YouthPride Executive Director Terence McPhaul said today the nonprofit organization needs to raise $40,000 by Dec. 31 or faces having to close 60 days later.

The amount of money needed by the organization that serves metro-Atlanta lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth ages 13-24 has varied in the past two weeks. McPhaul said Dec. 8 he wished for $50,000. YouthPride Board Chair Jordan Myers took to Facebook Dec. 9 to say the agency needed to raise $25,000 in a week.

This week, McPhaul said the LGBT agency needs to raise $40,000 by Dec. 31 to cover all of its operating expenses. If the money is not raised, McPhaul said the agency will have to close 60 days after the Dec. 31 deadline.

YouthPride did not receive a United Way Community Impact Grant this year, which meant an approximate $27,000 didn't come through, contributing to the organization's shortfall, McPhaul said. The agency's funding from Fulton County also dropped $40,000 this year, he said.

"Though YouthPride is getting Donor Designation — money YouthPride asks people to donate and designate YouthPride — funds from United Way, YouthPride no longer receives the Community Impact Grant from United Way. This is a current loss to YouthPride of $27,000," McPhaul said.

"Because of YouthPride's vigorous asking campaigns requesting funds from those who value and realize the significance of what YouthPride accomplishes, YouthPride Donor Designations are up this year to $42,000 from last year's $28,000. However, Donor Designation funds are not paid immediately, but rather quarterly after the processing of the donations and fees," McPhaul said.

"YouthPride is very pleased to be funded by Fulton County, but its funding to YouthPride dropped $40,000 from last year," he added.

When contacted, YP board chair Myers said McPhaul is the media contact for information on YouthPride.

In 2010, McPhaul announced YouthPride's funding from Fulton County and United Way increased significantly, with the agency receiving a grant from United Way of $26,307 and from Fulton County of $80,000.

David Graves, a spokesperson for United Way, said there were stricter guidelines this year for awarding its Community Impact Grants, which suffered a "huge shortage" this year. Graves said United Way wants to work with YouthPride in the future to help them receive grants.

"There was a tweaking of how allocations are made in the grant process … and stricter guidelines this year," he said.

The allocations were made based on site visits and scoring by United Way as well as if the agencies seeking funding could show the impact their programs were having.

"This was a very new and bold way of doing it this year," Graves said. "Every one started at an even playing field."