What PFLAG Cleveland does

PFLAG Cleveland is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization and a local chapter of PFLAG National, founded in July 1985 by Jane Daroff, LISW-S and Dr. Jes Sellers to provide peer support, education, and advocacy for LGBTQ+ individuals and their families in Northeast Ohio. Operations are entirely volunteer-driven through an elected advisory board; the organization does not employ paid staff and historically has been all-volunteer until a 2022 administrative partnership with the LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland began absorbing back-office functions under a George Gund Foundation–funded strategic plan.

The core product set is service-based and free to participants: monthly support group meetings (held the 2nd Tuesday on Trinity Cathedral grounds in Cleveland with a simultaneous Zoom option, attended by 25–45 people), a Speakers Bureau providing educational programs to universities, schools, businesses, and faith organizations, advocacy outreach to elected officials and media, and ancillary programming including the Dr. Jes Sellers Scholarship, three named community awards (Bruce G. Kriete Community Award, Jane Daroff Lifetime Achievement Award, Sharon Groh-Wargo President's Award), an It Gets Better video initiative, and joint bimonthly newsletter publication with PFLAG Akron.

The business model is a donations-and-membership nonprofit: revenue streams include individual tax-deductible donations (via GiveButter and text-to-donate), an annual membership that confers PFLAG National dues ($15 per member) and access to programs, designated gifts to the scholarship fund, planned giving and bequests, and occasional institutional grants (notably The George Gund Foundation's 2021 strategic-plan grant). All programs are provided at no cost to participants. The primary customer segments are LGBTQ+ individuals and their families (primary), community institutions seeking LGBTQ+ education, and allies/volunteers; distribution is community-led through meetings, speakers bureau, digital channels, and earned media (CBS Sunday Morning, ABC Good Morning America, Cleveland.com).

Name

PFLAG Cleveland

Legal name

PFLAG Cleveland

Website

https://pflagcleveland.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PFLAG Cleveland is a 501(c)(3) volunteer-driven nonprofit chapter, founded in 1985 in Berea/Cleveland, Ohio, that provides free monthly peer support meetings, education, and advocacy for LGBTQ+ individuals and their families across Northeast Ohio under the PFLAG National umbrella.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

LGBTQ+ Community Support Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

akta.pro primary industry

LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE)

Keywords

• Lgbtq support services
• Peer support groups
• Lgbtq advocacy education
• Community nonprofit
• Scholarship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Berea

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees that include access to support group meetings, subscription to monthly Leading With Love updates, bimonthly PFLAG Cleveland/Akron newsletters, social activities, and annual membership to PFLAG National. Membership dues to PFLAG National are $15 per member.
2. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible donations to support the organization's mission of providing free support meetings, educational resources, crisis guidance, and one-on-one family support. Accepts donations through GiveButter platform and text-to-donate. Also accepts planned giving, bequests, trusts, and honorariums.
3. Designated Gifts: Donors can designate gifts to the college scholarship program (Dr. Jes Sellers PFLAG Cleveland Scholarship).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PFLAG Cleveland is a volunteer-driven 501(c)(3) nonprofit chapter of PFLAG National that provides free, confidential monthly support group meetings (in-person and via Zoom) for LGBTQIA+ individuals, parents, families, and allies. The organization also delivers educational outreach through a Speakers Bureau, advocacy initiatives targeting elected officials and legislation, an annual scholarship program, and named community awards recognizing LGBTQ+ allies in Northeast Ohio.

Product overview

PFLAG Cleveland is a non-profit community organization (501(c)(3)) that provides support, education, and advocacy services for LGBTQ+ individuals and their families. Founded in July 1985 by Jane Daroff and Dr. Jes Sellers, the organization operates as a volunteer-driven chapter of the national PFLAG network. The core service offerings include monthly support group meetings (held in-person and virtually via Zoom), a Speakers Bureau for community education, advocacy programs, annual membership with newsletter subscriptions, scholarship programs (Dr. Jes Sellers Scholarship), and three named community awards (Bruce G. Kriete Community Award, Jane Daroff Lifetime Achievement Award, and Sharon Groh-Wargo President's Award). The organization also conducts an annual Giving Tuesday fundraising campaign and publishes a bimonthly newsletter in partnership with PFLAG Akron. All services are provided free of charge to the community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Monthly Support Group Meetings Free, confidential monthly support group meetings held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, with both in-person attendance at Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland and virtual participation via Zoom. Provides a safe space for LGBTQIA+ individuals, parents, family members, and allies to share experiences and find community, with first-time participants welcomed at 6:30pm.
• Speakers Bureau

