named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Chosen Family Legal Recognition Campaign
Advocates for local and state-level policy changes to legally recognize non-nuclear and chosen families, including work in New York, Massachusetts, and California
Legal Name and Gender Marker Change Assistance
Provides legal support and educational workshops to help transgender and non-binary individuals change their names and gender markers on state-issued documents
Polyamorous Family Legal Advocacy
Offers legal guidance and mediation for polyamorous families, including co-parenting agreements, financial arrangements, and domestic partnership registration
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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LGBTQ+ Cultural Competency & Community Education 2 activities
- Deliver professional training and capacity building for legal and mental health professionalsProduces Continuing Legal Education (CLE) courses and training materials to improve cultural competency among attorneys and mental health providers serving LGBTQIA+, polyamorous, and other underserved families, and maintains a directory of trained, culturally competent service providers.
- Produce public education resources on legal rights and family lawCreates and distributes public education materials to inform LGBTQIA+, polyamorous, and underserved families about their legal rights, including marriage recognition, parent-child legal relationships, and alternative justice systems, as well as supports advocacy efforts through educational content.
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LGBTQ+ Legal and Policy Advocacy 1 activity
- Advocate for legislative and policy reforms for LGBTQIA+ and non-nuclear familiesDrafts, advances, and successfully passes legislation to expand legal protections for LGBTQIA+, polyamorous, and non-nuclear families, including multi-partner domestic partnerships and privacy protections for recipients of gender-affirming care, in New York and beyond.
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Pro Bono Legal Representation and Support 1 activity
- Provide free direct legal services to LGBTQIA+, polyamorous, and chosen familiesOffers free legal representation and support in areas including family formation, parenting rights, custody, name and gender marker changes, wills and estate planning, known donor agreements, co-habitation and co-parenting agreements, nuptial agreements, and green card applications for LGBTQIA+, polyamorous, and non-nuclear families, with a focus on low-income individuals in New York.
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Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Support Services 1 activity
- Support transgender and gender non-conforming individuals with legal document changesOperates the Trans Umbrella Project and related programs to provide free legal assistance with name and gender marker changes on identity documents for transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary individuals in New York City, including outreach through information sessions at institutions like SUNY New Paltz.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Secure legal parentage and family recognition through Judgments of Parentage and related petitionsProvides free legal assistance to secure legal parentage for nonbiological and queer parents, including those in multi-parent or platonic co-parenting arrangements, through Judgment of Parentage filings and parentage petitions in New York.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$196K
Contributions & grants$182K93%
Program service revenue$13K7%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$530
expenses
Total expenses$279K
Program expenses86%
Admin / overhead10%
Fundraising4%
Salaries & benefits$227K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$154K
Cash$154K
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$154K
Liquid reserves6.6 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +53.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIANA ADAMS | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 14 | $55K |
| AMY LEBLANC | TREASURER | 14 | $32K |
board members · 5
- CAROLINE ROSE GIULIANI — SECRETARY
- KAE BURKE — BOARD MEMBER
- KEVIN BALKTICK — BOARD MEMBER
- MAT DOS SANTOS — PRESIDENT
- YSIAD FERREIRAS — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 24
Who they work with
- Andy Izenson, Esq Partner — Senior Legal Director and instructor for CLE programs
- Bluesky Partner — Platform used to share organizational updates and engage supporters.
- Chi Ossé Partner — Collaborated with Chosen Family Law Center on bills addressing health inequities and support gaps for TGNCNBI migrants.
- Crystal Hudson Partner — Partnered with Chosen Family Law Center on initiatives including gender marker options on city forms and hospital standards of care for TGNCNBI individuals.
- Diana Adams, Esq Partner — Executive Director and instructor for CLE programs
- Erik Bottcher Partner — Partnered with Chosen Family Law Center on advocacy efforts related to health information privacy protections.
- Facebook Partner — Platform used to share organizational updates and engage supporters.
- Harvard Law School LGBTQ+ Advocacy Clinic Partner — Collaborates on the Polyamory Legal Advocacy Coalition (PLAC) to advance legal rights for polyamorous families.
- Instagram Partner — Platform used to share organizational updates and engage supporters.
- LGBT Bar Association Partner — Recommends the LGBT Bar Association's attorney directory for individuals outside New York who can afford legal representation
- LawHelp.org Partner — Recommends LawHelp.org for legal assistance outside of New York for issues not covered by other referrals
- LawHelpNY.org Partner — Directs individuals to LawHelpNY.org for a comprehensive directory of free legal services and self-help resources in New York
- LinkedIn Partner — Platform used to share organizational updates and engage supporters.
- NY Anti-violence Project Partner — Refers individuals experiencing hate violence, harassment, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or institutional violence to NY Anti-violence Project for assistance
- NYC Bar Justice Center Partner — Directs individuals seeking help with housing, medical issues, custody, and other civil legal issues to the NYC Bar Justice Center for legal information, advice, and referrals
- New Paltz Center for Student Engagement Partner — Co-hosted a name and gender marker change information session with Chosen Family Law Center at SUNY New Paltz.
- New York Government — Provides services related to state-specific legal processes for establishing parentage.
- Polyamory Legal Advocacy Coalition Partner — Collaborated on drafting relationship structure and status non-discrimination laws.
- Project 2025 Network — References Project 2025 as a source of policy proposals that affirm expanding religious exemptions impacting LGBTQ+ rights.
- Shahana Hanif Partner — Worked with Chosen Family Law Center to introduce legislation protecting access to gender-affirming and reproductive care.
- TEDWomen Partner — Featured speaker platform where founder Diana Adams presented on chosen family and legal protection.
- Tiffany Cabán Partner — Collaborated with Chosen Family Law Center in advancing legislation protecting TGNCNBI rights in NYC.
- Trans Legal Services Network Partner — Refers trans youth seeking legal help to the Trans Legal Services Network Directory for name and gender change or other legal services
- Trans Umbrella Project Partner — Collaborative initiative through which Chosen Family Law Center provides legal support for gender marker and name changes.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Chosen Family Legal Recognition and Non-Nuclear Family Supportmethodology: chosen_family_definitionBy defining family through mutual commitment rather than biology or marriage, we produce greater legal inclusion for LGBTQIA+ and polyamorous families because legal recognition based on care relationships reduces discrimination and expands access to rights.
- Client-Centered Legal Empowerment Through Informed Consentmethodology: informed_consentBy using an informed consent model and grounding services in lived experience, we produce greater client autonomy and access to justice because it prioritizes self-determination over gatekeeping in gender-affirming legal processes.
- Community-Based Mutual Aid and Solidaritymethodology: community-based_mutual_aidBy relying on mutual aid and community networks, we produce resilience and collective legal navigation because community solidarity fills gaps where formal legal systems fail to protect LGBTQ+ individuals.
- Decoupling Legal Rights from Marriagemethodology: unbundling_marriageBy advocating for the unbundling of marriage, we produce more equitable access to legal protections for non-traditional families because removing marriage as a prerequisite enables diverse caregiving and household structures to gain recognition.
- Integrated Legal and Advocacy Supportmethodology: integrated_legal_and_advocacy_supportBy combining direct legal services, policy advocacy, and public education, we produce systemic change in civil rights for LGBTQIA+ and non-nuclear families because legal transformation requires both individual representation and structural reform.