Trans 101 - The Basics

"In video one we dive into being Trans, Gender Identity, and what it's all about!"

Check out our diversity, inclusion, and identity playlists on our YouTube channel.

DC Non-Profit Organizations


Note: many of the organizations listed below are intersectional in their work. The organizations are divided by "LGBTQ", "Multicultural", and "First Generation" even though they may overlap in the services they provide.

Selected
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5

LGBTQIA+ Non-Profit Organizations DC


Adventuring

  • Adventuring is the outdoor club for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) community in the Washington DC area. Our volunteers lead hikes year-round, and in the warmer months we do recreational bike rides too, some shorter and others longer. That's not everything though. Camping, backpacking, and canoeing are examples of some of the other things we do when we have volunteers to lead them.
    • We're all about enjoying the outdoors and being physically active. Not sure whether an activity will be too easy or hard for you? Contact the trip leader to talk about it or come to our annual Spring or Fall Socials, our Summer Picnic, or our Holiday Party to get to know us better.

Asian Pacific Islander Queer Society (APIQS)

  • Asian Pacific Islander Queer Society (APIQS) is a supportive community focusing on educational, social, and cultural activities created for and by queer female-identified, gender-nonconforming, and transgender people of Asian and/or Pacific Islander descent in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Asian and Pacific Islander Queers United for Action (AQUADC)

  • Asian and Pacific Islander Queers United for Action (AQUA D.C.) is a volunteer-based organization that promotes the positive identity and general welfare of the gay, bisexual, transgender, and other queer male-identified members of the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, through advocacy, coalition building, education, networking, outreach, and support. To achieve this overall vision, AQUA works closely with other API queer organizations in the DC metropolitan area. 

Bet Mishpachah

  • Bet Mishpachah is a congregation for gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual, trans and queer Jews and all who wish to participate in an inclusive, egalitarian, and mutually supportive community.
    • Our membership is comprised of singles, couples, and families, and is open to everyone, regardless of Jewish background, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
    • We join together for weekly Shabbat services, educational events, social action/social justice community service, and holidays-- affirming our religious and cultural heritage, and celebrating our LGBTQ+ and Jewish identities.

Consortium of Universities of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals

  • “The Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals is a member-based organization working towards the liberation of LGBTQ people in higher education. We support individuals who work on campuses to educate and support people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as advocate for more inclusive policies and practices through an intersectional and racial justice framework.” 

DC Area Transmasculine Society

  • DCATS (DC Area Transmasculine Society) is a trans-led nonprofit organization that serves to advance the lives of transmasculine folx by providing resources that help overcome the social, economic, and health-related barriers to living authentically.
    • Founded in 2000 as a monthly support group, DCATS has transformed into an organization that offers a variety of services to meet our community's needs.
      • The term "transmasculine" is core to the DCATS spirit of inclusiveness and part of our history. We acknowledge, welcome, and celebrate the wide range of transgender identities that our members have.
      • We recognize the full spectrum of gender identity, sexual identity, and gender expression. We also honor each and every person's use of personal pronouns.

Federal Triangle Soccer Club (FTSC)

  • Federal Triangles Soccer Club (FTSC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, registered in the District of Columbia, organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes to promote the growth of soccer and foster a sense of community for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual players, spectators, officials, volunteers, supporters, and our friendly allies.
    • We pursue these goals by providing a venue for the play of soccer where we encourage players of all levels to participate and improve their skills through club-sponsored, free, academy sessions, pick-up, and social activities. 
       

LGBTQIA+ Non-Profit Organizations DC

Foundry

  • Foundry is an historic, progressive United Methodist Church that welcomes all, worships passionately, challenges the status quo, and seeks to transform the world through God’s love. Drawing upon long-established rituals and spiritualities, Foundry is innovative and pioneering in our efforts to be a place of positive change within Christianity, within our denomination, within ourselves and in the world.

Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA)

  • GLMA is a national organization committed to ensuring health equity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) and all sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals, and equality for LGBTQ/SGM health professionals in their work and learning environments.  To achieve this mission, GLMA utilizes the scientific expertise of its diverse multidisciplinary membership to inform and drive advocacy, education, and research.

Gay Men's Chorus of Washington D.C.

  • The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC sings to inspire equality and inclusion with musical performances and education promoting justice and dignity for all.

GLIFAA

  • GLIFAA is a non-profit, voluntary, membership organization with no paid staff or officials.  Our membership consists primarily of personnel and family from the Department of State, USAID, Foreign Commercial Service, Foreign Agricultural Service, Peace Corps, and other federal offices and agencies with foreign affairs components.
    • GLIFAA engages continually with Washington officials on issues concerning our members.  We hold general meetings every month to consult and update the membership.  Monthly happy hours provide networking opportunities bringing together our members and people from like-minded organizations.  Other activities include Pride Month, our annual “Pink Party,” participation in seminars and briefings and organizing  film and speaker events.

GLSEN

  • GLSEN works to ensure that LGBTQ students are able to learn and grow in a school environment free from bullying and harassment. Together we can transform our nation's schools into the safe and affirming environment all youth deserve. We are a national network of educators, students, and local GLSEN Chapters working to make this right a reality.

Latino GLBT History Project

  • The Latino GLBT History Project (LHP) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit volunteer-led organization founded in April 2000 and incorporated in May 2007 to respond to the critical need to preserve Latinx LGBTQ History and promote tolerance and acceptance of the community by the public.

