What Lavender Phoenix does

Lavender Phoenix is a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that builds transgender, queer, and non-binary Asian and Pacific Islander (TQAPI) community power through grassroots organizing in the Bay Area. Founded in 2004 as APACE and later renamed APIENC, the organization rebranded to Lavender Phoenix in 2022 after a two-year community-led process, and is led by an Executive Director and roughly nine full-time staff supported by a Core Committee and five volunteer committees (Communications, Community Safety, Fundraising, Healing Justice, and SKATE/Leadership Development). Its core revenue model is grassroots donations (over 50% of work funded by small-dollar donors as of 2017), member-led annual fundraising campaigns, and grants, with 2024 individual donor contributions approaching $200K and 350 donors participating in a campaign that raised over $52K.

The organization's portfolio of programs includes Leadership Development (Summer Organizer Program since 2010, Leadership Exchange since 2015, Rise Up new member pipeline), Community Safety (Protect Our People de-escalation training, aptitude for community safety teams, and abolitionist campaigning), Healing & Care (Trans API Peer Counseling pilot launched in 2022, Dragon Fruit Network), Movement Building, the Ecological Justice League, and cultural productions including the Dragon Fruit Podcast and the Queer Possibilities film. Lavender Phoenix does not operate a technology platform; its de-escalation curriculum is the closest analog to a distributable product, and its research output, the Up to Us needs assessment, functions as a proprietary knowledge asset.

Lavender Phoenix serves three distinct segments: TQAPI community members in the Bay Area as the primary beneficiary base, allies and supporters outside the Bay Area who donate or follow on social media, and a network of Bay Area and national social justice organizations partnered in coalition work. The organization reaches these groups through Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter, email newsletters, the Dragon Fruit Podcast, community events such as Trans March and the Summer Organizer Graduation, and direct relationship-building via volunteer committees and member onboarding. There is no pricing model because all programs and services are delivered free of charge.

Name

Lavender Phoenix

Legal name

Lavender Phoenix

Website

https://lavenderphoenix.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lavender Phoenix is a San Francisco-based nonprofit that builds transgender, queer, and non-binary Asian and Pacific Islander power through grassroots organizing, leadership development, community safety, healing and care, and movement building programs serving Bay Area TQAPI community members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Organizing and Social Justice Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB), Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations (BPAGAFAC), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

Keywords

• Community organizing
• Leadership development
• Community safety
• Healing justice
• Social justice advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

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. Small-Dollar Grassroots Donations: Community-powered fundraising through small-dollar donations from individual supporters. By 2017, grassroots donations funded more than 50% of the organization's work, keeping the organization afloat when philanthropy turned away from LGBTQ communities.
2. Member-Led Fundraising Campaigns: Annual grassroots fundraising campaigns run by member volunteers. In 2024, successfully raised over $52K from 350 donors during a campaign. Part of nearly $200K raised from individual donors overall.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lavender Phoenix is a member-led grassroots organizing nonprofit that runs free community programs for transgender, queer, and non-binary Asian and Pacific Islander (TQAPI) people in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its core offerings include leadership development fellowships (Summer Organizer Program, LEX, Rise Up), community safety training (Protect Our People de-escalation curriculum), healing justice services (Trans API Peer Counseling, Dragon Fruit Network), ecological justice organizing, and movement-building coalition work, all delivered through volunteer committees and powered by grassroots donations.

Product overview

Lavender Phoenix is a community organization (formerly APIENC) that offers a portfolio of interconnected programs and initiatives rather than a traditional software product. Core programs include: Leadership Development (Summer Organizer Program since 2010, LEX since 2015, Rise Up New Member Cohort), Community Safety (Protect Our People de-escalation training curriculum, Community Safety Committee), Healing & Care (Trans API Peer Counseling, Dragon Fruit Network), Movement Building, Ecological Justice League, and Cultural Productions (Dragon Fruit Podcast, Queer Possibilities film). The organization also publishes research (Up to Us needs assessment) and runs campaigns (Care Not Cops). Programs are led by QTAPI members and powered by volunteer committees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dragon Fruit Podcast: A podcast where trans and queer Asian and Pacific Islanders reflect on the history of organizing, get into conversations about love and relationships, and reclaim space for healing.
• Protect Our People: De-escalation Training
• Summer Organizer Program
• API Queer Justice Leadership Exchange (LEX)
• Rise Up

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 community members trained in de-escalation skills
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

