BOULDER, Colo. — In a series of increasingly hostile attacks, the Trump administration has targeted LGBTQ Americans, attempting to dismantle protections secured over the last decade. In the 2018 National Movement Report, published annually by the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), analysis of the first full year under the Trump administration (Fiscal Year 2017: FY2017), as well as budget projections for 2018, found that at the end of FY2017, the participating organizations remained efficient, focused on providing vital programs and services and were supported by a diverse range of revenue sources. Cumulative in-kind contributions increased by 52 percent, with multiple organizations reporting that the bulk of these increases were due to donated legal services to advance equality and counter the harmful and discriminatory policies of the Trump leadership team.
The report provides a comprehensive and standardized look at the LGBTQ movement’s finances across 40 major LGBTQ advocacy organizations. The total combined 2017 revenue (including in kind) for the participating organizations was $269.7 million — up 13 percent from 2016. This is the largest year-to-year increase in the past five years. The majority of 2017 expenses (81 percent was spent on programs and services, demonstrating that the largest LGBTQ social justice organizations operate efficiently, MAP shared.
“We have seen continued attacks on the nation’s most vulnerable populations, including the LGBT community,” said Ineke Mushovic, MAP executive director. “It is encouraging to see the rise in support of LGBT movement organizations, however, these resources are sorely needed. As the administration rolls back important nondiscrimination protections for transgender Americans, as states advance efforts to expand religious exemption laws that allow discrimination, and with the shift in the Supreme Court, LGBT people are increasingly vulnerable, and the work of LGBT organizations is critical.”
Among the key findings for organizations participating in the report, data shows that revenue and expenses are growing; there are increases in donors across the board (especially large donors); staffs better reflect broader population diversity (boards are less so); and few individuals contribute to these critical organizations.
info: lgbtmap.org.