League of Women Bowlers

  • LOWB is a sanctioned United States Bowling Congress (USBC) league. Our 6th season consisted of 10 teams of 3 members per team with averages ranging from below 100 to over 180. Our 7th season will also consist of 3 member teams, our 11th season consist of 2 member teams.
    • Our League Founder CC Ford, encourages the support of our GLBT community.  We have been the Largest East Coast Women's League in the International Gay Bowling Organization (IGBO) and are still the only women's league in the Capital Area Rainbowlers Association (CARA).
       

LGBTQIA+ Non-Profit Organizations DC

LGBT Victory Institute

  • This is the ideal resource for LGBTQ individuals (especially young folks) who are interested in holding an elected office.
    • The Victory Institute offers paid internships, free conference attendance for conference volunteers, and resources/workshops for LGBTQ people who are unsure of how to initiate the process of running for office.

Modern Military Association of America

  • The Modern Military Association of America (MMAA) is the nation’s largest organization of LGBTQ service members, military spouses, veterans, their families and allies. Formed through the merger of the American Military Partner Association and OutServe-SLDN, we are a united voice for the LBGTQ military and veteran community.
    • As a non-partisan, non-profit (501c3) organization, we are working to make a real difference in the lives of our modern military families through education, advocacy and support. We also provide free, direct legal services for the LGBTQ and HIV+ military and veteran community.

National LGBTQ Task Force

  • “The National LGBTQ Task Force advances full freedom, justice and equality for LGBTQ people. We are building a future where everyone can be free to be their entire selves in every aspect of their lives. Today, despite all the progress we’ve made to end discrimination, millions of LGBTQ people face barriers in every aspect of their lives: in housing, employment, healthcare, retirement, and basic human rights. These barriers must go. That’s why the Task Force is training and mobilizing millions of activists across our nation to deliver a world where you can be you. Join us!”
    • They have an email list that you can sign up for via their website as well as multiple identity groups and wellness groups that offer resources to the LGBTQ community

Out for Work

  • OUT for Work functions as a complimentary component in the total educational experience of LGBT students, primarily in the development, evaluation, initiation and implementation of career plans and opportunities. OFW’s programs, resources, and services provide assistance to students in the cultivation and enhancement of skills to explore career options, master search techniques and strategies and research employment opportunities.

Pride at Work

  • Pride At Work is a nonprofit organization that represents LGBTQ union members and their allies.
    • We are an officially recognized constituency group of the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations) that organizes mutual support between the organized Labor Movement and the LGBTQ Community to further social and economic justice.
      • From our national office in Washington, DC, we coordinate and support more than 20 Chapters across the country.

Pride Counseling

  • “Whether you are struggling with mental health issues, your identity, or just need someone to talk to, we believe help should be accessible to everyone. We noticed that individuals in the LGBTQ community suffer from mental health issues at a disproportionately high rate and we wanted to help. By providing online counseling to the LGBTQ community, we make help accessible and accepting of everyone. We provide a platform for people to get the help they need discretely, affordably, and conveniently. Message your counselor whenever an issue arises. Schedule sessions that work with your schedule.”
    • Most matches with a counselor occur 24 hours after you sign up
      • Counseling is conducted at a flat rate of between $40-$70 regardless of the number of sessions one has.

Pride Fund to End Gun Violence

  • Pride Fund to End Gun Violence is America’s only LGBTQ organization solely focused on gun policy reform to ensure safety for all.
    • OUR GOALS
      • Mobilize the LGBTQ community and our allies.
      • Raise funds to elect pro-LGBTQ candidates who support gun policy reforms.
      • Serve as the strong, concentrated voice of the LGBTQ community in the movement to stop senseless gun tragedies.

LGBTQIA+ Non-Profit Organizations DC


Rainbow Families

  • Rainbow Families supports, educates and connects lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) families, parents and prospective parents by providing educational programs, advocacy, social events, and discussion forums.  Rainbow Families is a volunteer led non-profit organization, supported by members, community sponsors, and private and public grants.

Rainbow History Project

  • Frustrated by failed attempts to identify archives and sources of information on gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered history in metropolitan Washington DC, Mark Meinke placed a notice in the Washington Blade for community discussion about the problem.
    •  On November 4, 2000 Charles Rose, Bruce Pennington, Jose Gutierrez, and James Crutchfield met with Meinke at the CyberStop Cafe, formerly at 1534 17th Street NW.  
      • The outcome of the discussions was to create the Rainbow History Project which would work to preserve our community’s memories.

SMYAL

  • By creating leadership development opportunities, after-school programs, and counseling services designed to empower LGBTQ youth and educate their local community. Our organization strives to help these young leaders build advocacy skills and access crucial resources they need to succeed. We also provide education and training programs for youth service providers working in schools, runaway shelters, local government agencies, and hospitals.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

  • The ACLU’s mission remains realizing the promise of the Bill of Rights for all and expanding the reach of its guarantees. Beyond one person, party, or side — the ACLU dares to create a more perfect union.
  • The ACLU works to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people can live openly without discrimination and enjoy equal rights, personal autonomy, and freedom of expression and association.

 
The Anti-Violence Project (AVP)

  • AVP empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and HIV-affected communities and allies to end all forms of violence through organizing and education, and supports survivors through counseling and advocacy.
    • We began offering free legal services in response to the number of community members for whom surviving violence also carried unresolved legal issues, and started an Economic Empowerment Program for survivors of violence to begin to rebuild resources in the wake of violence.
    • Today, AVP is the largest anti-LGBTQ violence organization in the country. We are deeply trusted within the LGBTQ communities and by survivors of violence, and we have earned that trust by showing up for our community day in and day out for over almost 40 years.
      • We are here for you wherever, whenever you need us.

