named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Advocacy and Policy Engagement
Global advocacy efforts to defend and advance human rights for LGBTIQ people, including engagement with international bodies and national governments.
Community Support and Solidarity Initiatives
Programs that highlight and support local LGBTIQ activism, including documenting threats, violence, and resilience in diverse national contexts.
Pride Around the World
Annual research and reporting initiative documenting Pride and LGBTIQ visibility events in UN member states, tracking participation, political context, and challenges to freedom of assembly.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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LGBTQ+ Legal and Policy Advocacy 6 activities
- Advocacy for legal gender recognition and trans rightsAdvances legal gender recognition rights globally through research, litigation support, and public campaigns. Documented legal procedures in countries like Chile and supported landmark rulings in Brazil and Colombia.
- Global advocacy and research on conversion practicesDocuments and analyzes so-called conversion therapy practices globally through research reports and country-specific data. Leads global consultations and develops advocacy toolkits to support efforts to end these harmful practices.
- Global documentation and advocacy on LGBTIQ human rights violationsDocuments and amplifies human rights violations against LGBTIQ people worldwide, using research and strategic advocacy to influence legal, policy, and social changes. This includes publishing reports, issuing press releases, and engaging in international forums to advance inclusion and equality.
- Regional emergency response and crisis support for LGBTIQ activistsProvides emergency responses to harassment, discrimination, and violence against LGBTIQ people, particularly in Europe, Central Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. Includes advocacy, visibility campaigns, and direct financial and legal support during crises.
- Research on global LGBTIQ rights and human rights lawConducts qualitative and quantitative research to document human rights violations, legal trends, and lived experiences of LGBTIQ people globally. Produces reports, legal analyses, and data-driven publications on issues including conversion practices, legal gender recognition, and criminalization of same-sex conduct.
- UN and multilateral engagement for LGBTIQ rightsEngages in advocacy and research at the United Nations, including through the UN LGBTI Core Group, ECOSOC participation, and submissions to Special Procedures. Organizes annual Advocacy Week to connect global LGBTIQ leaders with UN missions and agencies.
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Community Capacity Building & Leadership Networks 1 activity
- Capacity building for LGBTIQ and human rights organizations globallyStrengthens the leadership and operational capacity of LGBTIQ organizations and movements in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southwest Asia, North Africa, the Caribbean, and globally through training, funding, and technical support. Includes regional programs and leadership institutes for trans, intersex, and LBQ communities.
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LGBTQ+ Community Events and Celebrations 1 activity
- Public education and awareness through media and eventsProduces public-facing media content, including mini-series on LBQ parenting and election analysis, and hosts an annual gala and awards event to raise awareness and funds for global LGBTIQ rights.
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LGBTQ+ Community Grantmaking 1 activity
- Support for LBQ communities and leadership developmentStrengthens lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LBQ) communities globally through grant-making, visibility initiatives, research, and leadership capacity building. Includes regional programs and media projects highlighting LBQ parenting and activism.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$17.07M
Contributions & grants$13.94M82%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$3.12M18%
Other revenue$7K
expenses
Total expenses$15.76M
Program expenses81%
Admin / overhead8%
Fundraising11%
Salaries & benefits$7.44M
Grants paid out$3.65M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$28.92M
Cash$6.25M
Investments$18.15M
Liabilities$2.88M
Net assets$26.03M
Liquid reserves18.6 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +4.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 11
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARIA SJODIN | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $343K |
| MICHELLE BLANKENSHIP | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 40 | $223K |
| ELISE COLOMER-CHEADLE | DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT | 40 | $219K |
| KATHERINE G HULTQUIST | DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP GIVING | 40 | $200K |
| NEELA GHOSHAL | SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR LAW, POLICY, AND RESEARCH | 40 | $190K |
| ANNE BISHOP | DIRECTOR, HUMANITARIAN AND GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT PROG | 40 | $175K |
| KIMBERLY ZIESELMAN | SENIOR ADVISOR - GLOBAL INTERSEX RIGHTS | 40 | $174K |
| MICHAEL HEFLIN | GLOBAL GRANTS DIRECTOR | 40 | $173K |
| ANDRE DU PLESSIS | UN PROGRAM DIRECTOR | 40 | $165K |
| KEVIN WANZOR | HEAD OF OPERATIONS | 40 | $159K |
| ANDREW PARK | PROGRAM OFFICER GLOBAL ADVOCACY | 40 | $157K |
board members · 14
- CAMILLE MASSEY — BOARD MEMBER
- CHANTALE YOMKIN WONG — BOARD MEMBER
- DARREL CUMMINGS — BOARD MEMBER
- ELLIOT VAUGHN — BOARD MEMBER
- FABRICE HOUDART — BOARD MEMBER (THRU 5/25)
- GREGORY LEWIS — BOARD MEMBER
- HOSH IBRAHIM — BOARD MEMBER
- JEFF HOLLAND — BOARD MEMBER
- JEFF NATTER — SECRETARY
- JENNIFER C PIZER — BOARD MEMBER
- JOHN HEILMAN — TREASURER
- JULIE DICKSON — BOARD MEMBER
- KATHY TEO — CO-CHAIR
- KESHAV SURI — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 42
Who they work with
- Access Chapter 2 (AC2) Partner — Partnered with Outright International on a project to document and end conversion practices in South Africa.
