International Trans Fund
International Trans Fund is a Canada-registered, remote-first nonprofit participatory grantmaking fund that channels philanthropic capital from roughly ten institutional foundations to trans-led organizations worldwide, having distributed USD 10 million across 260 grantees in 104 countries since 2017.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersNot specified, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What International Trans Fund does
International Trans Fund (ITF) is a Canada-registered, remote-first nonprofit that operates as a participatory grantmaking fund dedicated exclusively to resourcing trans-led movements worldwide. Founded in 2016 and beginning grantmaking operations in 2017, ITF distributes funds to community groups, NGOs, collectives, and social enterprises led by trans people in 104 countries, with 79% of 2024 grants directed to organizations in the Global Majority. Decisions are made collectively by a global Grant Making Panel (GMP) of regional trans activists, not by ITF staff alone, and applications are accepted in five languages (English, French, Russian, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese) through an online portal at transfund.smartsimple.ca.
ITF offers two primary grant products: SEMILLA (Seed) grants of USD 10,000-25,000 for first-time applicants and FLORECER (Flourish) grants of USD 25,000-50,000 for returning partner organizations, each on a one-year cycle. The underlying technology stack is intentionally thin: ITF has no proprietary AI or software products and relies on a third-party multilingual grant management portal, email, social media, and webinar infrastructure to run its operations. ITF does not generate commercial revenue; it functions as an intermediary that channels philanthropic capital from roughly ten institutional foundations (including Arcus, Ford, Oak, Wellspring, Equality Fund, EJAF, AJWS, Dreilinden, FJS, GiveOut) and individual donors to grantee partners.
ITF's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven. It conducts outreach through webinars, multilingual application tutorials, and direct engagement with trans activist networks; co-hosts the upcoming Present and Powerful Global Trans Conference 2027 with GATE in Panama City (September 15-17, 2027, 250 attendees, including a donor pre-conference); and participates in joint webinars with peer organizations such as AWID, IPPF, and Trans Youth Initiative-Uganda. Over nine grant cycles (2017-2025), ITF has mobilized USD 10 million to 260 organizations, with a record USD 1.54 million distributed to 67 organizations in 33 countries in 2024, representing 204% cumulative growth in grant delivery since inception. The organization is led by Executive Director Broden Giambrone (9 years in role), Deputy Director Viviane Simakawa, and a distributed team of approximately 10-20 staff.
International Trans Fund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- International Trans Fund
- Legal name
- International Trans Fund
- Website
- https://transfund.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- International Trans Fund is a Canada-registered, remote-first nonprofit participatory grantmaking fund that channels philanthropic capital from roughly ten institutional foundations to trans-led organizations worldwide, having distributed USD 10 million across 260 grantees in 104 countries since 2017.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
International Trans Fund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trans Movement Grantmaking / Philanthropic Fund
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), International Affairs (9721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International) (EDAIAOAJ)
Keywords
Where International Trans Fund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Not specified
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
International Trans Fund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Philanthropic Grant Disbursements: ITF raises and disburses grant funding from institutional and individual donors to trans-led organizations worldwide. The organization does not generate commercial revenue. Funding is sourced from a diverse base of philanthropic partners including foundations, governments, and individual donors. ITF is registered in Canada.
- Donor-Supported Operations: ITF's operational funding comes from donor partners including Arcus Foundation, American Jewish World Service, Dreilinden, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Equality Fund, Ford Foundation, Foundation for a Just Society, GiveOut, Oak Foundation, Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, and individual donors. The organization mobilizes and manages these resources to distribute grants to trans movements globally.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
International Trans Fund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
International Trans Fund (ITF) is a participatory grantmaking fund that mobilizes philanthropic resources from institutional foundations and individual donors and redistributes them as grants to trans-led organizations worldwide. It operates two grant products — SEED Grants ($10,000–$25,000 USD, one-year) for first-time applicants and FLORECER Grants ($25,000–$50,000 USD, one-year) for returning partners — with funding decisions made collectively by a global Grant Making Panel of trans activists. Applications are accepted in English, French, Russian, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese via an online portal.
Product overview
International Trans Fund (ITF) operates as a participatory grantmaking fund that mobilizes and distributes resources to trans-led organizations worldwide. The organization offers two primary grant programs: SEED grants ($10,000-$25,000) for first-time recipients and FLORECER grants ($25,000-$50,000) for returning partners. Applications are managed through an online grant portal supporting five languages. ITF does not develop or sell technology products; it functions as a philanthropic organization rather than a technology company.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SEED Grants One-year SEED grant awards ranging from USD 10,000 to 25,000 for trans-led organizations applying to ITF for the first time. Designed to onboard new grantee partners into ITF's participatory grantmaking model.
- FLORECER Grants One-year FLORECER (Flourish) grant awards ranging from USD 25,000 to 50,000 for existing ITF partner organizations that have previously received a SEED grant, supporting continued growth and movement infrastructure.
- ITF Grant Portal Online grant management platform (transfund.smartsimple.ca) where organizations create profiles, submit grant applications, and complete reporting. Accepts applications in English, French, Russian, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese and supports the full grant lifecycle.
