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February 13, 2025 · 7 min read

Resources for resistance: Fundraising and thriving in tough times

Funding for human rights organisations continues to be a major challenge, particularly for trans organisations that remain underfunded and undersupported. In times of ongoing crisis, trans people are often disproportionately impacted, especially those of us from further marginalised regions and communities.

Now more than ever, collective care, strategic adaptation, and community solidarity are vital to strong and thriving movements for trans rights.  We remain committed to supporting our members and strengthening trans movements in Europe and Central Asia by ensuring our communities have access to the tools, resources, and networks they need to increase their fundraising capacity and organise sustainably.

On this page, you’ll find key resources, strategies, and ideas on fundraising and topics such as wellbeing, collective care, safety, donors that you can consider approaching and support provided by our team.

This is a collective knowledge base, and we invite you to share strategies, ideas, and resources that have supported your fundraising journey.

Survey: Mapping the impact of US funding cuts on trans organising

The recent freeze of critical humanitarian and human rights funding by the US government has placed additional strain on many organisations led by or supporting trans communities.

We recognise the negative impact of the freeze and cuts, which threaten vital services, advocacy efforts, and grassroots organising and make it even more difficult for trans groups to sustain their work. To effectively support our communities, we need more information on how the current US government’s funding freeze is impacting your organisations and communities. 

Help us support you by filling out our short survey.

Fundraising resources, strategies and tips 

Navigating the fundraising landscape can be tough. To guide your journey, we’ve gathered these essential resources including practical tools, innovative strategies for alternative fundraising and much more.

Alternative fundraising strategies

While some of these strategies may not fit your exact circumstances, we hope this is a helpful starting point. We encourage you to consider your values, the unique needs of your communities, and your operating context when choosing and adapting these approaches.

  • Community-centric fundraising: Think beyond conventional donors and tap into the collective power of your community through membership models, crowdfunding, or mutual aid initiatives, for example.
  • Ethical partnerships: Consider adopting a multi-sectoral approach and creating alliances with businesses or organisations that share your values and are committed to ethical and transparent fundraising practices.
  • Creative revenue streams: Diversify your income by exploring income-generating opportunities that suit your context and situation, such as selling merch, offering workshops, or providing consulting services.
  • In-kind donations and skill-sharing: Consider harnessing the resources and skills within your network by requesting in-kind donations or participating in skills exchange initiatives with other organisations to cut operational costs.
  • Collaborating with strategic allies: Build collective power by working with strategic allies or partner organisations on areas where your mission overlaps. For example, consortiums can be created to apply for grants and harness each other’s resources and networks.

Wellbeing and collective care

Collective care and wellbeing are crucial parts of organisational sustainability and should be centred in our fundraising approaches. For many trans activists volunteering in organisations operating on a shoestring or no budgets, the risks are high, including burnout and security threats.

To help address these issues, we have thoughtfully gathered some strategic resources. We hope you’ll find them useful when building resilient and sustainable funding practices rooted in care.

  • Collective care and wellbeing training materials at TGEU’s online Trans Leaders Academy. To get access, please reach out to vanjac@tgeu.org or vanya@tgeu.org 

Safety 

Safety and financial security go hand in hand. This isn’t just about money; it’s about ensuring the survival and sustainability of our organisations and supporting the people that power them. Crucially, it’s about holistically enhancing safety and reducing vulnerabilities to threats. As trans activists and human rights defenders, we live, work, and organise in hostile contexts. Therefore, it’s essential to create strong safety and security strategies. The resources below will guide you through your strategising.

Trans-supportive donors

Check out this list of supportive donors resourcing trans groups globally. We encourage you to explore their websites and familiarise yourself with their priorities, past projects, and application deadlines.

Donors providing emergency support to human rights defenders.

This includes donors often funding responses to urgent needs and other crises. We encourage you to check these donors’ websites and contact them directly for more information about their specific funding scope and any requirements.

How we can support you 

Virtual drop-in office hours 

To enhance connections with members and ensure easy access to our Community Building team, especially in these challenging times, we are introducing virtual drop-in office hours for members. There’s no need to book an appointment in advance! Whether you’re a group or individual member, drop in during our office hours to ask questions, share updates, provide feedback, request support, or just have a chat with our team or fellow trans activists. This opportunity is available for both current and prospective members who want to learn more about TGEU and its membership responsibilities and benefits.

Please note: The virtual drop-ins are meant for general and short discussions. Time is a justice issue; each member gets a maximum 15-minute slot. If several members turn up, everyone still gets an opportunity to use their slot.

Office hours in English: Thursdays every other week, from 15:00 to 17:00 CET, starting from 20 February

Office hours in Russian: Thursdays every other week, from 10:00 to 12:00 CET, starting from 6 March

For a more in-depth discussion, we invite you to book a 1-1 virtual consultation instead.

Member 1-1 virtual consultations

Is your organisation a TGEU member? Do you need a more focused discussion on a specific topic or a consultation tailored to your needs? Our team is here for you. We offer expert support on topics such as fundraising, organisational sustainability, safety, well-being, collective care, strategic litigation, migration and asylum, and any relevant topics with our Community building and Policy teams.

Book your personalised consultation in English or in Russian.

Support our mission to serve trans communities 

  • Members: Your input is vital. Share your ideas, concerns, or feedback through our consultations or by emailing us tgeu@tgeu.org. You can also send us an encrypted message via our website. 
  • Partners & Allies: Sustain our work and strengthen trans movements in Europe and Central Asia by financially contributing to our network.
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