Campaign For Southern Equality

What Campaign For Southern Equality does

Campaign for Southern Equality (CSE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2011 and headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina, that advances LGBTQ+ equality across the American South through a portfolio of advocacy, direct-service, grantmaking, research, and arts programs. Its work targets a region where more than one third of all LGBTQ+ Americans live but face limited legal protections, health and income inequities, and political attacks. Core programs include the Trans Youth Emergency Project (TYEP), described as the largest national program helping families of transgender youth access gender-affirming care despite state bans, providing 1-on-1 logistical support and travel grants; the Trans in the South directory of nearly 400 verified trans-affirming healthcare and legal service providers; the Southern Equality Fund, which provides grants and training to grassroots LGBTQ+ organizers; the Legal Equality Program; the Community Health Program; the Healing and Resilience Program; the Supportive Schools Program; the Southern Equality Research & Policy Center; and Southern Equality Studios, an arts-based program supporting queer artists.

CSE's operational technology is minimal and content-driven rather than product-driven. The primary technical assets are the southernequality.org website, which functions as the hub for program information, resources, donations, and community engagement, and the TransInTheSouth.org online directory. The organization has no app, no public API, and no proprietary technology platform. Distribution is achieved through a combination of self-serve website resources, direct 1-on-1 case support (especially through TYEP), in-person regional events (Family Dinners, town halls, Resource & Resilience Center), and earned media coverage in major national outlets.

CSE is funded entirely through a multi-stream nonprofit revenue model: individual and business donations, foundation grants, earned revenue from trainings, speaking fees, and merchandise, in-kind contributions, and pro bono services. The organization is independently governed, not backed by private equity or venture capital, and operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees distributed across Southeast states. There is no publicly disclosed revenue figure, no select funder list, and no prior funding rounds; the Federal Tax Identification number is 27-4064401. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara serves as Executive Director.

Name

Campaign For Southern Equality

Legal name

Campaign for Southern Equality

Website

https://southernequality.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Campaign for Southern Equality is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advancing LGBTQ+ equality across the American South through direct services, legal advocacy, grantmaking, research, and arts programs, including the national Trans Youth Emergency Project.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

LGBTQ+ Advocacy and Direct Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB), School Climate, Culture & Belonging Initiatives (DEI-Aligned) (EDAKAMAM)

Keywords

• LGBTQ advocacy services
• Direct community services
• Grantmaking programs
• Legal advocacy services
• Trans healthcare access

Headquarters

HQ city

Asheville

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. Individual and Business Donations: Individual donors and businesses provide charitable contributions to support CSE's advocacy and direct service programs.
2. Foundation Grants: CSE receives funding from foundations that support LGBTQ+ equality work and social justice initiatives.
3. Earned Revenue: Revenue generated from trainings, speaking fees, and merchandise sales. CSE uses a campaign model keeping overhead costs low.
4. In-Kind Donations and Pro Bono Services: Non-monetary contributions from supporters including professional services, facilities, and other in-kind support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Campaign for Southern Equality is a nonprofit organization advancing LGBTQ+ equality in the Southern United States through direct services, legal advocacy, grant-making, research, and training. It runs the Trans Youth Emergency Project providing 1-on-1 logistical support and travel grants for families of transgender youth seeking gender-affirming care, and maintains the Trans in the South directory of nearly 400 verified affirming healthcare providers. Additional programs include the Southern Equality Fund, Legal Equality Program, Community Health Program, Healing and Resilience Program, Supportive Schools Program, Southern Equality Studios, and the Southern Equality Research & Policy Center.

Product overview

Campaign for Southern Equality is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a unified tech product. Core offerings include the Trans Youth Emergency Project (providing logistical support and travel grants for families seeking gender-affirming care), the Trans in the South Guide (a directory of ~400 trans-affirming providers), Southern Equality Fund (grants for grassroots organizers), Southern Equality Studios (arts and artist support), and various advocacy programs including Legal Equality, Community Health, Healing and Resilience, and Supportive Schools. These programs work together to provide direct services, advocacy, research, and community support for LGBTQ people in the American South.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Trans Youth Emergency Project (TYEP): The largest national program helping families of transgender youth nationwide navigate cruel bans on gender-affirming care, offering custom 1-on-1 logistical support and travel grants.
• Southern Equality Fund
• Southern Equality Studios
• Southern Equality Research & Policy Center
• Legal Equality Program
• Community Health Program
• Healing and Resilience Program
• Supportive Schools Program
• Trans in the South
• WE DO Campaign