Quantifiable outcome

• Monthly support group meetings serving 25-45 attendees per session with both in-person and virtual options available.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LGBT Center of Greater ClevelandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2022Beginning June 1, 2022, PFLAG Cleveland and the LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland entered a new partnership that will strengthen the impact of each organization and provide enhanced services to LGBTQ+ individuals and families in Northeast Ohio. This is the first time in PFLAG Cleveland's 37-year history that it has partnered with another non-profit. The Center will begin to support the administrative functions of PFLAG Cleveland, allowing its all-volunteer advisory board to focus more time on mission-oriented activities. The agreement resulted from a 2021 PFLAG Cleveland strategic plan, funded by a grant from The George Gund Foundation.
• GLSEN ClevelandminorOthersPFLAG Cleveland serves as a liaison to community groups including GLSEN Cleveland, TransFamily, ColorsPlus+ Plexus, and the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community Center of Cleveland.
• TransFamilyminorOthersPFLAG Cleveland serves as a liaison to TransFamily as part of community outreach and partnership activities.
• ColorsPlus+ PlexusminorOthersPFLAG Cleveland serves as a liaison to ColorsPlus+ Plexus as part of community outreach and partnership activities.
• LGBT Center of ClevelandminorOthersPFLAG Cleveland serves as a liaison to the LGBT Center of Cleveland as part of community outreach and partnership activities.
• Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) SAFE ZONEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPFLAG Cleveland partners with Cuyahoga Community College's SAFE ZONE program to provide free, online LGBTQ+ training. Safe Zone Facilitation is offered to volunteers after completing Safe Zone Training with Tri-C.
• Campaign for Southern EqualityminorOthersCampaign for Southern Equality is working with Equality Ohio, Kaleidoscope Youth Center, and TransOhio to provide resources and information to families impacted by Ohio House Bill 68 (gender-affirming healthcare ban for youth).
• Equality OhiominorOthersPart of coalition with Campaign for Southern Equality, Kaleidoscope Youth Center, and TransOhio to provide resources to families impacted by Ohio House Bill 68.
• Kaleidoscope Youth CenterminorOthersPart of coalition with Campaign for Southern Equality, Equality Ohio, and TransOhio to provide resources to families impacted by Ohio House Bill 68.
• TransOhiominorOthersPart of coalition with Campaign for Southern Equality, Equality Ohio, and Kaleidoscope Youth Center to provide resources to families impacted by Ohio House Bill 68.
• Trinity CathedralminorOthersTrinity Cathedral has hosted PFLAG Cleveland's monthly meetings since 1985, providing space rent-free initially and continuing as a long-standing community partner.
• Church of the Redeemer UCCminorOthersOpen and affirming United Church of Christ congregation in Westlake, Ohio that made an unexpected donation in December 2021 to PFLAG Cleveland during its Annual Fund campaign.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• TransFamily: Community partner with PFLAG Cleveland supporting families of transgender individuals. Closely aligned family-support and education programming.
• Campaign for Southern Equality: Coalition partner on the Ohio HB68 response. Operates comparable advocacy and direct-support programs for LGBTQ+ families at a regional scale.
• PFLAG National: Parent organization of PFLAG Cleveland; operates the same support, education, and advocacy model across 400+ chapters. Direct peer in mission, programming, and brand.
• LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland: Core strategic partner that now supports PFLAG Cleveland's administrative functions since June 2022. Serves the same Northeast Ohio LGBTQ+ community with overlapping programs in advocacy, education, and support.
• Equality Ohio: Ohio's statewide LGBTQ+ advocacy organization. Coalition partner with PFLAG Cleveland on responses to HB68 and other legislation. Comparable advocacy and education mission at a state scale.
• GLSEN Cleveland: Local GLSEN chapter focused on K-12 LGBTQ+ inclusive education; PFLAG Cleveland serves as a formal liaison. Closely aligned mission targeting schools, students, and families.
• TransOhio: Coalition partner with PFLAG Cleveland on advocacy for transgender Ohioans. Overlapping mission on family support, advocacy, and crisis response for the trans community.
• Kaleidoscope Youth Center: Ohio LGBTQ+ youth-serving organization; coalition partner with PFLAG Cleveland on HB68 response. Overlapping mission in supporting LGBTQ+ youth and families.

Broad incumbents

• Human Rights Campaign: Largest U.S. LGBTQ+ civil rights advocacy organization. Jane Daroff (PFLAG Cleveland co-founder) served on the HRC National Board of Governors. Mission overlap with PFLAG Cleveland in advocacy and family support at a national scale.
• GLAAD: National LGBTQ+ media advocacy organization. Overlapping mission on advancing LGBTQ+ visibility and media representation; PFLAG Cleveland's leaders have been featured in its media campaigns.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PFLAGCleveland
• Facebookfacebook.com/PFLAGcleveland
• Instagraminstagram.com/pflagcleveland
• Xx.com/PFLAG_Cleveland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PFLAG Cleveland