What TransOhio does

TransOhio, Inc. is Ohio's first statewide Trans Equity Organization, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 and headquartered by mail at P.O. Box 18272, Cleveland, Ohio. Its mission is to protect and advance the rights of trans, nonbinary, intersex, and gender nonconforming Ohioans through programming delivered entirely by trans people for trans people. Core programs include the Ohio Name Change Legal Clinic (free monthly virtual clinic with pro bono attorneys, paralegals, and notaries), the Transformation Emergency Fund (over $200,000 in emergency cash assistance distributed since December 2023), the Annual Trans & Ally Symposium (now in its 17th year, 300+ attendees, 75+ workshops), TransOhio Zines (community publications), the Ohio Trans Inclusive Providers List, WPATH letter services, Support Groups via Discord, Cultural Competency Training for businesses, and the Trans Civil Rights Tracker for Ohio legislation.

The organization's technology infrastructure is intentionally lightweight and consists of standard nonprofit tooling rather than proprietary systems: a Squarespace website, Google Forms for applications, ActBlue and PayPal/Venmo for donations, Zoom for virtual clinics, Discord for community engagement, and Bonfire for merchandise. No proprietary technology products, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities are developed or operated. Revenue is generated entirely through donations, microgrant fundraising rounds, and proceeds from merchandise and zine sales; all services are provided free of charge to community members. The customer base is horizontal and persona-driven: primary beneficiaries are trans and nonbinary Ohioans needing legal aid, financial assistance, and healthcare navigation, with secondary segments including families of trans youth, healthcare providers seeking competency guidance, allies, and Ohio businesses purchasing cultural competency training.

The go-to-market model is community-led and event-driven. TransOhio builds trust through authentic trans leadership, statewide virtual reach, and physical presence at Pride events and county probate courts. Strategic institutional partnerships with the Franklin County Probate Court, Ohio Supreme Court (for CLE credit accreditation of pro bono attorneys), Equality Ohio, Black Trans Men of Ohio, BQIC, and the University of Cincinnati LGBTQ+ Center extend service delivery capacity. The leadership team comprises Executive Director Dara Adkison, Board Chair James Knapp (since 2013), and Founder (Emeritus) Shane Morgan, supported by a board of trans community leaders.

Name

TransOhio

Legal name

TransOhio, Inc.

Website

https://transohio.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TransOhio is Ohio's first statewide nonprofit Trans Equity Organization, providing free legal clinics, an emergency cash fund, annual symposium, provider directory, and advocacy resources to trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming Ohioans, fully staffed by trans people for trans people.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: TransOhio operates entirely on donated funds. They accept donations through PayPal, Venmo, ActBlue, and physical checks. They run specific fundraisers for their microgrants program and emergency fund. Proceeds from printed zine editions go toward gender and name change mutual aid grants. They also sell merchandise (t-shirts) through Bonfire with proceeds supporting their name and gender marker change grants.
2. Transformation Emergency Fund Distribution: The organization distributes emergency cash assistance to trans individuals and families impacted by anti-trans legislation. Since launching in December 2023, they have distributed over $200,000 in emergency assistance. This is a disbursement model, not revenue generation.
3. Donor-Supported Programs: Programs funded entirely through donor support include: Ohio Name Change Legal Clinic (free pro bono services), Ohio Name Change Microgrants for document filing fees, WPATH letter assistance, Providers List resource directory, TransOhio Zines publication, and cultural competency training for businesses and organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

TransOhio is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free advocacy, legal assistance, and emergency material support to transgender, nonbinary, intersex, and gender nonconforming people throughout Ohio. Core offerings include monthly pro bono legal clinics for name and gender marker changes, an Emergency Fund distributing cash assistance, WPATH letter services, a statewide trans-inclusive healthcare providers directory, cultural competency training for organizations, the Annual TransOhio Symposium, and community zines. All programming is run by trans people for trans people.

