The LGBTQI Urgent Response Fund is a lifeline for LGBTQI organisations impacted by the U.S. government funding freeze. This Fund provides a way for our community and allies to come together to provide immediate support, ensuring GiveOut’s grant partners can continue their vital work.
The U.S. Funding Freeze: A Global Crisis
Recent USAID and other U.S. government funding suspensions have placed some LGBTQI organisations in the Global South and East at risk of closure. These groups provide life-saving protection, advocacy, and community support in regions where LGBTQI rights are under threat.
The U.S. has historically been the largest contributor to international development aid, allocating $40 billion through USAID in 2023. However, the new administration has labelled LGBTQI rights funding as “waste and abuse,” and an executive order has frozen most U.S. foreign aid for 90 days while under review.
The Impact on LGBTQI Organisations Around the World
This sudden funding freeze is not just a setback – it is an existential threat to LGBTQI organisations. Many of these groups already operate on shoestring budgets. Without urgent support, they face:
Programme shutdowns – ending vital services for LGBTQI communities
Loss of key staff – weakening advocacy and legal efforts
Risk of closure – undoing years of progress for human rights
Two-thirds of GiveOut grant partners surveyed have been impacted by the U.S. government funding freeze, with estimated losses exceeding $1 million. Without immediate action, many will be forced to suspend their operations, downsize, or close entirely – leaving LGBTQI communities even more vulnerable.