- Access Chapter 2 (AC2) Partner — Partnered with Outright to document conversion practices in South Africa
- Associação Íris Angola Partner — Collaborates with and reports on Pride activities organized by Associação Íris Angola in Angola.
- Black Pride YYC Partner — Reports on Black Pride YYC, a Black queer-led organization in Canada.
- Blue Diamond Society Partner — Collaborated with Nepal's Blue Diamond Society to secure the release of 39 HIV outreach workers and defend the organization against legal threats.
- Causeway Impact Partner — Represented by Doug Heske and Rudy Rubio on the Host Committee, supporting the Celebration of Courage event.
- Cyndi Lauper Partner — Recognized as the 2026 Outspoken Award honoree for publicly speaking up for LGBTIQ people and advocating for change.
- Deutsche Bank Partner — Represented on the Host Committee by Jon Tilli, supporting the Celebration of Courage event.
- Entre Amigos Partner — Reports on Pride March organized by Entre Amigos in El Salvador.
- European Union Government — EU delegation is a co-member with Outright in the UN LGBTI Core Group
- European Union Partner — Delegation of the EU is a member of the UN LGBTI Core Group co-founded by Outright International
- GALZ Partner — Collaborated with GALZ in Zimbabwe to contribute to a U.N. shadow report on discrimination against lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Zimbabweans.
- Human Dignity Trust Partner — Cited as a source explaining the colonial origins of Algeria's penal code.
- Human Rights Watch Partner — Cited as a source providing analysis on colonial-era sodomy laws in multiple countries.
- Human Rights Watch Partner — Co-founder and member of the UN LGBTI Core Group alongside Outright International
- Human Rights Watch Partner — Co-member with Outright in the UN LGBTI Core Group
- Inclusive Bangladesh Partner — Documents annual online Pride event organized by Inclusive Bangladesh.
- Initiative Tilé Partner — Documents Pride event organized by Initiative Tilé in Côte d’Ivoire.
- International Federation for Electoral Systems (IFES) Partner — Collaborates with Outright International on the Global LGBTQI+ Inclusive Democracy and Empowerment (GLIDE) Initiative.
- Law, Policy, and Research department Partner — Department within Outright International responsible for creating policy briefs
- Levi Strauss & Co. Partner — Recognized as the 2026 Outstanding Award honoree for sustained work improving understanding of and fairness for LGBTIQ people.
- Newday Financial Partner — Represented by Doug Heske and Rudy Rubio on the Host Committee, supporting the Celebration of Courage event.
- Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Government — Co-member with Outright in the UN LGBTI Core Group
- Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Partner — Member of the UN LGBTI Core Group, collaborating with Outright to mainstream LGBTIQ human rights at the UN
- P&G Partner — Represented on the Host Committee by Brent Miller, supporting the Celebration of Courage event.
- Queer and Trans Inclusion (QET Inclusion) Partner — Reports on "Night of Identities" event held by QET Inclusion in Côte d’Ivoire.
- RaricaNow Partner — Reports on RaricaNow, an organization for LGBTIQ refugees and newcomers in Canada.
- Roopbaan Partner — Reports on first Rainbow Rally organized by Roopbaan in Bangladesh.
- SEROvie Partner — Partnered with SEROvie to document violence against LGBTIQ people in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake and co-published a joint report.
- Synergía - Initiatives for Human Rights Partner — Collaborates with Outright International on the Global LGBTQI+ Inclusive Democracy and Empowerment (GLIDE) Initiative.
+ 12 more
strategies · 4
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.
- Context-Sensitive Rights-Based Policy Developmentmethodology: rights-based policy developmentBy grounding policy guidance in international human rights law and lived experience—while avoiding one-size-fits-all solutions—OutRight increases adoption and effectiveness because locally relevant, rights-based approaches produce more sustainable and culturally legitimate outcomes.
- Decolonization and Anti-Resistance Frameworkmethodology: decolonization_frameworkBy challenging colonial-era laws and countering anti-gender movements through legal reform and community resilience, OutRight advances LGBTIQ rights because dismantling structural legacies of oppression enables progressive change and protects hard-won rights from backlash.
- Expert-Briefer Model for UN Advocacymethodology: expert-briefer modelBy positioning LGBTIQ activists as expert briefers in UN processes, OutRight increases the legitimacy and impact of advocacy because lived-experience expertise influences multilateral decision-making and shifts narratives in international policy spaces.
- Integrated Advocacy-Research-Movement Support Modelmethodology: integrated advocacy-research-movement supportBy combining human rights research, targeted advocacy, and direct movement support, OutRight produces systemic change because evidence-based accountability strengthens advocacy, while movement-building ensures sustainability and local ownership of rights advancements.