Quantifiable outcome
- USD 1.54 million distributed to 67 organizations in 33 countries in 2024 alone — a record year and 20% increase from prior year
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use International Trans Fund
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
International Trans Fund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
International Trans Fund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- GATE (Global Action for Trans Equality)coreITF and GATE are co-hosting the Present and Powerful Global Trans Conference 2027 in Panama City, Panama (September 15–17, 2027). The conference will convene 250 trans and gender diverse activists, key stakeholders, and donors to network, share knowledge, and align advocacy strategies to address health disparities, human rights violations, and the growing anti-gender movement. The program includes a half-day donor pre-conference.
- AWID (Association for Women's Rights in Development)minorITF participated in a joint webinar 'Existence is Resistance' organized by AWID along with IPPF, GATE, and Trans Youth Initiative-Uganda, exploring global solidarity strategies for trans and gender-diverse communities.
- IPPF (International Planned Parenthood Federation)minorIPPF co-organized the 'Existence is Resistance' webinar with ITF, AWID, GATE, and Trans Youth Initiative-Uganda, focusing on solidarity with trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse communities.
- Trans Youth Initiative-UgandaminorTrans Youth Initiative-Uganda co-organized the 'Existence is Resistance' webinar alongside ITF, AWID, and IPPF, focusing on global solidarity with trans communities.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
International Trans Fund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- OutRight International: OutRight International advances LGBTQ+ human rights globally through advocacy, research, and grantmaking to civil society. It operates in the same trans-movement funding and advocacy space as ITF, supporting trans-led organizations in the Global Majority.
- Equality Fund: Equality Fund is a Canadian-based feminist grantmaker and listed ITF donor that channels resources to women, trans, and gender-diverse movements globally. It shares ITF's participatory grantmaking philosophy and overlapping donor/funder base.
- GiveOut: GiveOut is a global LGBTQ+ fund and listed ITF donor that mobilizes individual and institutional giving for LGBTQI+ organizations. While not exclusively trans-focused, it shares ITF's intermediary-funder model and donor ecosystem.
Broad incumbents
- Hivos: Hivos is an international development organization that funds and supports LGBTQ+ rights, including trans-led initiatives across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. While broader than ITF, it shares a target grantee base in trans movements in the Global Majority.
- Arcus Foundation: Arcus is one of ITF's largest institutional donors and a major global funder of LGBTQ+ and trans movements. While Arcus also makes direct grants, its philanthropic mission and trans-movement funding strategy directly overlaps with ITF's grantmaking scope.
- Tides Foundation: Tides Foundation is a large pooled philanthropy platform that manages donor-advised funds for progressive and LGBTQ+ causes, including trans movement funding. It operates as an intermediary funder comparable to ITF, though at much larger scale and broader scope.
- Fund for Global Human Rights: The Fund for Global Human Rights is a participatory grantmaker that channels flexible resources to frontline human rights organizations, including LGBTQ+ and trans-led groups. Its pooled-funding, trust-based model mirrors ITF's approach, though it covers broader human rights causes.
Direct peers
- GATE (Global Action for Trans Equality): GATE is an international trans-led advocacy organization that co-hosts the Present and Powerful Global Trans Conference 2027 with ITF. Both organizations operate globally to advance trans rights and self-determination, with overlapping grantee/partner ecosystems across Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
- Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice: Astraea is a global philanthropic foundation that provides grants and capacity building to LGBTQI+ movements worldwide, including trans-led organizations. Like ITF, it practices participatory grantmaking, prioritizes Global Majority organizations, and funds trans feminist activism across more than 100 countries.
Others
- American Jewish World Service (AJWS): AJWS is a listed ITF donor and international human rights grantmaker that funds trans and LGBTQ+ organizations globally. While AJWS operates as a broader human rights funder rather than a trans-led intermediary, its grantmaking directly overlaps with ITF's grantee ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
International Trans Fund social profiles
Digital presenceInternational Trans Fund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
International Trans Fund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
International Trans Fund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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International Trans Fund M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about International Trans Fund
What does International Trans Fund do?
International Trans Fund (ITF) is a participatory grantmaking fund that mobilizes philanthropic resources from institutional foundations and individual donors and redistributes them as grants to trans-led organizations worldwide. It operates two grant products — SEED Grants ($10,000–$25,000 USD, one-year) for first-time applicants and FLORECER Grants ($25,000–$50,000 USD, one-year) for returning partners — with funding decisions made collectively by a global Grant Making Panel of trans activists. Applications are accepted in English, French, Russian, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese via an online portal.
Is International Trans Fund a public or private company?
International Trans Fund is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was International Trans Fund founded?
International Trans Fund was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is International Trans Fund based?
International Trans Fund is headquartered in Not specified, Canada, in the North America region.
How does International Trans Fund make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Philanthropic Grant Disbursements are the primary driver. The others are donor-Supported Operations.
Who are International Trans Fund's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are OutRight International, Equality Fund and GiveOut. Broad incumbents are Hivos, Arcus Foundation, Tides Foundation and Fund for Global Human Rights. Direct peers are GATE (Global Action for Trans Equality) and Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice. American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is listed as an others.
Does International Trans Fund have an API?
No public API is recorded for International Trans Fund.
What industry is International Trans Fund in?
International Trans Fund's product category is Trans Movement Grantmaking / Philanthropic Fund. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAH, International Grantmaking & Development Foundations, with a secondary code of BPADAOAB, Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors). Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8300.