Contributor:
Midnight Poonkasetwattana
Executive Director, APCOM
Midnight, as an advisory committee member for the report produced by the Global Philanthropy Project and Funders for LGBTQ Issues, was part of the launch of this important report that is made available during a global health crisis caused by COVID-19.
The report documents over 19,764 grants awarded by 800 foundations, NGO intermediary funders, and corporations and by 15 donor government and multilateral agencies over the two-year period of 2017-2018.
The report provides detailed data on the distribution of LGBTI funding by geography, issue, strategy, and population focus, offering a tool for identifying trends, gaps, and opportunities in the rapidly changing landscape of LGBTI funding.
APCOM is looking to utilize this report to help strengthen the advocacy on resources to the communities working to advance the health and rights of LGBTQI people in Asia Pacific, and make this report widely known among the community.
Here’s a summary of Midnight’s presentation on the webinar which took place on 28 May 2020, 21:00 Bangkok Time.
I don’t need to remind you all that Asia and the Pacific is the largest region with the most number of people, and hence LGBTI population.
While there are assumptions about the rising economic development in the region – our communities still rely on grants coming from outside the region – and it is worrying that the trend from the report is showing a decrease in funding.
APCOM is in the process of developing a new strategic plan this year and the data on regional resources and resource allocation in the region is very important. It identifies data gaps, arising new trends and challenges confronted by the LGBTIQ community. For example, under Health & Well-being, we don’t see data for mental health interventions. Community building and empowerment is only 4%.
The report mentioned that the LGBTI funding did not focus on any specific sub-population and reported a decrease in funding for specific communities. This information is useful to advocate for increased investments for a more differentiated/tailored approach towards addressing the needs of different communities within the LGBTI spectrum
The report is one of the good cases to call for increased investments and direct investment into the indigenous organizations, and to use it in discussion with for example private corporations to advance equality and social justice in favor of the LGBTI community
As stated earlier, Asia Pacific does not have a community-led granting mechanism, and having such mechanisms will help direct funds quickly to the community according to their needs.
CSOs in our region are strong, connected, the structure is there. Thus, in this time, funding for the region should be channeled through the community in the region. We have seen in the COVID-19 pandemic that CSOs are very adept to pivot their work to serve the needs of the communities much quicker than larger institutions, such as providing PPEs, to food distribution.
We bring expertise, the data on the gaps and inequality our community faces. I would encourage grant makers to talk to people and organizations in the region on their needs and support them to directly do this.
Global Philanthropy Project (GPP) is a collaboration of funders and philanthropic advisors working to expand global philanthropic support to advance the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people in the Global South and East.