38 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLavender Phoenix is a federation member of NQAPIA, participating in national coalition work for LGBTQ+ API communities.
• Asian Americans for Civil Rights and EqualitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork partner of this API civil rights federation working on advocacy and equality.
• OurTransHomescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLavender Phoenix is a member group of this national organization focused on transgender housing and safety.
• Transform California CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-lead of this statewide coalition working on transformative justice and systemic change.
• Chinatown-based Asian American OrganizationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular partnerships with Chinatown-based organizations to host events, workshops, and cultural celebrations.
• Bay Area-wide Queer and Trans API GroupsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular partnerships with regional QTAPI groups for events, workshops, and cultural celebrations.
• Asians4BlackLives (Bay Area)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in coalition work for racial and transformative justice, mutual support between API and Black communities.
• Bloom: Transgender Community Healing ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization focused on transgender community healing initiatives.
• GAPAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGay Asian Pacific Alliance - regional LGBTQ API organization partnership.
• LGBT Youth SpaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing services to LGBTQ youth in the Bay Area.
• LGBTQ ConnectionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional LGBTQ organization partnership.
• Lyon-Martin Health ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare provider partnership for TGNC API health access.
• LYRICminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLGBTQ youth center partnership in San Francisco.
• National Center for Trans EqualityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational advocacy organization partnership.
• Parivar Bay AreaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Asian family and community organization partnership.
• Project Ohana in the Bay/HealthRight 360minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth and family services partnership.
• SF Community Health CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare provider partnership for TGNC API health services.
• San Mateo Pride CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Pride center partnership.
• Spahr CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLGBTQ services center partnership.
• Queer CrescentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLGBTQ organization partnership.
• Transgender Law CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational transgender legal advocacy organization partnership.
• Trans LifelineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeer support hotline for transgender people partnership.
• UTOPIA SFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQueer API organization partnership.
• VietUnityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVietnamese LGBTQ organization partnership.
• Grassroots Asians RisingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMovement ecosystem partnership with Asian organizing coalition.
• Rising MajoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in broader progressive movement coalition.
• Anti Police-Terror Project (APTP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing organization in Care Not Cops campaign coalition working toward police abolition and community safety alternatives.
• Ella Baker Center for Human RightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing organization in Care Not Cops campaign working for economic and racial justice.
• Senior & Disability ActionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing organization in Care Not Cops campaign.
• DPH Must DivestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing organization in Care Not Cops campaign focused on health department divestment.
• American Friends Service CommitteeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing organization in Care Not Cops campaign.
• San Francisco RisingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing organization in Care Not Cops campaign.
• SFCHRP (Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing organization in Care Not Cops campaign.
• TGI Justice ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing organization in Care Not Cops campaign focused on transgender and gender variant people.
• Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing organization in Care Not Cops campaign.
• Critical ResistancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing organization in Care Not Cops campaign working to abolish the prison industrial complex.
• Resource MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitated the two-year name change process from APIENC to Lavender Phoenix, working with over 200 original name ideas and a community-wide vote.
• Wildfire ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Lavender Phoenix in 2018-2021 to design a 6-month strategic planning process called 'Strat Chats' for the Core Committee to set the organization's new 5-year strategy and Theory of Change.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TGI Justice Project: Bay Area-based organization advocating for transgender, gender variant, and intersex people, particularly people of color and those impacted by incarceration. Coalitional partner with overlapping trans justice and abolitionist frameworks.
• National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA): National federation of LGBTQ+ Asian American, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander organizations, of which Lavender Phoenix is a member. Directly comparable in mission to advance QTAPI power and rights through organizing and advocacy.
• GAPA (Gay Asian Pacific Alliance): Bay Area-based LGBTQ+ Asian and Pacific Islander community organization with social, educational, and advocacy programming. Direct regional peer serving a closely overlapping demographic.
• VietUnity: Vietnamese LGBTQ+ organization focused on empowering queer Vietnamese and API communities through organizing, healing, and leadership development. Close parallel to Lavender Phoenix's QTAPI-specific grassroots model.
• Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (AACRE): Network partner of Lavender Phoenix and federation of Asian American social justice nonprofits. Provides shared infrastructure for fundraising, grantmaking, and capacity-building across member API organizations.
• UTOPIA SF: San Francisco-based queer API organization serving South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander communities. Direct regional peer with overlapping constituents and movement partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• Transgender Law Center: Largest national trans-led organization advancing legal and policy advocacy for transgender people. Coalitional partner of Lavender Phoenix; overlaps in trans justice mission but with a national policy/legal scope rather than grassroots community organizing.
• San Francisco Community Health Center: Formerly API Wellness Center, providing health and social services to Asian and Pacific Islander, LGBTQ+, and other underserved communities. Coalitional partner with overlapping healthcare access and TGNC API service focus.
• LYRIC: San Francisco LGBTQ youth center offering leadership development, housing, and community programs. Coalitional partner with overlapping focus on youth leadership and QTAPI youth.

Regional players

• API Equality - LA: Los Angeles-based LGBTQ+ Asian and Pacific Islander grassroots organization with parallel leadership development, community organizing, and movement-building programs. Comparable mission in a sister regional market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lav_phoenix
• Facebookfacebook.com/lavphoenix
• Instagraminstagram.com/lavphoenix
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lavphoenix

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Lavender Phoenix