National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association

What National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association does

NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists (legally the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association) is a 501(c)(3) professional association founded in 1990 by Leroy F. Aarons following his landmark "Alternatives: Gays and Lesbians in the Newsroom" survey and his public coming out at the American Society of Newspaper Editors convention. Headquartered at 2120 L Street, NW Suite 850, Washington, DC, the organization describes itself as the world's largest community of LGBTQ+ journalists and communicators, operating 20+ local chapters across the United States. It serves LGBTQ+ journalists, journalism students, news organizations, and journalism educators through professional development, mentorship, scholarships, advocacy, and resources promoting fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ+ communities.

The association's core offerings include the LGBTQ+ Stylebook on Terminology, the Rapid Response Task Force (a panel of journalists addressing unfair or inaccurate coverage), the OutNewsWire and TravelOutNewsWire press release distribution services, a job board, the CONNECT student journalism training project, a mentorship program, and the annual National Convention and Student Conference. It administers multiple scholarship and fellowship programs — including the Leroy F. Aarons Scholarship (up to $5,000), the Kay Longcope Scholarship, the Phillips-Green Family Scholarship, and the Curve Fellowship for Emerging Journalists co-presented with The Curve Foundation — alongside an awards portfolio that includes the Excellence in Journalism Awards (established 1993), the LGBTQ+ Journalists Hall of Fame (established 2005, with 59 inductees), and named honors such as the Randy Shilts, Lisa Ben, Jeanne Córdova, Leadership, and Legacy Awards. The organization is not a technology company; its technology footprint is limited to the stylebook, job board, press release distribution platforms, and event registration systems.

NLGJA operates as a multi-stream nonprofit. Revenue is generated from annual and lifetime membership dues, tax-deductible donations including the recurring monthly "Press for Progress" giving circle, event sponsorships for the National Convention, Student Conference, and benefit events (Headlines & Headliners, Dateline:DC, L.A. Exclusive), and advertising sold to organizations seeking access to its membership. Pricing is tiered by member status and event (e.g., Headlines & Headliners tickets at $175 non-members, $125 members, $50 students and early-career members), with student discounts and lifetime membership options offered. The organization is governed by a board of directors led by National Board President Ken Miguel, with day-to-day operations led by Executive Director Adam Pawlus and Development and Partnerships Director Caitlin DeLatte. In 2026, NLGJA celebrated its 35th anniversary, announced its 2026 Excellence in Journalism Awards, and debuted a documentary produced in collaboration with East Tennessee State University, with a full-length feature, book, and educational curriculum planned.

Name

National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association

Legal name

National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association

Website

https://nlgja.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) professional association founded in 1990 serving LGBTQ+ journalists, students, and media organizations through scholarships, awards, mentorship, the LGBTQ+ Stylebook, and an annual convention across 20+ U.S. chapters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Journalism Association

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Professional Organizations (81392), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Human Rights, Democracy & Rule of Law IGOs (BPADAAAG)

Keywords

• Professional journalism association
• LGBTQ+ media advocacy
• Journalism training programs
• Journalism stylebook resources
• Journalism awards and scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees supporting access to professional development, networking, mentorship, and association resources.
2. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible charitable contributions as a 501(c)(3) organization, including one-time donations, monthly giving (Press for Progress circle), planned giving, and workplace matching.
3. Event Sponsorships: Sponsorships for national events including National Convention, Student Conference, Headlines & Headliners, Dateline:DC, and L.A. Exclusive benefit events.
4. Advertising: Advertising opportunities available to organizations seeking to reach NLGJA's diverse membership of journalists, media professionals, students, and educators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

NLGJA is a nonprofit professional membership association that supports LGBTQ+ journalists through professional development programs, mentorship, networking events, annual conventions, scholarships, and journalism awards. It provides industry resources including the LGBTQ+ Stylebook on Terminology, Rapid Response Task Force for media accountability, and OutNewsWire press release distribution services to advance fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ+ communities.

