John,

We have seen a strong response to the Defend Global Progress Fund. But we’re still working on closing the funding gap caused by the federal government’s suspension of grants for global LGBTQ+ work, I wanted to give you an update about how my team is pivoting to meet this new challenge.

But this funding cut impacts everything we do. If we don’t hit our ambitious goal, we can’t execute on any programs. Make a donation today to ensure we can keep working!

Here’s what we can do if we meet our funding goal:

We’re expanding our virtual programs to train LGBTQ+ leaders, political parties, and advocates. This includes:

• Running flagship training programs on elections and leadership.
• Implementing our Win With Pride toolkit to help political parties become more inclusive.
• Launching global advocacy trainings to engage with the UN, regional human rights bodies, and democratic institutions.
• Convening 600+ LGBTQ+ leaders across 40+ countries for our Americas & Caribbean conference.

To ensure long-term inclusion, we will:

• Establish a global LGBTQ+ Elected Officials Network for knowledge-sharing and mentorship.
• Launch the Out 100 Leaders campaign to support promising LGBTQ+ political leaders.
• Conduct the first-ever mental health survey of LGBTQ+ elected officials around the world.

We will deepen partnerships and building leadership pipelines by:

• Expanding training programs in Asia, Africa, and Europe.
• Hosting in-person candidate trainings in Mexico, Colombia, and beyond.
• Strengthening engagement with international institutions like the UN and World Bank.

This work is hard and we have a long road ahead of us. But I know that with your help, we can continue this essential work and show the federal government they cannot stop our movement for LGBTQ+ inclusion worldwide. Please, make a donation today to help these programs survive and thrive.

Thank you,

Elliot Imse
Pronouns: he|him|his
Executive Director, LGBTQ+ Victory Institute