policy, and building inclusive communities,” the statement released by the group says. “Most recently, he served as the National LGBTQ+ Engagement Director for the Harris for President Campaign and has built a career focused on advancing equality and equitable education,” it says.
Biographical information about Toledo shows that immediately prior to working for the Harris For President Campaign, he served since April 2023 as deputy director for Democrats for Education Reform DC (DFER DC), a political group that helps to elect candidates for public office committed to quality education for all students, including minorities, people of color and LGBTQ youth.
Before joining DFER DC, Toledo served as political director for the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, where he assisted in electing out LGBTQ candidates to all levels of public office across the U.S.
“I’m really excited about joining the Wanda Alston Foundation,” Toledo told the Washington Blade. “After a decade of working at the intersection of politics and policy and advancing political candidates and equitable education here in D.C., I wanted to shift my career to direct services to the most vulnerable folks in the LGBTQ+ family and our homeless youth,” he said.
Among other things, he said he would push for increasing the Alston Foundation’s visibility and mainlining its services for LGBTQ youth at a time when the national political climate has become less supportive.
A statement on its website says the Alston Foundation was founded in 2008 “in memory of Wanda Alston, a fierce LGBTQ+ activist, national advocate, and government official who was admired by District residents.”
The statement adds, “The foundation opened the first housing program in the nation’s capital in 2008 providing pre-independent transitional living and life-saving support services to LGBTQ+ youth.”
In a separate statement, the Alston Foundation announced it would hold a “thank you” celebration of appreciation for June Crenshaw from 6-8 p.m. on May 20 at Crush Dance Bar located at 2007 14th Street, N.W. in D.C.
“Let’s come together to celebrate her dedication and commitment for everything she has done for the LGBTQIA homeless youth population,” the statement says.
Wanda Alston Foundation Appoints New Executive Director
Washington, DC - The Wanda Alston Foundation proudly announces the appointment of Cesar Toledo as its new Executive Director, following a planned leadership transition launched in November 2024.
For Immediate Release: April 22, 2025
Contact: Cesar Toledo, ctoledo@wandaalstonfoundation.org
Washington, DC - The Wanda Alston Foundation proudly announces the appointment of Cesar Toledo as its new Executive Director, following a planned leadership transition launched in November 2024.
A seasoned LGBTQ+ advocate, Cesar brings over a decade of experience leading national campaigns, shaping public policy, and building inclusive communities. Most recently, he served as the National Deputy LGBTQ+ Engagement Director for the Harris for President campaign and has built a career focused on advancing equality and equitable education.
Cesar succeeds June Crenshaw, who will be stepping down after nearly a decade of visionary leadership. In honor of June’s legacy, the Foundation will host a celebration on May 20, 2025.
Board Chair Glymph, Esq. shared:
“June’s leadership has been truly transformative. We are immensely grateful for her dedication and equally excited for the energy and experience that Cesar brings to lead us into this next chapter.”
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About
The Wanda Alston Foundation was established in 2008 in memory of Wanda Alston, a fierce LGBTQ+ activist, national advocate, and government official who was admired by District residents. The foundation opened the first housing program in the nation’s capital in 2008, providing pre-independent transitional living and life-saving support services to LGBTQ+ youth. Through its two transitional housing programs — Wanda’s House and Alston’s Place — and its Capacity Building Assistance Program, the Foundation provides safe housing, life skills training, and access to essential support services across all eight wards of DC.