WHO WE ARE
We are an award-winning international LGBTQI community foundation enabling our community and allies to give in one place to support LGBTQI activism worldwide.
Across the world, courageous activists are doing vital work to protect our communities and improve the lives of LGBTQI people. But they lack resources and funding is fragile, especially in the Global South and East. LGBTQI groups receiving a tiny fraction of international development aid – just 4p in every £100 awarded by governments.
Our community and allies want to provide support, but it is not always easy to do so. GiveOut’s purpose is to help address this urgent need by providing a platform for our supporters to give tax efficiently in one place to fund LGBTQI human rights activism worldwide. We identify pioneering groups to support through a rigorous process of consultation, due diligence and vetting, guided by our Grant-making Advisory Panel and governed by our Board of Trustees.
We pool the donations we receive to provide grants to LGBTQI organisations around the world, ensuring they have more of the resources they need to defend our communities, tackle inequality and campaign for lasting change.
OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Elliot Vaughn (@Elliot_Vaughn) is GiveOut's founder and the Chair of its Board of Trustees. He is a Senior Partner and Managing Director at Boston Consulting Group in the UK and also serves as Co-Chair of the Board of the international LGBTQI human rights organisation Outright International. Elliot has appeared several times in the OUTstanding list of leading LGBTQ executive role models.
Elliot Vaughn
Baroness Liz Barker (@LizBarkerLords) is a Liberal Democrat Life Peer of the House of Lords. She came out in Parliament during the Second Reading of the Equal Marriage Bill in June 2013, and has since supported a wide range of LGBTQI charities and causes. She is the co-founder of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Global LGBT+ Rights, Vice Chair of the APPG on Sexual and Reproductive Health, and a member of the APPG on HIV/AIDS. In 2015 Baroness Barker was appointed Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Voluntary Sector and Social Enterprise. She is CEO of Third Sector Business, a consultancy which provides strategic business development to charities and social enterprises in the UK and internationally.
Baroness Liz Barker
Neville Gabriel is the founding Chief Executive Officer of the Other Foundation, a Southern African regional LGBTQI community foundation.
Neville is the chairperson of several community shareholding trusts linked to solar and wind renewable energy plants in South Africa. He was previously the founding executive director of the Southern Africa Trust, an independent regional funding agency that supports policy engagement between governments and non-state actors to overcome poverty in Southern Africa.
He was a member of Global Citizen’s global policy committee, a member of the Africa policy advisory board of Bono’s ONE campaign, and a senior fellow of the Synergos Institute. He was a member of the founding steering committee of the African Grantmakers’ Network (AGN), the chairperson of the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA), the chairperson of the Open Society Foundations’ Africa advisory committee, a trustee of the International NGO Training and Research Centre (INTRAC). He previously worked at Oxfam in media and advocacy and at the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) coordinating social and economic justice programs.
Neville Gabriel
Daniel Gerring (@Daniel_Gerring) is a senior partner at the law firm Travers Smith and a member of the firm's Diversity & Inclusion Board. He sits on a number of charity boards, including as Chair of Trustees of Just Like Us - the LGBT+ charity for young people - and as a Trustee of Refugees at Home and City YMCA, London. He is an expert in governance and organisational change in both the corporate and charity sectors and also acts as pro bono legal counsel to a range of international organisations. Daniel is a member of the Network Group for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Global LGBT+ Rights and a Leadership Fellow of St George’s House, Windsor Castle.
Daniel Gerring
Bruna Gil (@brunagil) joined LinkedIn in 2015, and currently leads the Channel Sales business in EMEA. She is a passionate and vocal advocate for LGBTQI rights in the workplace, holding multiple leadership roles over the past six years at Out@In (LinkedIn’s LGBTQ+ Network), and more recently stepping up as Global Co-Chair for the network. Bruna has featured in the OUTstanding list of Emerging Leaders for four years running and has twice been shortlisted for the British LGBT Awards under the Diversity Hero and Future Leader categories.