The Association of LGBTQ Journalists

  • We are a journalist-led association working within the news media to advance fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ communities and issues. We promote diverse and inclusive workplaces by holding the industry accountable and providing education, professional development and mentoring.
    • NLGJA’s Goals
      • Enhance the professionalism, skills and career opportunities for LGBTQ journalists.
      • Strengthen the identity, respect and status of LGBTQ journalists in the newsroom and throughout the practice of journalism.
      • Advocate for the highest journalistic and ethical standards in the coverage of LGBTQ issues.
      • Collaborate with other professional journalist associations and promote the principles of inclusion and diversity within our ranks.
      • Provide mentoring and leadership to future journalists.

The DC Center

  • The DC LGBT Center educates, empowers, celebrates, and connects the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities.
    • The Center organizes many LGBTQ specific social events including game nights, community meetings, film and theatre festivals, health and wellness resources and poetry readings
    • They have a weekly newsletter that you can sign up for here

       

LGBTQIA+ Non-Profit Organizations DC


The Equality Chamber of Commerce

  • The Equality Chamber of Commerce DC Metro Area (ECCDC, or just “the Chamber”) is the non-profit, not-partisan network of several hundred queer and allied (Q&A) businesses and business leaders in the DC metropolitan area.
    • Through its extended network of community partners and event participants in the capital area LGBT community, it regularly reaches approximately 5,000 individuals through is messaging, networking events, and workshops.

The Human Rights Campaign

  • As the largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Americans, the Human Rights Campaign represents a force of more than 3 million members and supporters nationwide — all committed to making HRC's vision a reality.
    • HRC envisions a world where lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE)

  • The National Center for Transgender Equality advocates to change policies and society to increase understanding and acceptance of transgender people. In the nation’s capital and throughout the country, NCTE works to replace disrespect, discrimination, and violence with empathy, opportunity, and justice.

The Trevor Project

  • One of the leading suicide prevention organizations in the U.S.
    • Resources include: text or call chats with online counselors, tips on how to make your social media a more positive/affirming space, warning signs and suicide prevention materials.
      • Training for Youth-Serving Professionals -- Online modules
      • **note: youth here is defined as individuals 25 y/o and under. As such, this is a vital resource for many college-level professionals!

Whitman-Walker Health

  • “Through multiple locations throughout DC, we provide stigma-free care to anyone who walks through our doors. We are proud and honored to be a place where the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer communities, as well to those living with or affected by HIV feel supported, welcomed and respected.”
    • They do accept most insurance plans, but you can discuss this with them here.
      • This organization offers health care trainings and workshops that would greatly benefit health and wellness focused professionals/class rooms.

Youth Pride Alliance

  • Youth Pride Alliance is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, and Ally youth empowerment to encourage positive self-development and expression, as well as leadership, while bridging diverse communities and individuals to address issues of visibility, equality, and social justice.
    • We are dedicated to celebrating the dignity and courage of all young people.

 

Selected
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5

Multicultural Non-Profit Organizations DC


Alliance for Justice

  • Alliance for Justice is a national association of over 120 organizations, representing a broad array of groups committed to progressive values and the creation of an equitable, just, and free society.
    • The two pillars of Alliance for Justice are our Justice Program, focusing on ensuring our nation’s courts protect our critical constitutional rights and legal protections, and our Bolder Advocacy Program, focusing on building advocacy capacity among nonprofits and the foundations that fund them.

America's Voice

  • The mission of America’s Voice (AV) and America’s Voice Education Fund (AVEF) is to harness the power of American voices and American values to enact policy change that guarantees full labor, civil and political rights for immigrants and their families.
    • We work in partnership with progressive, faith-based, labor, civil rights, and grassroots groups, networks, and leaders to policies and legislation that will stabilize the lives of 11 million Americans-in-waiting and put them on the road to full citizenship.

American Muslims for Palestine

  • The American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) is a national education and grassroots-based organization, dedicated to educating the American public about Palestine and its rich cultural, historical and religious heritage.
    • AMP’s mission is accomplished through the creation and dissemination of credible, high-quality educational materials, through community-based programing and engaging with regional and national media.
      • AMP works alone and in broad-based coalitions consisting of faith-based organizations, communities of color and other civil society organizations. Because justice is a tenet running strongly through many faith traditions, AMP works in interfaith coalitions consisting of Jews and Christians as well as other similarly aligned organizations. AMP rejects all forms of racism, bigotry, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice

  • Since 1991, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC has fought for Asian Americans in the national conversations that determine policies that shape our lives.

Association of American Colleges & Universities

  • AAC&U is the leading national association dedicated to advancing the vitality and public standing of liberal education by making quality and equity the foundations for excellence in undergraduate education in service to democracy.
    • Its members are committed to extending the advantages of a liberal education to all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career.

Capital Area Immigrants' Rights Coalition

  • The Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition strives to ensure equal justice for all immigrant adults and children at risk of detention and deportation in the Capital region area and beyond through direct legal representation, know your rights presentations, impact litigation, advocacy, and the enlistment and training of attorneys to defend immigrants.
     

Multicultural Non-Profit Organizations DC


Casa Chirilagua

  • Casa Chirilagua believes in the power of relational bridge building to holistically transform communities. Because of this, we love and serve alongside a predominantly Central American Latino community in Alexandria, Va.
    • We bring our community together through life-giving friendships and through our programs:
      • after school programming
      • mentoring
      • leadership development
      • parent engagement
      • family strengthening
      • family dinners and gatherings
      • other relationship-based efforts

Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)

  • Since 1981, the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) has fostered the comprehensive development of the Latino population in the Washington metropolitan region by providing direct services, while promoting grassroots empowerment, civic engagement, and human rights advocacy.
    • All of our work is meant to facilitate the process of transition for immigrants to an integrated life in their new home. We also strive to foster human rights advocacy and leadership skills so that all of those who participate in our programs and services can, in turn, play a role in promoting the advancement of their community.

