What is Giving Compass?
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Giving Compass' Take:
• The TRANSformational Impact report analyzes U.S. foundation funding for the transgender community and highlights opportunities for funders.
• How can donors share information about the needs of transgender communities?
• Read about the fight for transgender rights at the global scale.
In the last decade, U.S. foundation funding for domestic and global trans issues increased more than eight fold – growing at three times the rate of LGBTQ funding overall. However, even at its record high of $8.3 million in 2013, the philanthropic resources provided hardly seem commensurate with the severe challenges global trans communities continue to face.
TRANSformational Impact analyzes the scope and character of foundation funding for trans issues.
This report broadly covers funding for transgender communities by U.S. foundations between 2011 and 2013, some of which includes funding specifically targeted towards transgender girls and women, transgender boys and men, and gender non-conforming and genderqueer people. We have devoted separate sections to funding for trans issues in the U.S. and funding for trans issues globally as well as a section on intersex funding.
This report is intended as an initial assessment of the state of foundation funding for transgender communities, as a complement to other research and community scans on transgender communities. The data and trends highlighted in this report point to several key opportunities for funders interested in improving the well-being of transgender communities:
- Support a diverse ecology of transgender organizations
- Build the capacity of grassroots transgender groups working at the local level.
- Provide support for increasing transgender cultural competence of mainstream service providers and systems.
- Nurture transgender participation in philanthropy at all levels.
- Support efforts to improve data collection on gender identity.
Read the full article about how foundations fund trans communities by Kristina Wertz, Naa Hammond at LGBTQ Funders.
Improving the lives of transgender people requires multiple approaches. There are opportunities for funders to support policy advocacy, direct services, culture change, community organizing, and other key strategies. Similarly, transgender communities are affected by a wide swath of issues, including health, safety, housing, education, civil rights and many others. Therefore, there are entry points for funders regardless of their funding priorities.