GATE’s Innovation Lab is a new strategy for sustaining the trans and gender diverse movement. Created to address the critical emergency funding needs of our communities, it is a bold and strategic approach to reducing financial dependency and fostering economic resilience among trans and gender diverse organizations worldwide.
How the Innovation Lab works
The Innovation Lab is a shared platform for trans- and gender diverse-led organizations to design, test and refine income-generating models. By aligning with community priorities and organizational missions, it advances new approaches to financial sustainability. Designed to be purpose-driven and rooted in community priorities, it is shaped through broad collaboration across sectors, bringing together trans-led organizations, donors and social enterprise experts. A key objective is to develop a transparent mechanism that connects donors with trans-led organizations to streamline support and reduce barriers to funding.
Phases of the Innovation Lab
The Innovation Lab is structured across four interconnected phases:
- Strategic Vision
- Knowledge Production
- Technical Assistance & Tailored Support
- Funding and Implementation
These phases move from collective strategy-setting and knowledge generation to practical support and resource mobilization for trans-led organizations.
The Brain Trust
The strategic vision for the Innovation Lab is guided by the Brain Trust, which unites diverse stakeholders, including community representatives, donors and social enterprise experts, to set the agenda for the initiative. The Brain Trust guides the Innovation Lab’s development throughout its phases, providing a multi-sectoral space for different perspectives to guide the direction and outputs.
Why it matters
Trans and gender diverse communities are experiencing major funding losses, targeted political attacks and increasing barriers to resources. The Innovation Lab responds to this context by supporting alternative economic models and strengthening the capacity of trans-led organizations to sustain their work.
Combining knowledge production, technical assistance, and resource mobilization under the strategic guidance of the Brain Trust, the Innovation Lab contributes to a more resilient and financially autonomous movement.