BeLonG To Youth Services

What BeLonG To Youth Services does

BeLonG To Youth Services is a registered Irish charity (RCN 20059798, CHY 16534) founded in 2003 and headquartered in Dublin. It is the national LGBTQ+ youth organisation for Ireland, providing direct services, education, research, and advocacy for LGBTQ+ young people aged 14-23 and their families. Core service offerings include a nationwide network of LGBTQ+ youth groups, family support, crisis counselling in partnership with Pieta, a drug and alcohol support service, an online LGBTQ+ Youth Hub, the Stand Up Awareness Week anti-bullying campaign (reaching 77% of second-level schools in 2022/2023), and the LGBTQ+ Quality Mark 18-month school accreditation. Distribution is hybrid: physical youth groups and a new Dublin city centre youth space opened 18 June 2026 sit alongside digital self-serve resources, school programmes, and family support services.

The organisation's operating model is community-led rather than technology-led. Its technology stack consists of standard nonprofit infrastructure - Microsoft Office 365, Salesforce for donor and beneficiary database management, Campaign Monitor for email, Stripe for donation processing (PCI-DSS compliant), and Zoom/WhatsApp for communications. Website hosting sits with EU-based Blacknight, and all processing is GDPR-compliant. There are no proprietary technology products, AI/ML models, or patents disclosed; the principal assets are programmatic and community-based rather than technology assets.

BeLonG To is funded through a mix of individual donations (including legacy giving), corporate partnerships (notably the SuperValu Deposit Return Scheme donation partnership running June-August 2026), statutory government funding, Community Foundation Ireland grants, and EU co-funding. All direct services to beneficiaries are delivered free of charge. The organisation is governed by a Board of Directors serving as Trustees, holds Triple Lock membership from Charities Institute Ireland, and is led by CEO Kieran O'Donovan, appointed in February 2026.

Name

BeLonG To Youth Services

Legal name

BeLonG To Youth Services

Website

https://belongto.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BeLonG To Youth Services is Ireland's national registered charity for LGBTQ+ young people aged 14-23, founded in 2003 and headquartered in Dublin. It delivers youth groups, family support, crisis counselling, school accreditation, and anti-bullying campaigns, funded through donations, corporate partnerships, and statutory and EU grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Support Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Behavioral Health for Children & Adolescents (Youth Services) (HLAFACAL)

Keywords

• LGBTQ+ youth services
• Youth support services
• Family counselling support
• School inclusion accreditation
• Crisis intervention services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations from individual supporters, fundraising events (Rainbow Ball, Spill the Tea, challenge events), and legacy giving through wills.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with businesses like SuperValu through initiatives such as the Deposit Return Scheme donation programme. Corporate sponsors and supporters contribute funding.
3. Government and Institutional Funding: Funding from government bodies, statutory agencies, and institutional funders including Community Foundation Ireland and EU co-funding.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BeLonG To Youth Services is Ireland's national nonprofit organization providing direct support services, counselling, family support, and youth groups for LGBTQ+ young people aged 14-23. The organisation delivers an integrated service portfolio including youth groups, professional counselling (via partnership with Pieta), drug and alcohol support, a family support service, school accreditation through the LGBTQ+ Quality Mark, and professional training for educators and youth workers.