Product overview

NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists is a professional association for LGBTQ+ journalists and media professionals, not a technology product company. The organization offers a portfolio of programs and services centered on advancing fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ+ communities. Key offerings include the LGBTQ+ Stylebook on LGBTQ+ Terminology (a style guide for journalists), the annual Excellence in Journalism Awards program, scholarship programs (Leroy F. Aarons Scholarship, Kay Longcope Scholarship, Phillips-Green Family Scholarship), the CONNECT Student Journalism Training Project, Rapid Response Task Force, Mentorship Program, National Convention, Student Conference, LGBTQ+ Press Release Distribution Services (OutNewsWire and TravelOutNewsWire), Job Board, LGBTQ+ Journalists Hall of Fame, Curve Fellowship for Emerging Journalists, and various named awards (Randy Shilts Award, Lisa Ben Award, Jeanne Córdova Award, Leadership Award, Legacy Award). The organization also produces topical guidance documents for journalists covering LGBTQ+ issues and has produced a documentary about its own history.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LGBTQ+ Stylebook on Terminology A comprehensive style guide providing guidance on appropriate terminology for covering LGBTQ+ issues, complementing the Associated Press Stylebook and other stylebook resources, for journalists and newsrooms.
• Excellence in Journalism Awards Annual awards program recognizing excellence in journalism on issues related to the LGBTQ+ community, including Journalist of the Year, Al Neuharth Award for Innovation in Investigative Journalism, and category awards for various journalism formats.
• CONNECT Student Journalism Training Project A training program providing real-world, hands-on journalism experience to students or recent graduates pursuing a career in journalism, supporting the next generation of LGBTQ+ media professionals.
• Leroy F. Aarons Scholarship Annual scholarship established in 2005, providing up to $5,000 in tuition assistance to an LGBTQ+ student pursuing a career in journalism, honoring the organization's founder Leroy F. Aarons.
• Kay Longcope Scholarship Annual scholarship established in 2008, providing up to $3,000 in tuition assistance to an LGBTQ+ student of color committed to fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ+ communities.
• Rapid Response Task Force A panel of working journalists from mainstream and LGBTQ+ media that answers complaints about reporting seen as unfair and/or inaccurate regarding LGBTQ+ coverage.
• National Convention Annual national convention bringing together LGBTQ+ journalists and media professionals for professional development, networking, awards, and association business.
• Student Conference Annual conference specifically designed for student journalists, providing training and networking opportunities for the next generation of LGBTQ+ media professionals.
• Mentorship Program Program connecting LGBTQ+ journalists with experienced professionals for career guidance, professional development, and networking.
• OutNewsWire and TravelOutNewsWire Press release distribution services dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community, distributed to LGBTQ+ and mainstream media contacts at regional and national publications and websites.
• Job Board Regularly updated list of journalism opportunities across the country in broadcast, freelance, online media, production, and print, available to NLGJA members.
• Curve Fellowship for Emerging Journalists Fellowship presented jointly with The Curve Foundation to recognize and support emerging journalists focused on raising the visibility of LGBTQ+ women, trans, and nonbinary people.
• Headlines & Headliners Benefit Event Annual benefit event recognizing journalists who consistently bring LGBTQ+ community stories to mainstream audiences, featuring the Randy Shilts Award presentation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of journalists supported through professional development and awards since 2008
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The Curve FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint presentation of the Curve Fellowship for Emerging Journalists, honoring 35-year publishing legacy of Curve magazine. The endowment provides financial support to emerging journalists whose work elevates voices of LGBTQ+ women, trans, and nonbinary people.
• Delaware Valley Legacy FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerComponent fund of The Philadelphia Foundation serving LGBTQ+ communities, administers the NLGJA Student Scholarship Fund and disburses scholarship awards upon recommendation from NLGJA.
• The Philadelphia FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity foundation established in 1918 that partners with NLGJA to administer student scholarship fund through its Delaware Valley Legacy Fund component.
• Witeck CommunicationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for OutNewsWire and TravelOutNewsWire, a news distribution service dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community distributed to regional and national publications.
• International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for TravelOutNewsWire, designed to serve journalists, bloggers, travel writers and industry news outlets covering LGBTQ+ travel trends and developments.
• Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Maynard Regional Training Series, providing innovative frameworks, coaching and mentoring for career and newsroom development for early-career and mid-level managers and editors.
• Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing CommunicationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Maynard Institute for journalism training series available to Chicago journalists, providing free professional development for newsroom leadership.
• East Tennessee State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with NLGJA for documentary project, with students from ETSU participating in filming and production of the association's first-ever documentary telling NLGJA's story.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• GLAAD: Leading LGBTQ+ media advocacy organization focused on fair representation in media. Compares to NLGJA on the LGBTQ+ media accountability mission but operates more as advocacy/communications than as a journalist membership association.

Direct peers

• Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA): Asian American identity-based journalism association offering scholarships, conventions, mentorships and awards similar to NLGJA's programs. Direct peer in the diversity journalism association category.
• Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS): Identity-based journalism association supporting women and nonbinary journalists through camps, mentorships, and awards. Comparable in mission, programming mix, and nonprofit membership structure to NLGJA.
• National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ): Identity-focused professional journalism association with parallel programming (conventions, scholarships, student projects, awards). Comparable in mission structure and member services to NLGJA.
• Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE): Nonprofit journalism association providing training, conferences, and awards for investigative reporters. Comparable as a U.S.-based journalism membership association offering professional development and recognition programs.
• National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ): Largest organization for journalists of color in the U.S., NABJ is structurally analogous to NLGJA as an identity-based professional journalism association with conventions, scholarships, awards, and local chapters. Directly comparable as a peer diversity journalism association.

Broad incumbents

• Online News Association (ONA): Digital journalism professional association offering annual conferences, awards, and training. Comparable as a broader-scope journalism membership association but focused on digital media rather than identity.
• Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ): Largest broad-based U.S. journalism professional association. Overlaps with NLGJA on ethics training, professional development, and awards, but is not identity-specific. Comparable as a larger incumbent in the same professional membership space.
• Poynter Institute: Major nonprofit journalism training and policy organization offering seminars, media ethics training, and industry resources. Overlaps with NLGJA on journalism training and standards-setting, but at a much broader industry scale.

Emerging players

• Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education: Diversity-focused journalism training nonprofit that partners with NLGJA on the Maynard Regional Training Series. Comparable in diversity journalism education mission and overlapping audience of journalists and newsroom leaders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nlgja
• Facebookfacebook.com/nlgja
• Instagraminstagram.com/nlgjaofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nlgja

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association