Outreach & Partnerships

Outreach strategies that boldly increase the visibility of LGBTQ communities and concerns can convey an organization’s commitments to the broader public. However, outreach alone frequently fails to result in increased access to services and it can backfire if the organization is otherwise unprepared to meet the complex needs of diverse LGBTQ communities. Cultivating genuine relationships and partnerships with diverse LGBTQ communities takes time, resources, and an ongoing commitment to addressing barriers in services. Organizations can evaluate their current networks, partnerships, and collaborations and consider how LGBTQ communities may be currently included or excluded. Because most LGBTQ organizations have far fewer resources than larger human service agencies, building meaningful and reciprocal relationships often requires a mindfulness to these structural and economic inequities.