LGBTQI Urgent Response Fund

The LGBTQI Urgent Response Fund is a lifeline for LGBTQI organisations impacted by the U.S. government funding freeze. This Fund provides a way for our community and allies to come together to provide immediate support, ensuring GiveOut’s grant partners can continue their vital work.

The U.S. Funding Freeze: A Global Crisis

Recent USAID and other U.S. government funding suspensions have placed some LGBTQI organisations in the Global South and East at risk of closure. These groups provide life-saving protection, advocacy, and community support in regions where LGBTQI rights are under threat.

The U.S. has historically been the largest contributor to international development aid, allocating $40 billion through USAID in 2023. However, the new administration has labelled LGBTQI rights funding as “waste and abuse,” and an executive order has frozen most U.S. foreign aid for 90 days while under review.

The Impact on LGBTQI Organisations Around the World

This sudden funding freeze is not just a setback – it is an existential threat to LGBTQI organisations. Many of these groups already operate on shoestring budgets. Without urgent support, they face:

Programme shutdowns – ending vital services for LGBTQI communities
Loss of key staff – weakening advocacy and legal efforts
Risk of closure – undoing years of progress for human rights

Two-thirds of GiveOut grant partners surveyed have been impacted by the U.S. government funding freeze, with estimated losses exceeding $1 million. Without immediate action, many will be forced to suspend their operations, downsize, or close entirely – leaving LGBTQI communities even more vulnerable.

“The funding suspension will erode all the achievements we have made. At yet another level we have had to lay off our staff and volunteers as we do not have any funding to support them.”

“We will downsize staffing. Likely, we will maintain a core skeletal staff working on a part time basis. But at the same time, it is hard to let go of our ongoing advocacy work”

“It's an existential crisis. We do not have the funds to continue operating after July this year”

“Our safe spaces for LBQT individuals to access mental health care and peer support may be reduced or shut down.”

How You Can Help

LGBTQI organisations are frontline human rights defenders. They fight back against the rising wave of anti-LGBTQI laws, violence, and discrimination, and without them, we risk losing decades of progress.

That is why we have launched the LGBTQI Urgent Response Fund – to bring together our community and allies to support our grant partners impacted by the freeze on U.S. funding, ensuring their survival and continued advocacy.

We will use funds raised to:

Provide emergency funding to impacted grant partners
Ensure LGBTQI groups can continue their work during this crisis
Help affected groups find alternative funding sources to sustain long-term advocacy

Now more than ever, our movement needs your support.

To make a donation to the Fund, please click the button below. If you would like to explore how you or your business can get involved, please contact GiveOut’s philanthropy team at give@giveout.org.

Please note that GiveOut will use 10 percent of funds raised to support grant-making and the costs of operating the Fund.