Bruna Gil
Radhika Piramal is the Vice Chairperson & Executive Director of VIP Industries. She has held this role since 2017, prior to which she was Managing Director of VIP from 2010 to 2017. VIP Industries Ltd. is India’s #1 Luggage Company and a publicly listed company.
Under Radhika’s leadership, VIP’s market capitalization grew from $150Mn in 2010 to over $1Bn in 2023. Over the course of a decade, she revitalized VIP through several brand launches, made it relevant to the next generation of Indian consumers, and steered it through its steep downturn and subsequent recovery through the covid pandemic. Her teams would call her management style bold, energetic, empowering and transparent.
Outside of VIP, Radhika worked as a management consultant with Bain & Company in New York from 2006 to 2008. She currently serves as a non-executive independent board director for publicly listed Indian hospitality company Chalet Hotels Ltd..
Radhika was recognized in Economic Times India’s 40 under 40 Business Leaders in 2015.
She received CNBC-India TV18’s Award for Young Business Woman in 2016 and received the coveted Business Today’s India’s Most Powerful Women award for three consecutive years in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Radhika has a BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Brasenose College, University of Oxford (2000) and an MBA from the Harvard Business School (2006). She is a Fellow of the seventh class of the Kamalnayan Bajaj Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global
Leadership Network. She is one of India’s few openly lesbian business leaders and a prominent speaker on LGBTQ+ inclusion. She and her wife divide their time between Mumbai and London. In her spare time, Radhika enjoys travel, books, walks and time with dogs.
Radhika Piramal
Jon Huggett brings considerable experience offering support to non-profit organisations, from coaching leaders to advising on boards around the world. Jon has chaired the boards of All Out; the STOP AIDS Project; Organisation for Refuge, Asylum and Migration; among others. He currently serves on the board of Alwan Foundation.
A professional coach and board advisor, Jon has run three companies; a health care operation on four continents, an economic development consultancy, and a web startup. He also wrote chapters for books about global non-profits and while working as a Partner at Bain & Company, Jon co-founded their LGBTQI employee group.
Jon Huggett
Aisha Shaibu (@ aisha_shaibu_ ) is an activist who has been championing integration, diversity and equality to help level the playing field. She is a rising LGBTQI role model and founded Moonlight Experiences, a company that immerses travellers into the authentic side of queer communities whilst empowering marginalised voices. Moonlight Experiences also harnesses the economic power of LGBTQI tourism to support queer artists and venues. Recognised by the Mayor of London for impact, Aisha's activism extends to increasing the representation of black and POC queers in travel and society with the work she does with UK Black Pride.
Aisha Shaibu
Alison McFadyen has been Group Head, Internal Audit at Standard Chartered Bank since 1 January 2016, based in London. Prior to this role, Alison was in New York, responsible for the Bank’s Supervisory Remediation Programme. Alison joined Standard Chartered in 1999 and has held several senior leadership roles including Chief Executive Officer, Jersey, Head of Governance Middle East, Europe, Africa and Americas and Chief Operating Officer, Private Banking. Alison is a keen supporter of the Goal programme, which is aimed at empowering adolescent girls from low-income communities with the skills they need to make informed life choices. She is also a member of the Global Diversity & Inclusion Council at Standard Chartered Bank.
Alison McFadyen
Geff (he/him) is GiveOut’s Treasurer. He has over 25 years’ experience in the banking industry, focused primarily on delivering structured solutions, based variously in London, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and Singapore. He is now CEO of The Inclusion Imperative, a DE&I consultancy business, through which he uses his experience, knowledge and skills to help improve the standards of DE&I, and especially LGBTQ+ inclusion, in other organisations, through speaking, training, coaching and mentoring engagements.
