The Cause
The Autonomy Project
3,000+
community members served each year
$36,000+
in mutual aid distributed since 2024
95+
classes, events and programs hosted
100%
volunteer run — no salaries, no overhead skim
Where your money goes
The Mutual Aid Fund
Direct cash to community members in crisis — rent, medical bills, food, emergencies. No applications, no committees, no proving your worth to a stranger. Referrals come through people who already know and trust each other.
Wicked Eden
The 6,000-square-foot community space where this gala is held. Classes, support groups, events, overnights and a production studio — built by and for this community, and kept open by donors like you.
Education & Programming
Workshops, support groups, harm reduction, ally and accomplice training, and classes on relationships and sexuality. Many are free or low cost, because access should not depend on income.
Advocacy & Safety
Legal advocacy workshops, de-escalation and safety training, and visibility campaigns that keep marginalized communities protected and seen.
Built by the community, for the community
The Autonomy Project began as a dream shared by five passionate fems and thems who wanted a place where people pushed to the edges of Ohio's communities could find safety, connection and joy. In 2022 they bought a building and held it in trust for the community — that building is now Wicked Eden, a former library branch reborn as a home for education, advocacy and celebration.
There are no grants and no corporate sponsorships holding the lights on. The space runs entirely on volunteers and on people like you: donors, members, ticket buyers and the guests of this gala.
Give with the gala
Your ticket, your table, your sponsorship and your Wall of Fame pledge all arrive as a donation to The Autonomy Project — a registered 501(c)(3) public charity, EIN 92-1587440. Gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
The Autonomy Project · Columbus, Ohio · contact@autonomyproject.org · 614-699-6011