New report tracks state of global LGBTQ+ funding and organizational response

A comprehensive report released Thursday by Outright International reveals that 90 percent of LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations globally have experienced a reduction in funding since January 2025. This development follows significant shifts in U.S. foreign policy.

According to Washington Blade, the New York-based organization surveyed 229 advocacy groups across 94 countries to determine the state of global funding. The data shows that 49 percent of responding organizations lost more than half of their total budgets during this period, while 75 percent reported a decline of at least one-quarter.

When asked to identify the sources behind these budget cuts, more than half of the surveyed groups pointed to U.S. government entities. These sources included the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and the Department of State. The report notes that no other funder accounted for a comparable scale of withdrawal.

The current financial landscape is a result of policies implemented by the Trump-Vance administration, which froze nearly all U.S. foreign aid shortly after taking office on January 20, 2025. By March 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the cancellation of 83 percent of USAID contracts, and the agency ceased operations on July 1, 2025. Although a waiver permitted some humanitarian programs under PEPFAR to continue, many initiatives in regions like Africa have faced closures due to funding instability.

Furthermore, the administration terminated programs connected to the Global Equality Fund, which had provided over $100 million to LGBTQ organizations and human rights defenders in more than 100 countries since 2011. The U.S. also withdrew from the U.N. LGBTI Core Group.

The Outright International report describes this situation as a structural disruption. The decline in U.S. support has had cascading effects, as corporate and philanthropic donors have also reduced or withdrawn their contributions. This pullback occurs against a backdrop of rising legislative attacks against LGBTQ people and the passing of anti-NGO laws in several countries.

While the report notes that global funding for LGBTQ rights was already declining before 2025, the current withdrawal of U.S. support has accelerated the trend. Projections from the Human Rights Funders Network suggest that rights-focused development assistance could fall by up to $1.9 billion annually by 2026.

Why this matters for the workplace

For business leaders and employees, this global funding crisis presents significant concerns regarding human rights and operational stability. When local advocacy groups lose the resources necessary to provide services, the broader environment for LGBTQ+ employees and their families becomes more precarious.

International companies often rely on local partners and civil society infrastructure to support inclusive operations. The erosion of this support system can lead to increased safety risks for staff in global offices and reduced access to necessary resources for personnel. By understanding the challenges facing the global movement, corporate partners can better evaluate their own DEI strategies and determine where their support can have the most impact.

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