Prior to his retirement from the world of financial services at the end of February 2022, Geff, who identifies as a cis gay man, was a Managing Director at Macquarie Group (based in London, covering all of EMEA), where he also chaired or co-chaired the LGBTQ+ network, Pride, for 8 years.
Geff Parsons
OUR TEAM
Rupert Abbott (@RupertBAbbott) is GiveOut’s Executive Director. He has over 15 years’ international human rights and social impact experience, a track record of building and leading impactful teams and organisations, and a passion for progressive philanthropy. A qualified lawyer, he co-founded the human rights experts’ hub RightsStart, and has held senior roles with the Human Rights House Foundation, Amnesty International, the United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials and the Cambodian Center for Human Rights.
Outside GiveOut, he is a trustee of the Association of Charitable Foundations, the membership body for UK foundations and grant-making charities. He serves on the Advisory Board of the Future Forum think tank in Cambodia and on the Supervisory Board of Climate Counsel, which pursues environmental and climate justice through international criminal law.
He trained and qualified as a lawyer at the global firm Baker & McKenzie and was awarded a high commendation by the Law Society for his pro bono human rights work. He studied law at the University of Sussex and holds a BA and MA in modern history from the University of Oxford.
Rupert Abbott
Executive Director
Alexia Page (she/her) has come from a background of working in technology and most recently has worked at Google for 16 years. In addition to working within the Android Partnerships team with partners across EMEA, she was also on the committee for the LGBTQI employee group at Google (Pride@Google) and supported UK charities in collaboration with Google.Org for Google UK internal fundraising & employee volunteering.
She brings her skills & experience of working within a partnerships environment, knowledge of corporate fundraising and passion to support the LGBTQI community as a part of the community herself, to the new role of Corporate Partnerships officer at GiveOut and is excited to join the team!
Outside of work, she also volunteers including as a Samaritans listening volunteer, Crisis at Christmas Womens’ Centre and ‘It Gets Better UK’ South East regional ambassador. And is very involved with the Burning Man community & UK regional events.
Alexia lives in Surrey with her dog & cats, and enjoys the outdoors with regular walks, camping trips & festivals.
Alexia Page
Corporate & Partnerships Officer
Allie Anderson is GiveOut’s Operations Coordinator. They have a BA in Sociology from the University of Sussex. Their final year dissertation was on transphobia in British media and the way harmful transphobic ideologies are created and spread among wider audiences. Allie is passionate about working towards positive change for the global LGBTQ+ community.
Allie Anderson
Operations Coordinator
Luke Smith (they/them) (@itsluketsmith) is the Communications & Campaigns Officer at GiveOut. Luke has over four years experience working in communications, working as a features editor and freelance writer. Luke feels strongly about fostering a sense of community and campaigning for the equal treatment of LGBTQI people globally.
Luke Smith
Communications & Campaigns Officer
Jason Ball is responsible for implementing GiveOut's grant-making program and managing relationships with grant partners. Jason is an LGBTQI advocate originally from Australia, where he led a national campaign to challenge homophobia in sport. This led to the establishment of the Australian Football League’s Pride Round, national education programs to combat homophobia and transphobia, and the creation of a not-for-profit organisation, Pride Cup.
Jason's passion and commitment for LGBTQI equality has seen him receive numerous awards, including Young Australian of the Year for Victoria and the University of Melbourne's Arts Alumni Rising Star Award. Professionally Jason has over 10 years experience working in the charity sector including for disability, mental health and LGBTQI organisations.
Jason Ball
Head of Grant-making
Fae Vincent
Head of Operations
Allan McKinnon is GiveOut’s Head of Philanthropy, working to grow global giving for LGBTQI causes, increasing philanthropic investment in advancing human rights across the sexuality and identity spectrum. Allan comes with a wealth of experience working with high and ultra-high net worth individuals, Foundations and corporations to shape their giving strategies through his business The Good Works Company.