Color of Change

  • Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. We help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by more than 1.5 million members, we move decision-makers in corporations and government to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America.

Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG)

  • Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG) is a women-led anti-atrocities nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status, founded in 2009 by a Darfuri genocide survivor to amplify the voices and empower the affected communities and to provide a platform for interested stakeholders to work on advancing its unique goals.
    • DWAG works on empowering victims and survivors of the Darfur genocide, both in Sudan and in the Diaspora. It does this by providing them with access to tools that will enable them to combat violence, address massive human rights abuses in their societies, and work with others to prevent future atrocities while promoting global peace.

Empower D.C.

  • Since 2003, Empower DC has advanced racial, economic and environmental justice by investing in the leadership and organized political power of DC’s lowest income residents and communities.
    • Empower DC is a citywide, multi-issue, membership-based community organizing project. Empower DC builds campaigns to address key issues that directly-impact our membership.
       

Multicultural Non-Profit Organizations DC


Ethiopian Community Center, Inc.

  • Our mission is to empower immigrants from Africa and other countries to become self-sufficient and contributing members of the society.
    • We offer various courses to help our community learn English and Computers. We provide healthcare services information to help you connect to the right care provider and find important updates in laws. We help our clients forge a path to success by providing career counseling, job readiness training, job search assistance, connections to mentorships and assistance with job placement. We provide information, translation and referral services regarding various immigration forms and processes

 
Global Taiwan Institute

  • GTI’s mission is to enhance the relationship between Taiwan and other countries, especially the United States, through policy research and programs that promote better public understanding about Taiwan and its people.

 
HKDC

  • HKDC is a Washington, DC-based nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Hong Kong’s basic freedoms, the rule of law, and autonomy.
    • HKDC works to preserve Hong Kong’s basic freedoms, the rule of law, and autonomy as promised under the “one country two systems” model and enshrined in the Basic Law and the Sino-British Joint Declaration by:
      • Informing US policymakers, media and the public on threats and erosions to Hong Kong’s democracy and basic freedoms.
      • Amplifying influential US voices and support for Hong Kong’s autonomy.
      • Providing an independent US platform for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy and civil society voices.
      • Increasing public support for Hong Kong’s distinct political identity and system in the US and around the globe.

 
International MultiCultural Institute

  • The mission of the International MultiCultural Institute (iMCI) is to work with individuals, organizations, and communities to facilitate personal and systemic change in order to build an inclusive society that is strengthened and empowered by its diversity.
  • Through the development of strategic initiatives, partnerships, and programs that promote an inclusive and just society, NMCI is at the forefront of global efforts to address critical and emerging issues in the diversity field.

Korean Community Service Center of Greater Washington

  • KCSC’s mission is to assist and empower Asian Americans and new immigrants to become well-adjusted and fully contributing members of the United States through social services, education, advocacy, and development of resources.

League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)

  • LULAC is the largest and oldest Hispanic organization in the United States. LULAC advances the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 1,000 LULAC councils nationwide. The organization involves and serves all Hispanic nationality groups.
     

Multicultural Non-Profit Organizations DC


Many Languages One Voice (MLOV)

  • Many Languages One Voice (MLOV) is an immigrant-led and immigrant-based movement organization, building power within the District of Columbia.
    • MLOV both informs community members of their civil rights and shares their stories with a wider audience.

National Coalition Building Institute

  • The National Coalition Building Institute is an international leadership organization that provides training in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in community organizations, K-12 schools, college and university campuses, corporations and law enforcement.

National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)

  • NCAI, a non-profit organization, advocates for a bright future for generations to come by taking the lead to gain consensus on a constructive and promising vision for Indian Country. The organization’s policy issues and initiatives are driven by the consensus of our diverse membership, which consists of American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments, tribal citizens, individuals, and Native and non-Native organizations.

OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates

  • OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates is dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs).
    • Policy Priorities
      • Immigration: We fight for comprehensive immigration reform that will improve the family visa system and create a clear pathway to citizenship.
      • Education: We advocate for a more inclusive and accessible education system for all members of our community.
      • Fair Treatment: We promote fair treatment and the elimination of discrimination, stereotyping, and hate crimes.
      • Broadband Access: We support efforts to expand opportunity by increasing broadband access to low-income, immigrant, and elder communities.

ONE DC

  • At ONE DC, our mission is to exercise political strength to create and preserve racial and economic equity in Shaw and the District. We seek to create a community in DC that is equitable for all.
    • We, the people of ONE DC, envision the nation's capital as a place where low income, poor, and immigrant communities are organized, educated, and trained to take action to create and preserve social and economic equity.

Pact

  • A nonprofit international development organization founded in 1971, Pact works on the ground in nearly 40 countries to improve the lives of those who are challenged by poverty and marginalization. We strive for a world where all people are heard, capable and vibrant.
    • We serve communities challenged by poverty and marginalization. We envision a world where everyone owns their future. We build systemic solutions in partnership with local organizations, businesses and government.
       

Multicultural Non-Profit Organizations DC


Political Research Associates (PRA)

  • Since 1981, Political Research Associates (PRA) has produced investigative research and analysis on the U.S. Right to support social justice advocates and defend human rights.

Search for Common Ground

  • Instead of tearing down an existing world, we focus on constructing a new one. We do this through a type of peacebuilding called conflict transformation. Meaning: we look to change the everyday interactions between groups of people in conflict, so they can work together to build up their community, choosing joint problem-solving over violence.
    • Our mission is to transform the way the world deals with conflict, away from adversarial approaches, toward cooperative solutions.

