Following a number of years of strategic engagement with the UK Government, led by the GPP member, the Baring Foundation, and GPP’s Government Relations team, a new commitment of £40m for LGBTI rights worldwide was announced by the UK Minister of State (Development and Africa), Rt. Hon Andrew Mitchell, at the first UK LGBTQI Global Giving Summit on 22 November 2023.

GPP’s extensive research on the global LGBTI funding landscape and grantmaking expertise of the GPP membership informed several research reports and private briefings to the UK Government, leading to this important commitment to the global LGTI rights movement. A central part of the commitment is the new £25m Equal, Safe, and Free fund, which will support LGBTI local and national organizations in sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands over the next four years. 

The fund is a partnership between the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and a number of GPP member private foundations and was created with technical advice and research support from the GPP.

Equal, Safe, and Free will increase LGBTI funding in its priority regions by as much as 25%. However, funding remains insufficient to meet the needs of LGBTI communities in these regions. This initiative exemplifies a collaborative model between a donor government and private philanthropy, setting a precedent that other committed donors could adopt to support the global LGBTI movement effectively.