As a member of the LGBTQI community, Allan is passionate about working for a world where everyone can live their lives openly, fully and free from discrimination, and has been an active advocate for LGBTQI rights, including setting up the Legalise Love campaign to advance marriage equality in his native Scotland.
Allan McKinnon
Head of Philanthropy
Grant-making Advisory Panel
Rima Athar (she/her) is a change-maker, activist and facilitator, with roots in Pakistan and connections to queer and feminist organizing globally.
For 12+ years she has led diverse human rights programs, including on sexual and reproductive justice, internet technology & corporate accountability, challenging fundamentalisms and fascisms, and ending violence against women and girls. Rima has recently finished her term as coordinator of the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR), working holistically with women, trans and non-binary activists to advance healing and well-being, bridge divides on faith and sexuality, and strengthen grassroots movements across Asia and North Africa. Between 2018-19, Rima was also a co-organizer of the first Global Feminist Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer Women*’s Conference.
Rima Athar
Ryan Silverio (they/them) is a gender queer and human rights activist from the Philippines.
Ryan has more than 20 years’ experience in human rights work, specifically in the areas of research and documentation, human rights education, advocacy, and organisational development. Ryan is currently the Regional Coordinator of ASEAN SOGIE Caucus (ASC), leading the organisation's mandate in supporting local organisations' engagement with human rights mechanisms.
They are also a member of the Board of Trustees of Philippine Human Rights Information Centre (Philrights). They obtained a Master of Arts in Human Rights degree from Mahidol University.
Ryan Silverio
Neish McLean (He/Him/They/Them) is a transmasculine Jamaican LGBTQI activist and consultant working at the local, regional and international levels.
Neish is the Co-Founder of TransWave Jamaica, Jamaica’s first and only organisation solely dedicated to trans advocacy. Additionally, Neish serves as the Chair of the Nominations and Governance Committee at the International Planned Parenthood Federation and leads in overseeing the recruitment and evaluation of the Board of Trustees and it’s committees. As an Advisor to Astraea and Women’s Voice and Leadership- Caribbean, Neish offers technical support to both organisation’s engagement with LBQ groups in the Caribbean.
Neish brings over 5 years of experience in strategy, governance, partnership development, fundraising and movement resourcing. With a diverse array of skills and competences, Neish also brings enthusiasm and commitment to the global LGBTQI movement to the GMAP.
Neish McLean
Our Vision, Mission & Values
Vision
GiveOut's vision is of a world in which Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI) people everywhere enjoy the freedom to be and to do, able to live their lives openly and fully, free from discrimination, fear and violence.
Mission
To achieve this vision, our mission is to grow giving to support the global struggle for LGBTQI human rights. We enable individuals and businesses to give in one place to provide LGBTQI activists and their organisations with more of the resources they need to defend their communities and campaign for equality.
Values
To develop and guide GiveOut, our team and work, we have five core organisational values:
Solidarity: We are part of and work in solidarity with the global LGBTQI human rights movement, harnessing the power of our community and allies, and fostering connections to provide long-term and sustainable support.
Equity: We recognise the diversity of the global LGBTQI movement and seek to reflect this. We provide support across the movement, recognising that different parts of our community need different levels of support in different places.
Ambition: We are ambitious to make a meaningful difference to the global LGBTQI movement and the lives of LGBTQI people. We are aware that change may take time, are committed to learning, and hopeful that innovative strategies can achieve lasting change.
Stewardship: We use our supporters’ donations responsibly, efficiently and effectively, working with transparency, integrity and accountability, and we strive to complement and collaborate with existing funding infrastructure in the LGBTQI movement.
Respect: We are respectful to each other, our supporters and partners. We are an open and approachable grant-maker, providing resources not strategies, aware of our privilege, and working in a way that seeks to avoids power asymmetry.
AWARD-WINNING
GIVEOUT FOUNDER ELLIOT VAUGHN RECOGNISED WITH ‘POINTS OF LIGHT’ AWARD