Stop Police Terror Project D.C.

  • Stop Police Terror Project-DC is an organization in the Washington D.C. area committed to changing the system of racist, militarized policing in the nation’s capital.
    • We work to not only oppose police abuses, but to advocate for alternatives to policing and help build community-led peacekeeping efforts designed to place the power over public safety squarely in the hands of Black and oppressed communities.

Street Law

  • We're Street Law—a global, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization with more than 40 years of experience developing classroom and community programs that educate young people about law and government. Street Law programs and materials help advance justice by empowering people with the legal and civic knowledge, skills, and confidence to bring about positive change for themselves and others.

Tahirih Justice Center

  • The Tahirih Justice Center is a national non-profit that has served over 25,000 courageous individuals fleeing violence since 1997. Our efficient, effective, and innovative model of service is now delivered from five locations, and we’re committed to serving as many immigrant women and girls as possible.

United Palestinian Appeal

  • United Palestinian Appeal seeks to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and refugee camps in Lebanon and Jordan, and to contribute to the long-term socioeconomic and cultural development of Palestinian society. UPA works in four program areas:
    • Health and Wellness
    • Community and Economic Development
    • Education
    • Outreach
       



National Non-Profit Organizations

Note: many of the organizations listed below are intersectional in their work. The organizations are divided by "LGBTQ", "Multicultural", and "First Generation" even though they may overlap in the services they provide.

Selected
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5

LGBTQIA+ Non-Profit Organizations Nation-wide


American Veterans for Equal Rights

  • American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) is a non-profit, non-partisan, chapter-based Veterans Service Organization of active, reserve, and veteran service members dedicated to full and equal rights and equitable treatment for all present and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, especially the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender current and prior military personnel who have been historically disenfranchised by armed forces policy and discriminatory laws governing military service and benefits.
    • AVER works to help LGBT vets with less-than-honorable discharges get access to legal assistance to help them navigate this process, and we are dedicated to streamlining the discharge upgrade process so vets can access their healthcare and other vital services from the VA.

Bienestar

  • Bienestar is a community-based health care and social services organization in the Greater Los Angeles area. Our expertise is in identifying and addressing emerging health issues faced by the Latino and LGBTQ populations.
    • Bienestar reaches these populations through innovative and compassionate peer-to-peer modeling that is 100% culturally relevant to the communities we serve. We have a diverse staff that meets clients with both understanding and acceptance, building trust and fostering a unique sense of community for those who use our services.

COLAGE

  • COLAGE unites people with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer parents and caregivers into a network of peers and supports them as they nurture and empower each other to be skilled, self-confident, and just leaders in our collective communities.

Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)

  • "As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love."
    • Check out the "Accelerating Acceptance 2019 Report" on their website!

LGBTQIA+ Non-Profit Organizations Nation-wide

Family Equality

  • Family Equality’s mission is to advance legal and lived equality for LGBTQ families, and for those who wish to form them, through building community, changing hearts and minds, and driving policy change.
    • We envision a future where all LGBTQ families, regardless of creation or composition, live in communities that recognize, respect, protect, and value them.

Immigration Equality

  • Since 1994, Immigration Equality has been proud to advocate for and represent lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ), and HIV-positive immigrants seeking safety, fair treatment, and freedom.
    • Immigration Equality’s work impacts both the individuals we serve and the immigration system as a whole.
    • At Immigration Equality, we fundamentally believe in access to counsel. That is why we provide hundreds of immigrants with free representation each year. We do this by partnering with over 100 of the top law firms across the U.S., who donate their legal services pro bono. In 2017, we received nearly $32 million in donated legal services from pro bono partners.

Keshet

  • Keshet works for the full equality of all LGBTQ Jews and our families in Jewish life. We strengthen Jewish communities. We equip Jewish organizations with the skills and knowledge to build LGBTQ-affirming communities, create spaces in which all queer Jewish youth feel seen and valued, and advance LGBTQ rights nationwide.

Matthew Shepard Foundation

  • The Matthew Shepard Foundation’s longstanding mission is to erase hate by replacing it with understanding, compassion and acceptance. Through local, regional and national outreach, we empower individuals to find their voice to create change and challenge communities to identify and address hate that lives within their schools, neighborhoods and homes.
    • Our work is an extension of Matt’s passion to foster a more caring and just world. We share his story and embody his vigor for civil rights to change the hearts and minds of others to accept everyone as they are.

Movement Advancement Project

  • Founded in 2006, the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) is an independent, nonprofit think tank that provides rigorous research, insight and communications that help speed equality and opportunity for all. MAP works to achieve these goals in three key ways:
    • Advancing the conversation. MAP conducts groundbreaking research to deeply understand how people think and then develops the messages and communications to build broader support for equality and opportunity for all. Our public education campaigns, multimedia content, ads, graphics and media outreach are designed to shift people’s thinking and drive action. From innovative videos to messaging guidance and training, MAP is a leader in advancing the conversation.
      • Advancing policy. Time and time again, MAP has provided rigorous and independent research and analysis to help drive policy changes that advance equality and opportunity. On issues from nondiscrimination to criminal justice to voting to health care, MAP frames problems and policy solutions for maximum impact. MAP’s resources are persuasive, easy to understand and actionable. From infographics to in-depth analyses, our policy expertise provides organizations and advocates with the tools they need to advance policy.
      • Advancing collaboration. MAP knows we are stronger when we work together. That’s why we’re a leader in building coalitions and partnerships within the LGBT movement and across movements, such as the 1,700-strong Open to All coalition. MAP’s research, analysis, and communications further empower and aid our partner organizations and help align our efforts, so we can build a broad base of support for solutions and work together for change.
         