Product overview

Belong To is a national LGBTQ+ youth services and advocacy organization providing a coordinated suite of services for LGBTQ+ young people aged 14-23 and their families across Ireland. The core service portfolio includes youth groups, family support, counselling (via Pieta partnership), and drug/alcohol support. These direct services are complemented by professional training programmes and the LGBTQ+ Quality Mark school accreditation. The organization also runs advocacy campaigns including Stand Up Awareness Week and the Its Our Social Media initiative. All services are connected through an online LGBTQ+ Youth Hub providing information and resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LGBTQ+ Youth Groups Welcoming group environments for LGBTQ+ young people aged 14-23 to meet others, share experiences, and build friendships across Ireland.
• Family Support Service One-to-one support for families of LGBTQ+ young people throughout Ireland, offering guidance and resources for family members.
• Counselling Service with Pieta Crisis counselling sessions for at-risk LGBTQ+ young people, delivered in partnership with Pieta House.
• Drug and Alcohol Service Support service for LGBTQ+ young people dealing with drug and alcohol issues.
• LGBTQ+ Youth Hub Online resource providing advice and information for LGBTQ+ youth on topics including identities, coming out, mental health, and relationships.
• LGBTQ+ Quality Mark for Schools An 18-month accreditation initiative that guides secondary schools through creating an LGBTQ+ inclusive environment.
• Training for Professionals Training programmes for educators, youth workers, and professionals working with LGBTQ+ youth to equip them with skills to understand and meet youth needs.
• National Network of LGBTQ+ Youth Workers Network connecting LGBTQ+ youth workers across Ireland to share resources, best practices, and support.
• Queer Joy A service focused on positive experiences and joy within the LGBTQ+ youth community.

Quantifiable outcome

• 77% of second-level schools participated in Stand Up Awareness Week
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SuperValu (Musgrave)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 June 2026SuperValu partnership through Ireland's Deposit Return Scheme. From 22 June to 31 August 2026, customers can donate their DRS refunds to Belong To at SuperValu stores nationwide. This sends a powerful public message of inclusion and helps fund essential services including education programmes, family support, youth groups, and crisis counselling.
• PietacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for crisis counselling services. Pieta provides professional crisis support integrated with Belong To's youth services, offering accessible mental health support for at-risk LGBTQ+ young people.
• Columbia University (Teachers College)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership conducting the Irish School Climate Survey, providing data on experiences of LGBTQ+ young people in schools. Collaborative research to inform advocacy and policy.
• Various Private and Public OrganisationsminorOthersPartnerships with various private and public organisations as shown on the partners page. Includes organisations aligned with promoting health, safety, and equality of LGBTQ+ young people.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PFLAG: Family- and ally-led organisation supporting LGBTQ+ people through parents and families. Closest peer to BeLonG To's Family Support Service and family-orientated advocacy.
• The Trevor Project: US-based nonprofit providing crisis intervention, counselling, and peer support for LGBTQ+ young people. Closest functional peer to BeLonG To's youth-group, counselling, and digital support model.
• GLSEN: US-based nonprofit focused on K-12 LGBTQ+ inclusive education, with school climate research and educator training. Directly comparable to BeLonG To's Stand Up Awareness Week and Quality Mark programmes.
• Mermaids: UK charity supporting trans and gender-diverse children and young people, with family support services and advocacy. Highly comparable mission to BeLonG To's work with trans youth and families.

Others

• Pieta (House): Irish suicide and self-harm charity currently in partnership with BeLonG To for crisis counselling. Adjacent rather than competitive; useful as comparator for clinical counselling delivery in Ireland.
• Jigsaw (Headspace): Ireland's national youth mental health support service. Comparable youth mental health footprint and a potential partner or substitute for some counselling services delivered to similar age cohorts.

Regional players

• Outhouse: Dublin-based LGBTQ+ community organisation with related services (community space, resources). Operational and geographic overlap makes it a close local peer for benchmarking.
• LGBT Youth Scotland: Scotland's national LGBTQ+ youth organisation, offering youth groups, training and advocacy. Comparable mandate and programme mix to BeLonG To's Irish national remit.
• Minus18: Australian charity delivering LGBTQ+ youth programmes, events, and school inclusion work. Comparable youth-group and school-change model to BeLonG To but operating in a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• Stonewall UK: Major UK LGBTQ+ rights organisation with a youth-focused education programme and school inclusion work. Overlaps with BeLonG To's School Climate Survey and Quality Mark accreditation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• XN/A - Account closed October 2023 due to harassment concerns
• Facebookfacebook.com/belongtoireland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/belong-to
• Instagraminstagram.com/belongtoireland
• TikToktiktok.com/@belongtoireland

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about BeLonG To Youth Services