There are stories that don’t just move you — they move audiences across religious lines, across political divides, and across generations. Mama Bears is one of those stories. And right now, the team behind this remarkable documentary is gearing up for a North American Screening Tour that could reach over 10 million people… if the right sponsors and donors say yes.
We’re proud to shine a spotlight on Mama Bears and its upcoming national tour — and to share why getting involved isn’t just a marketing opportunity. It’s a chance to be part of something that genuinely moves the needle for LGBTQ+ families and communities across North America.
What Is Mama Bears?
Mama Bears is a documentary that follows mothers who, faced with the reality of having an LGBTQ+ child, chose love — often at great personal cost. It’s raw. It’s hopeful. And it works on audiences that other LGBTQ+ content rarely reaches, because it speaks through the universal language of a mother’s unconditional love.
The goal of the Mama Bears tour isn’t just to preach to the choir. It’s to create meaningful dialogue among both supportive and non-supportive audiences — and to move more people toward being open, affirming, and loving to all, while also providing real support and resources to the LGBTQ+ community. That dual mission — outreach and community support, simultaneously — is what makes this project genuinely special.
Why a Tour? Why Now?
Here’s the reality: LGBTQ+ communities are facing increasing isolation, misinformation, and reduced access to affirming spaces and resources. Organizations are doing critical, life-saving work — but often in silos, without a shared platform that connects storytelling to action. The Mama Bears North American Screening Series is designed to change that.
The tour is built to bring people together for thought-provoking conversations in safe spaces that drive real support and change. It’s designed to normalize acceptance and belonging — and to provide audiences nationwide with direct access to resources and key LGBTQ+ organizations. Think of it as a unified national movement that amplifies LGBTQ+ voices, mobilizes local communities in real time, and strengthens long-term infrastructure for partner organizations.
In short: this isn’t just a film tour. It’s a community activation platform.
The Numbers Behind the Tour
The scope of what’s planned is ambitious — and grounded in a proven track record. The Mama Bears team previously toured The Loyola Project in partnership with Northwestern Mutual, hosting more than 355 events, reaching over 1 million CBS Final Four viewers, generating $2.5 million in partnership ROI, and engaging 100,000+ people across social media. Fifty-seven stories were published by national and local news outlets including Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports, ABC, and Andscape. They know how to execute at scale.
For the Mama Bears tour, the target includes:
- A minimum of 100 events during the tour annually
- Reaching over 10 million people online and in-person each year
- Engaging young people on college campuses, in college sports, high schools, and communities across North America
Where Things Stand — And What’s Needed
Thanks to private donations from early believers in this mission, Mama Bears has already raised $15,000 — and because of that momentum, the tour is set to launch this fall, with screenings beginning in September 2026.
But to make the full vision a reality, the team needs partners. The minimum fundraising goal remaining is $85,000 (bringing the total to $100,000), with a full target of $250,000 to execute the tour at maximum impact. Whether it’s one presenting partner or a coalition of sponsors and donors, every dollar goes toward building the kind of national platform the LGBTQ+ community needs right now.
And here’s an important detail: Mama Bears is fiscally sponsored, which means partners can participate as traditional sponsors or as tax-advantaged donors. That flexibility opens the door to philanthropic partnerships that a standard sponsorship model wouldn’t accommodate.
What Partners Get
Sponsorship of the Mama Bears tour isn’t a passive logo placement. It’s a full partnership — with white-glove execution handled entirely by the Crossroads team. Depending on the level of involvement, partners receive access to things like:
- Exclusive rights to participate in the official Mama Bears screening tour
- Title designations such as “Official Presenting Partner,” plus category exclusivity
- Full IP usage rights across campaign and brand channels
- A custom-branded video spot featured ahead of every single screening
- Onsite presence, brand activations, and audience engagement at events nationwide
- Integration into the tour’s full marketing ecosystem: email, social, web, PR, and print
- Branded materials included in both digital and physical event kits
- Rights to use the film internally for corporate events, inclusion initiatives, and educational programming
- Direct access to local event organizers, community leaders, filmmakers, and talent
Sponsor Tiers — Something for Every Level of Investment
The Mama Bears team has built a flexible sponsorship structure designed to meet partners where they are. Every partnership is ultimately customized, but here’s the framework:
Presenting Sponsor ($250K): Onsite presence at all events, 60-second PSA before every screening, presenting sponsor status, inclusion in the official tour logo, dedicated email blasts, category exclusivity, press release, and more. Reach: at least 10 million people.
Major Sponsor ($100K–$250K): Onsite presence at select events, 30-second PSA, full IP rights, dedicated email blast, category exclusivity, press release, and social media campaigns. Reach: at least 5 million people.
Additional Support ($50K–$100K): Onsite presence at select events, social media campaign, press release, digital and in-person kit inclusion, and access to filmmakers and key organizations. Reach: at least 3 million people.
Supporter ($10K–$50K): Pre-film logo inclusion, end credits recognition, social media campaign, and signed exclusive merchandise. Reach: at least 1 million people.
Special Thanks ($1K–$10K): End credits recognition and signed exclusive merchandise — a meaningful way for individuals and small organizations to be part of the story.
This Is the Moment
We’re in a moment when LGBTQ+ communities need storytelling that crosses divides — that reaches the people who haven’t yet been moved, not just those who already agree. Mama Bears does exactly that. It meets people where they are, through one of the most powerful emotional entry points there is: the love a mother has for her child.
If your organization is looking for a way to make an authentic, high-impact investment in LGBTQ+ acceptance and community support — this is it. Whether you come in as a presenting sponsor, a major partner, or a first-time donor, your support will be on screen, in the room, and in the conversation at every single stop on this tour.
For more information, check out https://www.crossroadstour.com/mamabears.
Interested in learning more or getting involved? Reach out to the Mama Bears team directly — and let’s get this tour on the road. Contact Jonathan Schrader at https://www.crossroadstour.com/contact.
This article was shared via the #ILoveGay Network, powered by Pink Media — a company with INFLUENCE! For more LGBTQ+ stories, news, and resources, visit ILoveGay.net.