LGBTQIA+ Non-Profit Organizations Nation-wide


Muslims for Progressive Values

  • MPV is a progressive Muslim voice on contemporary issues. We voice our perspectives with policy briefs, by participating in civil discourse.
    • As Muslims for Progressive Values, we advocate for human rights, social justice and inclusion in the United States and around the world.
      • MPV establishes and nurtures vibrant progressive Muslim communities. We do this by creating opportunities for religious discourse, volunteer and community activities, and cultural events bringing together the arts, spirituality and social activism.

National Black Justice Coalition

  • The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) is a civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and same gender loving (LGBTQ/SGL) people, including people living with HIV/AIDS.
    • NBJC’s mission is to end racism, homophobia, and LGBTQ/SGL bias and stigma.
      • As America’s leading national Black LGBTQ/SGL civil rights organization focused on federal public policy, NBJC has accepted the charge to lead Black families in strengthening the bonds and bridging the gaps between the movements for racial justice and LGBTQ/SGL equality.

National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals Inc. (NOGLSTP)

  • We empower lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics by providing education, advocacy, professional development, networking, and peer support.
    • We educate all communities regarding scientific, technological, and medical concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people.

National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color

  • The National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN) is a healing justice organization that works to transform mental health for queer and trans people of color. Launched in May 2016, our network has quickly grown into a community of care, resource sharing, connection and learning. We provide a space for queer and trans people of color committed to improving mental health for our communities.
    • We envision a world where we ALL have access to healing resources rooted in social justice and liberation.

One n ten

  • One•n•ten is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving and assisting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth ages 14 to 24. From weekly discussion groups to fun, social networking events, we create a safe space, mentally and physically, for youth of all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. We also offer resources to promote healthy choices and living.
    • Youth with particular needs have the option to speak with peers or volunteers one-on-one, in a supervised setting. We provide youth with a variety of tools and opportunities to improve self-esteem and self-acceptance.

LGBTQIA+ Non-Profit Organizations Nation-wide


Out and Equal Workplace Advocates

  • Out & Equal Workplace Advocates is the world’s premier nonprofit organization dedicated to achieving global workplaces where all people are equal, belong, and thrive.
    • We partner with Fortune 1000 companies, government agencies, and organizations across industries and diverse missions to provide LGBTQ executive leadership development, comprehensive D&I training and consultation, and professional networking opportunities that build inclusive and welcoming work environments.

Point Foundation

  • Point Foundation (Point) empowers promising lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) students to achieve their full academic and leadership potential – despite the obstacles often put before them – to make a significant impact on society.
    • Point seeks to build community and springboard a new generation of LGBTQ leaders toward success. Point does this through scholarship funding, mentorship, leadership development, and community service training, and is the nation’s largest scholarship-granting organization for LGBTQ students of merit.

SAGE

  • We make aging better for LGBT people nationwide. How? We show up and speak out for the issues that matter to us. We teach. We answer your calls. We connect—generations, each other, allies. We win. And together, we celebrate.

Southerners on New Ground

  • SONG envisions a sustainable South that embodies the best of its freedom traditions and works towards the transformation of our economic, social, spiritual, and political relationships.
    • We envision a multi-issue southern justice movement that unites us across class, age, race, ability, gender, immigration status, and sexuality; a movement in which LGBTQ people – poor and working class, immigrant, people of color, rural – take our rightful place as leaders shaping our region’s legacy and future.
    • We are committed to restoring a way of being that recognizes our collective humanity and dependence on the Earth.

Transgender Law Center

  • Transgender Law Center (TLC) is the largest national trans-led organization advocating for a world in which all people are free to define themselves and their futures. Grounded in legal expertise and committed to racial justice, TLC employs a variety of community-driven strategies to keep transgender and gender nonconforming people alive, thriving, and fighting for liberation.

LGBTQIA+ Non-Profit Organizations Nation-wide


The Audre Lorde Project

  • The Audre Lorde Project is a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit, Trans and Gender Non Conforming People of Color center for community organizing, focusing on the New York City area. Through mobilization, education and capacity-building, we work for community wellness and progressive social and economic justice. Committed to struggling across differences, we seek to responsibly reflect, represent and serve our various communities.

The National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA)

  • NQAPIA is a federation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Asian American, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) organizations.
    • We seek to build the organizational capacity of local LGBT AAPI groups, develop leadership, promote visibility, educate our community, enhance grassroots organizing, expand collaborations, and challenge anti-LGBTQ bias and racism.

The Transgender Training Institute

  • The Transgender Training Institute (TTI) provides national training and consulting services that are informed/provided by transgender and non-binary people, for the benefit of transgender and non-binary communities.
    • We work across the United States, providing services including: expert facilitation of transgender-related professional development trainings, training of trainers/facilitators (TOTs), ally skill building seminars and keynote speaking.
Selected
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3

Multicultural Non-Profit Organizations Nation-wide


Association of American Indian Affairs

  • The Association on American Indian Affairs is the oldest non-profit serving Indian Country protecting sovereignty, preserving culture, educating  youth and building capacity.
  • Throughout its 97-year history, the Association has provided national advocacy on watershed issues that support sovereignty and culture, while working at a grassroots level with Tribes to support the implementation of programs that affect real lives on the ground.

Black Lives Matter DC

  • BLM DC is a radical collective of Black artists, infrastructure builders and movement healers and strategists from the future, organizing in the here and now around two movement equations.
  • These equations inform how we live as our highest selves while dismantling White Supremacy, Patriarchy, Capitalism, Imperialism and the role the state plays in supporting them.


Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)

  • Founded in 1929, the JACL is the oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization in the United States.
  • The JACL monitors and responds to issues that enhance or threaten the civil and human rights of all Americans and implements strategies to effect positive social change, particularly to the Asian Pacific American community.

 
Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law

  • The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure equal justice for all through the rule of law, targeting in particular the inequities confronting African Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities.
     

Mutlicultural Non-Profit Organizations Nation-wide


MALDEF

  • Founded in 1968, MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) is the nation’s leading Latino legal civil rights organization. Our commitment is to protect and defend the rights of all Latinos living in the United States and the constitutional rights of all Americans.

NAACP

  • The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.

National CARES Mentoring Movement

  • National CARES Mentoring Movement is a pioneering community-galvanizing movement dedicated to alleviating intergenerational poverty among African Americans.
    • It offers Black children in low-income families and unstable communities the social, emotional and academic supports they need to unleash their potential and graduate from high school prepared to succeed in college or vocational-training programs and 21st-century careers. 

Race Forward

  • Race Forward catalyzes movement building for racial justice. In partnership with communities, organizations, and sectors, we build strategies to advance racial justice in our policies, institutions, and culture.

Showing Up for Racial Justice DC (SURJ)

  • Organizing white people in DC to dismantle white supremacy and support racial justice movements.
    • SURJ DC is a chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), a national network of groups and individuals organizing white people to undermine white supremacy and work toward racial justice as part of a multi-racial majority.
    • While we open-heartedly welcome People of Color who choose to organize within SURJ, our focus is on organizing white folks to take personal and collective steps to end white supremacy.

Multicultural Non-Profit Organizations Nation-wide

The Council of State Governments Justice Center

  • We combine the power of a membership association, representing state officials in all three branches of government, with the expertise of a policy and research team focused on assisting others to attain measurable results.
    • We bring people together. With our singular ability to reach federal, state, and local leaders from all three branches of government, we gather people from both sides of the aisle and across the country to foster collaboration.
    • We drive the criminal justice field forward with original research. Our in-depth data analyses, coupled with extensive interviews of people on the front lines of the criminal justice system, inform improvements and spur national initiatives.
    • We build momentum for policy change. We synthesize and contextualize data to help policymakers enact and implement major reforms that address criminal justice challenges, many of which intersect with other systems, such as health, education, and housing.
    • We provide expert assistance. Our on-the-ground training and assistance helps state and local agencies and organizations translate the latest research into policy and practice.

The Rainbow PUSH Coalition

  • The Rainbow PUSH Coalition (RPC) is a multi-racial, multi-issue, progressive, international membership organization fighting for social change.
    • Our mission is to protect, defend, and gain civil rights by leveling the economic and educational playing fields, and to promote peace and justice around the world.

UNIDOSUS

  • We serve the Hispanic community through our research, policy analysis, and state and national advocacy efforts, as well as in our program work in communities nationwide. And we partner with a national network of nearly 300 Affiliates across the country to serve millions of Latinos in the areas of civic engagement, civil rights and immigration, education, workforce and the economy, health, and housing.

United We Dream

  • When you’re undocumented, you face a lot of discrimination, and that creates a lot of fear. At United We Dream, we transform that fear into finding your voice.
    • We empower people to develop their leadership, their organizing skills, and to develop our own campaigns to fight for justice and dignity for immigrants and all people. This is achieved through immigrant youth-led campaigns at the local, state, and federal level.



First Generation Non-Profit Organizations

 

Note: many of the organizations listed below are intersectional in their work. The organizations are divided by "LGBTQ", "Multicultural", and "First Generation" even though they may overlap in the services they provide.
 

Selected
First Gen NPO's: DC
First Gen NPO's: Nationwide

First Generation Non-Profit Organizations DC


Propeller Collective

  • Propeller Collective is an online resource that hosts personal narratives about being a first generation college student and tips for motivating yourself through school, personal growth, on-campus life and more

Center for First-Generation Student Success

  • Through provision of services and guidance across institutional types, the Center aims to acknowledge the intersectional experiences of first-generation college students. 
    • This website serves as a home for Center updates and announcements, an outlet for sharing cutting edge research and current media conversations, opportunities for engagement through conferences and events, and access to a bevy of programs and services intended to improve first-generation initiatives across higher education.

Complete College America

  • At CCA, we're leveraging our Alliance and implementing strategies around the country to close achievement gaps, boost graduation rates and ensure every student has the opportunity to achieve their dreams.

College Success Foundation

  • College Success Foundation provides a unique integrated system of supports and scholarships to inspire underserved, low-income students to finish high school, graduate from college and succeed in life.
    • We improve educational equity for underserved students through an integrated system of supports and scholarships. We support students academically, financially, socially and emotionally beginning in middle school, continuing through high school and college, and extending into our scholars’ post-college years to ensure success in life.

First Generation Non-Profit Organizations Nation-wide


First Generation Foundation

  • We encourage first-generation college students to pursue academically rigorous postsecondary educational experiences. We provide easy access to information and resources for students who are the first in their families to attend college.
    • We encourage first-generation students and supporters to visit our site. It is open 24/7—so you can browse any time you choose—and search for everything you need from tutors and mentors to colleges and universities to organizations that help fund education. Visit often. Resources are frequently updated.

I'm First!

  • I’m First!, an initiative of Strive for College, is an online community celebrating first-generation college students.
    • Check out video stories from first-gen students, read student blogs and discover colleges that have special programs to support their first-gen students. We feature YouTube video testimonials from first-gen students and graduates from across the country. 
Selected
Page 1
Page 2

Podcasts

This is a working podcast list. If you would like to make recommendations, please email cdi@american.edu for consideration.