Products and services

• Trans Youth Emergency Project (TYEP) The largest national program of its kind helping families of transgender youth navigate healthcare bans by providing custom 1-on-1 logistical support and travel grants to access out-of-state gender-affirming care.
• Trans in the South Guide A directory of nearly 400 Southern health service providers confirmed to be trans-friendly and trans-competent, helping LGBTQ individuals find affirming healthcare and legal services.
• Southern Equality Fund Provides funding and training to Southern LGBTQ organizers, prioritizing groups facing barriers to funding such as lack of 501c3 status or rural location, with focus on intersections of race, class and gender.
• Southern Equality Studios A program supporting queer artists and exploring arts as a catalyst for achieving lived and legal LGBTQ equality across the South, including artist residencies and grant rounds.
• Legal Equality Program Provides legal resources, support for filing Title IX complaints, and advocacy for LGBTQ legal protections across the South.
• Community Health Program Works to improve health outcomes for LGBTQ Southerners through direct services and connections to affirming healthcare providers.
• Healing and Resilience Program Provides support and resources for LGBTQ community members focused on mental health and collective healing.
• Supportive Schools Program Helps schools create supportive environments for LGBTQ students, particularly around gender identity policies.
• Southern Equality Research & Policy Center Conducts research on LGBTQ issues in the South and develops policy recommendations for equality.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ LGBTQ couples participated in WE DO Campaign from 2011-2015
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Transgender Law Center: National organization focused specifically on transgender communities through legal advocacy, policy, and direct services. Directly comparable to CSE's TYEP and trans-affirming care access work, though operates at a national rather than regional scope.
• Equality Federation: Federation of state-based LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations that provides capacity building, funding, and coordination. Highly comparable to the role CSE plays with its Southern Equality Fund grantees and grassroots organizer network across Southern states.
• The Trevor Project: National LGBTQ+ youth organization providing crisis intervention (hotline, text), advocacy, and research. Comparable to CSE's youth-serving work, particularly the Supportive Schools Program and TYEP, but operates nationally and at significantly larger scale.
• PFLAG: National family- and ally-focused LGBTQ+ organization with local chapters providing peer support and education. Directly comparable to CSE's family-facing work (Family Dinners, TYEP parent support groups, Supportive Schools) and grassroots chapter model.
• GLAAD: Media-focused LGBTQ+ advocacy organization that works on cultural change, journalism, and corporate inclusion. Comparable to CSE's media strategy and earned-media-driven advocacy, though GLAAD focuses on media representation rather than direct services.
• National Center for Lesbian Rights: National LGBTQ+ legal advocacy organization focused on impact litigation, policy, and direct legal services. Directly comparable to CSE's legal advocacy and direct-services mix for LGBTQ+ individuals and families.
• National LGBTQ Task Force: National LGBTQ+ advocacy organization pursuing policy, training, and movement-building, including the Creating Change Conference. Comparable to CSE's policy, training, and movement-building functions at the national level.
• Lambda Legal: National LGBTQ+ legal organization that litigates precedent-setting cases and runs help desks. Directly comparable to CSE's Legal Equality Program and litigation track record, though Lambda Legal operates nationally rather than regionally.

Broad incumbents

• Southern Poverty Law Center: Long-standing Southern-based civil rights organization that pursues impact litigation and advocacy across a wide portfolio of issues including LGBTQ+ rights. Comparable to CSE in geographic focus and litigation-plus-grantmaking model, but operates at much greater scale and broader issue scope.
• Human Rights Campaign: Largest U.S. LGBTQ+ civil rights advocacy organization operating across lobbying, electoral, public education, and community programs. Overlaps with CSE's broad advocacy portfolio but operates at national scale and does not focus on direct services in the way CSE does.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Southernequality
• Facebookfacebook.com/southernequality
• Instagraminstagram.com/southernequality
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/campaign-for-southern-equality

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Campaign For Southern Equality