Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research

What Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research does

The Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research (CLEAR), operating under the legal name "Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research" and doing business as "CLEAR," is a U.S.-based nonprofit research and advocacy organization focused on the economic well-being and financial conditions of LGBTQ+ individuals, families, and small businesses. The organization produces original research — including the LEAF (LGBTQI+ Economic and Financial) Survey, the LGBTQ Small Businesses report, and reports on banking exclusion — and translates that research into policy advocacy targeting federal and state lawmakers and regulators such as the CFPB. CLEAR's portfolio is structured around three pillars: research, education, and advocacy. Its core "products" are research reports, LGBTQ-competent financial education resources, certified financial counseling services delivered online, a members-only jobs board, a podcast, and organized advocacy campaigns. The underlying delivery mechanism is a content-and-advocacy platform built on a standard website (lgbtq-economics.org) with downloadable reports, blog content, fact sheets, and educational materials rather than proprietary technology or software products.

CLEAR serves four overlapping segments: LGBTQ individuals and families seeking financial education and credit-building support; LGBTQ-owned small businesses facing lending discrimination; policymakers and government bodies that the organization informs through testimony and policy recommendations; and financial institutions and industry participants engaging on fair-lending enforcement and SOGI data collection. No app, API, or SDK exists, and no AI/ML capabilities are evident in the input data.

CLEAR's revenue model is characteristic of a member-supported nonprofit: it generates funds through donations and membership fees, with specific pricing tiers undisclosed. Distribution is primarily self-serve through the website, supplemented by direct engagement with policymakers, panel moderation at industry events (e.g., the "Beyond Pride" panel with the Association for Enterprise Opportunity), and earned media coverage in outlets such as USA Today, PBS NewsHour, Investopedia, Marketplace, and Credit Union Times. The organization is led by President and Executive Director Spencer Watson and operates without a parent company, equity backing, or institutional investor ownership.

Name

Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research

Legal name

Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research

Website

https://lgbtq-economics.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CLEAR is a U.S. nonprofit that produces original research on LGBTQ+ economic conditions, advocates for federal and state financial policies benefiting LGBTQ communities, and delivers LGBTQ-competent financial education, counseling, and member resources to LGBTQ individuals, families, and small businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Policy Advocacy and Research

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)

Keywords

• LGBTQ economic research
• Financial education resources
• Economic policy advocacy
• Wealth gap analysis
• Nonprofit research organization

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CLEAR is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization that produces original economic research on LGBTQI+ communities in the U.S. and operates programs in financial education, LGBTQ-competent financial counseling, and policy advocacy aimed at advancing fair lending and economic equality. It monetizes support through donations and a membership program that grants access to a jobs board, community forums, and discounts on courses and events.

Product overview

CLEAR (Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research) is a non-profit research and advocacy organization that operates as a content and advocacy platform focused on LGBTQ economic justice. The organization provides research reports, educational resources, LGBTQ-competent financial counseling services, a members-only jobs board, podcast content, and policy advocacy campaigns. The portfolio consists of research and reporting products, educational and capacity-building services, member-exclusive job board and community features, and organized advocacy initiatives for LGBTQ economic equality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Reports Cutting-edge research and reporting about the economic well-being and financial needs of LGBTQI+ people, families, organizations, and communities to inform data-driven policy and decision-making. Includes the LEAF Survey, LGBTQ Small Businesses report, and The Economic Wellbeing of LGBT Adults report.
• Education Resources Educational materials and financial knowledge resources that are LGBTQI+ competent and affirming, helping LGBTQI+ consumers, families, and communities achieve their unique financial goals.
• LGBTQ-Competent Financial Counseling CLEAR offers LGBTQ-competent certified financial counselors trained in LGBTQ-specific financial issues including student loan debt, available by online appointment.
• CLEAR Podcast A podcast series covering LGBTQ economic issues, financial topics, and interviews with community experts.
• Advocacy and Policy Campaigns Organizing and advocating for Federal and State policies and needed reforms in the financial industry to create sensible financial policies and resources to improve the lives of LGBTQI+ people, organizations, and communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• CFPB returned more than $19 billion to consumers harmed by financial fraud/abuse and $3.7 billion in fines against companies that cheated consumers
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Movement Advancement Project: MAP produces independent research and analysis on LGBTQ policy issues including economic opportunity, paralleling CLEAR's data-driven advocacy model for LGBTQ economic equality.
• National LGBTQ Task Force: Long-standing LGBTQ advocacy organization with overlapping policy and economic-justice work, including federal-level advocacy on issues affecting LGBTQ economic wellbeing.
• National Center for Transgender Equality: Advocacy and research organization focused on transgender policy issues, including economic security, name-change credit reporting, and financial inclusion — directly overlapping CLEAR's transgender economic work.

Broad incumbents

• Human Rights Campaign: Largest U.S. LGBTQ civil rights organization with significantly broader scope and budget; intersects with CLEAR on economic discrimination, employment, and financial policy advocacy.
• Center for American Progress: Progressive policy think tank with dedicated LGBTQ economic research and federal advocacy, operating at a much larger scale but covering overlapping policy terrain including SOGI data collection.
• NAACP: Civil rights organization with significant economic justice programming addressing wealth gaps, lending discrimination, and homeownership — structurally analogous to CLEAR's work but for racial rather than sexual/gender minorities.

Emerging players

• Lambda Legal: Legal advocacy organization litigating cases involving LGBTQ economic discrimination, employment, and credit access; provides litigation pathway that complements CLEAR's research and policy approach.
• GLSEN: Education-focused LGBTQ organization with adjacent research and policy work on school climate, intersecting CLEAR's education and economic-advancement themes at the youth and family level.
• Prosperity Now: Economic opportunity nonprofit focused on financial security, asset building, and inclusive financial systems; comparable in mission to CLEAR's economic-advancement work but serves broader demographics.
• PFLAG National: Family- and community-based LGBTQ advocacy organization with overlapping policy work on economic security, family wellbeing, and financial education for LGBTQ households.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lgbtq_economics
• Facebookfacebook.com/lgbtq.economics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lgbtq-economics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research