Asian Americana - These are more than abstract histories; these are stories of peoples and communities that belong in and build quintessentially American culture.

Bad Queers Podcast - This podcast is for people who feel like they came out of the closet and got placed in a box. It’s time to put the u-haul theory to bed, and connect over being Bad Queers

Books and Boba - Books and Boba is a book club dedicated to books written by authors of Asian and Pacific Islander descent.

Getting Curious - Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness hosts a series of profesionals every week to talk with them about their work, pressing social issues, and/or what is giving them life!

#GoodMuslimBadMuslim - A podcast about the good and the bad about the American Muslim female experience.

Identity Politics - Identity Politics is a podcast that features new stories and perspectives about race, gender and Muslim life in America. From pop culture to politics, each episode co-hosts Ikhlas Saleem and Makkah Ali invite guests to talk about issues impacting their lives as Muslims at the intersection of multiple identities.

Podcasts

This is a working podcast list. If you would like to make recommendations, please email cdi@american.edu for consideration.

Nancy - Focuses on issues affecting the LGBTQ community and specifically addresses the struggles of being queer and Asian.

Queer as Fact - A roundtable podcast that focuses on different historical events, people, or fiction through a queer lens. This podcast also discusses the lives of queer historical figures.

Queery - QUEERY is a podcast hosted by Cameron Esposito that explores individual stories of identity, personality and the shifting cultural matrix around gender, sexuality and civil rights.

Self Evident - Self Evident is a new podcast where we challenge the narratives about where we’re from, where we belong, and where we’re going — by telling Asian America’s stories.

The Read - Hosted by hilarious pop culture experts Kid Fury and Crissle, this podcast is a window into their world of hip-hop, celebrity gossip, life in New York City, and Black queer kinship.

Throwing Shade - A laid back podcasts that focuses on LGBTQ and feminist news in the U.S.


Queery - QUEERY is a podcast hosted by Cameron Esposito that explores individual stories of identity, personality and the shifting cultural matrix around gender, sexuality and civil rights.

Self Evident - Self Evident is a new podcast where we challenge the narratives about where we’re from, where we belong, and where we’re going — by telling Asian America’s stories.

The Read - Hosted by hilarious pop culture experts Kid Fury and Crissle, this podcast is a window into their world of hip-hop, celebrity gossip, life in New York City, and Black queer kinship.

Throwing Shade - A laid back podcasts that focuses on LGBTQ and feminist news in the U.S.

Selected
Anti-Racism
LGBTQIA+
Feminism
Miscellaneous

Books, Zines, Blogs

This is a working book/magazine list. If you would like to make recommendations, please email cdi@american.edu for consideration.

American Islamophobia: Understanding the Roots and Rise of Fear by Khaled A. Beydoun

Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity by C. Riley Snorton

I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown

Killing Rage by bell Hooks - A look at the fierce anger of black people stung by repeated instances of everyday racism—finding in that rage a healing source of love and strength and a catalyst for positive change.

One Person, No Vote by Carol Anderson - An examination of how structural racism influences and dictates voter disenfranchisment in the U.S. 

Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire

Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde - A compilation of fifteen essays and speeches focusing on sexism, racism, ageism, homophobia, and class.

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi

The Good Immigrant by Nikesh Shukla - A look at what it means to be a person of color in the UK today.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot - A story of the collision between ethics, race, and medicine.

The Magic My Body Becomes by Jess Rizkallah - A collection of poems meant to capture the inescapable middle ground of being Arab American—a space where the author is found to be too Arab for America and too American for her Lebanese elders.

The Making of Asian America by Erika Lee - A look into the often invisible stories of Asians in the U.S. 

The New Jim Crow:  Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander and Cornel West

The People’s History of the United States  by Howard Zinn - An account of American history from the perspective of marginalized people.

The Poisonwood Bible  by Barbara Kingsolver - A historical fiction novel set in the Belgian Congo in 1959.

We ARE Americans: Undocumented Students Pursuing the American Dream by William Perez

White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo - A look into why most white people struggle to talk about race.

White Rage by Carol Anderson - An examination of the history of white backlash to the progression of human rights for black people in the U.S.

Books

This is a working book/magazine list. If you would like to make recommendations, please email cdi@american.edu for consideration.

All Out by Saundra Mitchell - A collection of queer non-fiction short stories.

Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity by C. Riley Snorton

Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe (a graphic novel)

Real Queer America by Samantha Allen - The product of a six-week-long cross-country road trip through LGBT communities in red states 

Them - A next-generation community platform, chronicles and celebrates the stories, people and voices that are emerging and inspiring all of us, ranging in topics from pop culture and style to politics and news, all through the lens of today’s LGBTQ community.

Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource for the Transgender Community 1st Edition by Laura Erickson-Schroth

Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde - A compilation of fifteen essays and speeches focusing on sexism, racism, ageism, homophobia, and class

Books

This is a working book/magazine list. If you would like to make recommendations, please email cdi@american.edu for consideration.

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay - A collection of essays spanning politics, criticism, and feminism.

Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper

Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde - A compilation of fifteen essays and speeches focusing on sexism, racism, ageism, homophobia, and class.

We Should all be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Books

This is a working book/magazine list. If you would like to make recommendations, please email cdi@american.edu for consideration.

All About Love by bell hooks 

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha - An exploration of the politics and realities of disability justice.

There, There by Tommy Orange - A novel that follows twelve characters from Native communities: all traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow, all connected to one another in ways they may not yet realize.