Background
GATE’s Innovation Lab is a bold and strategic approach to reducing financial dependency and fostering economic resilience among trans and gender diverse organizations around the world. Its four phases connect collective strategy, knowledge production, tailored support, and implementation. The Brain Trust provides strategic guidance across this process. The Innovation Lab is currently in Phase 3: Technical Assistance & Tailored Support.
In Phase 3, a cohort of 10 trans-led organizations received support to develop social enterprise models through tailored technical assistance combined with flexible financial support. GATE matched each organization with a technical assistance provider with expertise in social enterprise and business development, with pairings based on expertise, regional familiarity, language skills and fit
with organizational needs.
This report highlights the main results achieved and offers strategic reflections for GATE’s Innovation Lab initiative’s next phase.
These are the chapters you’ll find in the report:
- Progress across the cohort
- Bangladesh: KRISHNACHURA: A Center for Gender Minorities Rights
- Belize: Belize Trans Colors
- Honduras: La Organización de Mujeres Unidas y Diversas de Honduras
- Kenya: Alliance Trans Shield
- India: TWEET Foundation
- Israel & Palestine: The Gila Project – Transgenders for Social Justice
- Malawi: The Voice Organization
- Nepal: Blue Diamond Society
- Thailand: Sisters Foundation
- Uganda: Q-Media Advocacy Uganda
- Technical assistance results
- Evidence-based social enterprises
- Strengthening business plans through early testing
- Stronger systems for responsible enterprise development
- Learnings and Recommendations
- Tailoring approaches must account for the varying starting points of different organizations.
- Effective working relationships need a mutual understanding of the objectives.
- Technical assistance should be flexible to meet organizational needs.
- Local constraints may affect the pace and design of support.
- Next steps
