Despite taking the helm of an LGBTQ+ nonprofit across the country earlier this year, former Assemblymember Evan Low hasn’t strayed far from the Silicon Valley political landscape and his local ties, including two Santa Clara County supervisors who’ve funneled $60,000 in grant funds to the organization.

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The proposed grant comes as the county is facing fiscal uncertainty in the upcoming budget year as congressional Republicans look to axe critical federal dollars upon which the county relies. County Executive James Williams has recommended spending reductions across the board and pulling nearly $70 million in federal funds out of the budget that the county would typically receive.

But as in years past, the Board of Supervisors still has access to a pot of money to dole out grants for “targeted public purposes” that fund community initiatives. For the 2025-26 fiscal year budget, supervisors funded 371 proposals to the tune of $6.97 million.

While most of the grants, which range from a few thousand dollars to up to $138,000, are for local nonprofits like Parents Helping Parents and the Bill Wilson Center, the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute is a national nonprofit political organization based in Washington, D.C. Low, a central figure in Silicon Valley politics since becoming the youngest openly gay mayor in the country in 2009, was named the president and CEO of the organization in March after losing a congressional bid to Sam Liccardo, the former San Jose mayor.

Both Supervisor Otto Lee, the board’s president, and Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga set aside county budget funds for the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute — $10,000 from Lee and $50,000 from Abe-Koga. Lee originally proposed giving the organization $15,000, but at a meeting last week, he reduced the amount since the funding request was “duplicative.”

The money is expected to be used for a public leadership summit in August that will “foster increased civic engagement and leadership in the face of ongoing challenges to LGBTQ+ representation and rights,” according to a county memo. It’s the first time the organization has received funds through the county’s budget process, a review of budgets from the last two decades showed.

In a statement, LGBTQ+ Victory Institute Executive Director Elliot Imse said that they “regularly seek support in local communities for these vital events.”

“California has the highest population of LGBTQ+ residents, and providing opportunities to learn about public service is core to our mission,” Imse said. “In particular, Santa Clara County has led not only the state but also the nation on LGBTQ rights with the establishment of the Office of LGBTQ Affairs. Given Santa Clara County’s commitment to human rights, we are proud to bring national support to the South Bay.”

In a statement, Lee cited “recent rollbacks and targeting of the LGBTQ+ community by the White House,” adding, “it has become even more crucial to help protect and uplift these individuals and families.”

Abe-Koga said that the idea of an LGBTQ+ leadership summit has already garnered support from other local community groups.

“It’s an investment in people to develop their leadership capacity in all sectors, whether it be running for office or leading organizations or becoming better advocates,” Abe-Koga said in a statement.

Both Lee and Abe-Koga are Low’s political allies. The former assemblymember, who represented a large swath of Silicon Valley, has given to their past campaigns and endorsed their election bids. Lee and Abe-Koga also supported Low’s recent congressional run.

Sean McMorris, the transparency, ethics and accountability program manager for good government group California Common Cause, said that while no laws were broken in awarding the grant, it has created a “perception issue.”

“I think that Low was probably hired for this new role because of his connections and his understanding of how government works, how these grants are given out and where they’re at,” McMorris said in an interview. “He’s probably fulfilling his role.”

Lee said that all of the grants coming out of his office undergo a community review panel composed of residents who evaluate the proposals and “ensure they align with our priorities and serve the needs of both District 3 and the wider Santa Clara County community.”

“I’ve built strong relationships with leaders throughout our community,” Lee said. “I hold public service in the highest regard, and transparency is a core value in everything I do.”

Abe-Koga said that, like most other elected officials, she can’t afford to self-fund her campaigns. With hundreds of donors, she said it’s unavoidable that some will do business with the county at some point.

“My support or vote cannot be bought for any amount,” she said. “I base all my decisions on the merit of the subject at hand.”

The Board of Supervisors will finalize the grant funds with the rest of the budget in June.