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Leadership & Organizational
Development Program

Winning equality and justice is a marathon, not a sprint. That’s why we prioritize developing strong, resilient, and adaptive leaders in powerful, sustainable organizations in the states. Because of our ongoing relationships with state leaders, we are able to provide tailored support that meets their individual needs and follow them as their organizations grow. We believe that racial justice is a critical area for growth for many organizations and leaders, and strive to integrate a racial equity perspective and strategy into all aspects of leadership and organizational development work.

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Developing Strong Leaders

Our state partners can only take the movement for equality forward if they have strong, resilient, and adaptive leaders guiding the way.

Equality Federation believes that strong leaders build strong organizations, so we train movement leaders at all stages of their careers. Organizers participate in our learning-by-doing policy & organizing cohort, communications and development staff benefit from resources and coaching, and executive directors learn valuable skills at our New Executive Director Intensive Boot Camp, grow their peer network at our annual Executive Director Institute, and receive executive coaching tailored to their needs.

Connecting Movement Advocates

State leaders and national partners propel our movement forward when they can learn from each other, work through their unique challenges, and find opportunities to collaborate and support each other.

Equality Federation provides critical opportunities for training, peer learning, and networking through the annual Equality Federation Leadership Conference, which has become the movement-wide go-to gathering of state leaders and national partners; our regional Leadership Summits, serving the South, Midwest, and Mountain West; and regular online training opportunities.

Building Powerful Organizations

From board to staff to volunteers, organizations succeed when they commit to getting strong and staying strong so that they can keep winning equality in the communities they call home.

Equality Federation’s team employs our extensive expertise in organizational development to support our state partners. From on-site training, planning, and facilitation to ongoing coaching and consulting, we leverage our long-term relationships with member organizations to help them develop and execute strategies to grow and thrive.

Advocacy & Civic Engagement Program

Equality Federation works closely with our state partners, national partners, and other stakeholders to build an active base of LGBTQ+ supporters in every state to advance pro-LGBTQ+ policies and defeat anti-LGBTQ+ policies from the ground up.

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Want To Make A Difference? Support Our Work

With your support, we'll be able to continue our work to build the leaders of today and tomorrow, strengthen state-based LGBTQ+ organizations, and make critical progress on the issues that matter most—like protecting transgender people, ending HIV criminalization and ensuring access to care, and banning conversion therapy across the country.