Product overview

TransOhio is Ohio's first statewide Trans Equity Organization and nonprofit advocacy group. It is not a technology company but rather a community service organization offering a portfolio of programs and services directly run by trans people for trans people. The core programs include the Ohio Name Change Legal Clinic (free virtual monthly legal assistance), the Emergency Fund (emergency cash assistance exceeding $200,000 distributed since 2023), TransOhio Zines (community publications), the Annual TransOhio Symposium (annual conference now in its 17th year), the Ohio Trans Inclusive Providers List (healthcare provider directory), Trans Civil Rights Tracker (legislation monitoring), Identity Document Guides (how-to guides), WPATH Letters services, Cultural Competency Training for organizations, and Support Groups via Discord. These programs are interconnected in supporting the trans community through legal aid, financial assistance, healthcare access, community building, education, and advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ohio Name Change Legal Clinic A free virtual monthly legal clinic held on the second Wednesday of each month, providing confidential virtual discussions with pro bono attorneys, paralegals, and notaries to help trans Ohioans navigate name and gender change processes on identity documents. Includes financial assistance microgrants for filing fees for those who qualify.
• TransOhio Emergency Fund Emergency cash assistance program providing funds to trans individuals and families of trans youth who urgently need healthcare, food, housing, HRT, transportation to medical appointments, or relocation to safer environments. Has distributed over $200,000 since December 2023. Applications accepted during the first week of each month (1st-7th).
• Ohio Name Change Microgrants Microgrants to help with filing and administrative fees for correcting legal identity documents and changing legal names in Ohio. Funded entirely through donor support.
• Annual TransOhio Symposium Ohio's largest trans conference, now in its 17th year, featuring 300+ participants, 75+ workshops, and free continuing education credits for qualifying professionals. The 17th Annual Symposium is scheduled for September 5-6, 2026 in Cincinnati.
• TransOhio Zines Community-created zines showcasing trans experiences. The first TransJoy Zine (2023) had 56 trans contributors from 32 different Ohio localities, and the second 'Community' Zine (2024-25) had 79 submissions from 57 localities. Free to download digitally; proceeds from printed editions support gender and name change mutual aid grants.
• WPATH Letters and Providers Service Free consult services with clinicians who write transitional gender-affirming care WPATH letters for HRT, surgeries, and birth certificates. Provided through TransOhio's providers network.
• Cultural Competency Training Cultural competency training provided to businesses, organizations, educational institutions, and employers throughout Ohio on a regular basis, with programs tailored to organizational needs. Delivered on-site or virtually at an average of 2-3 trainings per month.
• Support Groups (Statewide Discord Server) A statewide moderated Discord server and curated list of support groups for trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming individuals in Ohio, enabling peer connection and mutual support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Distributed over $200,000 in emergency cash assistance to trans individuals and families in 2 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Franklin County Probate CourtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFranklin County Probate Court partners with TransOhio to host in-person name change and birth certificate correction clinics. Court staff, Judge Mackey, Magistrate Green, and Chief Deputy Clerk Wonnell participate by processing applications on-site during Saturday clinics, helping nearly 100 community members per event.
• Equality OhiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquality Ohio is a community partner for TransOhio's Franklin County legal clinics, providing support for in-person name change events and collaborative advocacy work.
• Black Trans Men of OhiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTMO is a community partner for TransOhio's legal clinics, supporting name change events and providing resources for Black trans men in Ohio.
• BQIC (Black Queer & Intersectional Columbus)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBQIC is a community partner for TransOhio's Franklin County legal clinics, providing support for in-person name change events serving Black and Brown LGBTQ+ community members in central Ohio.
• University of Cincinnati LGBTQ+ CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDerek J Guy, Program Manager at UC's LGBTQ+ Center, serves as TransOhio's Legal Services Coordinator, creating a connection between the university and the organization.
• Heart of Northside (Cincinnati)minorOthersHeart of Northside is the venue host for the 17th Annual TransOhio Trans & Ally Symposium on September 5-6, 2026 in Cincinnati.
• Ohio Supreme CourtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ohio Supreme Court provides accreditation for Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits for volunteer attorneys participating in TransOhio's legal clinics, enabling lawyers to receive free CLE credit while providing pro bono services.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Point of Pride: National nonprofit providing direct aid to trans people including HRT funds, surgery funds, and binders. Comparable to TransOhio's emergency fund/microgrants model, but operates nationally and is digitally delivered.

Broad incumbents

• The Trevor Project: National LGBTQ+ youth crisis intervention and advocacy organization. Comparable on advocacy and resource-provision dimensions, though focused on crisis/suicide prevention rather than legal and emergency aid.
• National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR): National LGBTQ+ legal advocacy organization providing direct legal services and policy advocacy. Comparable to TransOhio's legal-clinic and identity-document work, though with a broader LGBTQ+ mandate.
• Transgender Law Center: National trans-led legal and policy advocacy organization. Comparable in providing legal name-change guidance, policy advocacy, and community resources, though operating at national scale rather than Ohio-only.
• Lambda Legal: National LGBTQ+ legal organization providing impact litigation and policy advocacy. Overlaps with TransOhio's legal-clinic and identity-document services, particularly around anti-trans legislation defense.
• PFLAG: National LGBTQ+ family support organization with local chapters. Comparable in supporting families of trans youth (one of TransOhio's secondary segments) and providing community resources, though broader than trans-only focus.

Direct peers

• Trans Lifeline: National trans-led peer-support and microgrants organization. Highly comparable operating model: peer-led, microgrant distribution (analogous to TransOhio's Emergency Fund), and resource directory for trans people in need.
• Equality Ohio: Ohio's leading statewide LGBTQ+ advocacy organization and a formal TransOhio community partner. Directly comparable on legislative tracking, community organizing, and legal-clinic co-hosting within Ohio.
• BQIC (Black Queer & Intersectional Columbus): Central Ohio Black and Brown LGBTQ+ advocacy organization and TransOhio community partner. Directly comparable as a grassroots Ohio LGBTQ+ advocacy and resource organization serving marginalized communities.
• Black Trans Men of Ohio: Ohio-based Black trans men's advocacy organization and formal TransOhio community partner. Comparable mission to support trans Ohioans through mutual aid, resources, and community programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/transohio
• Instagraminstagram.com/transohio
• Xx.com/trans_ohio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about TransOhio