About Us
The Chosen Family Project™ was founded in 2020 through the collaboration of three community leaders committed to expanding support and opportunity. They initially sought to create a platform where individuals could come out and live authentically. With more than 100 years of combined nonprofit leadership experience, the founders recognized they could better serve small organizations by offering strategic guidance and operational support. They saw an opportunity to help partner organizations grow, connect, and continue serving their communities, especially in areas where current legislation has stifled opportunities for growth. Many LGBTQ+ nonprofits operate in rural parts of this country where their mere presence carries risk and where resources are scarce or nonexistent.
Steven Drew Auerbach is an international business consultant specializing in brand marketing & management. As a published journalist and public speaker, Auerbach serves as an advisor for organizations focused on the health and welfare of the LGBTQ+ community. He is the COO & Director of Development for the HIV+ Aging Research Project.
Steven Drew Auerbach - Founding Partner, CEO
Bruce Purdy is an international development economist working in more than 25 post-conflict and emerging market economies to improve service to local citizens. Bruce actively supports and serves organizations that focus on gay health and the gay community. He lives with his husband of 37 years, Barrett Shepard, in both Maryland and Palm Springs.
Bruce Purdy - Founding Partner, COO
Shannon McCarthy joined the CFP team as Social Media Manager in 2024. She brings 10 years of nonprofit and education-focused marketing experience, along with a passion for queer communities, to the role.
Shannon resides in Northern Virginia, where she builds community and nurtures her chosen family with handmade crafts, text reminders to drink water, and photos of her two beloved cats, Millie and Fitz.
Shannon McCarthy - Director of Social Media
Steve Rossetti is a licensed Psychotherapist specializing in addiction, eating disorders, and the LGBTQ+ community. Rossetti worked as a Director of Training and Organizational Development where he consulted on diversity, sexual harassment prevention, and team development and leadership.
Steve Rossetti - Founding Partner
