Turnout Inc

MOBILIZING COMMUNITIES TO POWER QUEER AND TRANS MOVEMENTS.

VOLUNTEER SUPPORT TO LGBTQ+ NONPROFITS: IN 2022, WE CONTINUED OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS TO BRING NEW INDIVIDUALS INTO LGBTQ-FOCUSED GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS. WE ADDED 833 NEW VOLUNTEERS TO OUR COMMUNITY, INCREASING OUR TOTAL NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS TO 5892 - AN INCREASE OF 17% OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. AMONG VOLUNTEERS WHO REPORTED DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION, 60% OF VOLUNTEERS IDENTIFY AS BLACK, INDIGENOUS, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR (BIPOC) AND 30% IDENTIFY AS TRANSGENDER OR NONBINARY. IN 2022, WE MADE 2,805 VOLUNTEER REFERRALS TO 110 ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING QUEER AND TRANS COMMUNITIES. THIS INCLUDES THE LARGEST AND MOST VISIBLE LGBTQ+ ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE AND TRANSGENDER LAW CENTER, AS WELL AS MANY SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS THAT RECEIVE FAR LESS ATTENTION AND SUPPORT, INCLUDING LAVENDER SENIORS, TGI JUSTICE PROJECT, ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER EQUALITY NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. BEYOND THE IMPACT TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, VOLUNTEERING WITHIN ONES OWN COMMUNITY IS A POWERFUL EXPERIENCE THAT IS MEANINGFUL AND INSPIRING. AS VOLUNTEERS MAKE NEW PERSONAL CONNECTIONS AND WORK FIRST-HAND WITH ORGANIZATIONS AND ACTIVISTS THAT EXPAND OUR IDEAS OF WHAT IS POSSIBLE FOR US AS QUEER PEOPLE, LIVES CAN BE TRANSFORMED. AS OUR VOLUNTEER PHOENIX EXPLAINS, TURNOUT HAS GIVEN ME OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET LOTS OF PEOPLE IN MY LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY BY VOLUNTEERING AT STREET FESTIVALS, MUSICAL PERFORMANCES, FILM FESTIVALS, SUPPORT GROUPS FOR LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND MORE. AS A TURNOUT VOLUNTEER, I FEEL MORE CONNECTED TO MY LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY, AND I TRULY FEEL LIKE I GET MORE THAN I GIVE. THROUGH TURNOUT, I HAVE FOUND MY COMMUNITY AND MY HOME.

BOARD SUPPORT: TURNOUT RUNS FOUR SEPARATE BOARD SUPPORT PROGRAMS TO RECRUIT, TRAIN, AND SUPPORT BOARD MEMBERS FOR LGBTQ+ NONPROFITS, STRENGTHENING THE LOCAL LGBTQ+ NONPROFIT INFRASTRUCTURE AS A WHOLE. LGBTQ+ BOARDS ARE CHRONICALLY UNDER-SUBSCRIBED, WITH ORGANIZATIONS STRUGGLING TO RECRUIT ENOUGH MEMBERS TO FILL THEIR SEATS. IN 2022, WE BUILT OUR DATABASE OF PROSPECTIVE BOARD MEMBERS FOR LGBTQ+ NONPROFITS TO 580 MEMBERS, CONNECTING THESE INDIVIDUALS WITH BOARD SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES AT LOCAL LGBTQ+ NONPROFITS YEAR-ROUND. IN ADDITION TO DIFFICULTIES WITH RECRUITMENT, HIGH NUMBERS OF BOARD MEMBERS ARE UNDER-TRAINED IN KEY ASPECTS OF THEIR ROLES. IN A SURVEY OF BOARD MEMBERS CURRENTLY SERVING AT LGBTQ+ NONPROFITS, OVER HALF OF RESPONDENTS (52%) REPORTED LOW- OR NO COMPETENCE IN NONPROFIT LEGAL COMPLIANCE; 40% REPORTED LOW- OR NO COMPETENCE IN FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT; AND 40% REPORTED LOW- OR NO COMPETENCE IN FUNDRAISING. IN 2022, OVER 100 BOARD MEMBERS AND BOARD CANDIDATES ENROLLED IN TURNOUTS BOARD MEMBER TRAINING PROGRAMS. IN EVALUATIONS, PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED TO RATE THEIR LEVEL OF PREPAREDNESS FOR NONPROFIT BOARD SERVICE ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10. BEFORE PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED AN AVERAGE READINESS OF 3.4 OUT OF 10. AFTER PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED AN AVERAGE READINESS OF 7.8 OUT OF 10. THESE RESULTS ARE REFLECTED IN FEEDBACK FROM PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS. WHEN I SIGNED UP FOR THIS TRAINING, I KNEW VERY LITTLE ABOUT WHAT IT MEANT TO BE A BOARD MEMBER. THIS TRAINING COMPLETELY CHANGED THAT. IT WAS SO AWESOME TO LEARN WITH A SUPPORTIVE COHORT AND TRAINERS. WE GOT TO MEET AMAZING EXPERTS WHO SHARED THEIR TIME AND EXPERTISE WITH US SO GRACIOUSLY. I FEEL PREPARED TO SERVE ON MY BOARD NOW. - TURNOUT PROGRAM PARTICIPANT I NOW HAVE THE INFORMATION TO ESTABLISH A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR THE SUCCESS OF OUR BOARD AND ORGANIZATION. I AM ABLE TO SHARE INFORMATION WITH MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO ENSURE WE HAVE CLEAR POLICIES AND PRACTICES IN PLACE, INTENTIONAL RECRUITMENT AND ONBOARDING ACTIVITIES, OR ACCURATE AND INSIGHTFUL FINANCIAL REPORTS. THE QBA HAS SHED LIGHT ON THE POTENTIAL PITFALLS THAT MANY ORGANIZATIONS CAN UNKNOWINGLY FALL INTO AND I AM SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE THIS INFORMATION ILLUMINATED AT THIS POINT IN MY BOARD SERVICE. MY CURRENT AND FUTURE BOARD SERVICE HAVE BEEN MADE STRONGER BY PARTICIPATING IN THIS COHORT THANK YOU TURNOUT - TURNOUT PROGRAM PARTICIPANT

YOUTH PROGRAM: MANY LGBTQ+ YOUNG PEOPLE AND ALLIES ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT DRIVING CHANGE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, BUT THEY OFTEN LACK AVENUES TO CONNECT WITH FRONTLINE ACTIVISTS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO GET INVOLVED. TURNOUTS YOUTH PROGRAM (TYOP) PROVIDES A SPACE FOR YOUNG LGBTQ+ PEOPLE AND ALLIES AGES 1418 TO CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER AND COMMUNITY LEADERS IN WEEKLY VIRTUAL SESSIONS. THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS TO GIVE QUEER AND TRANS YOUTH AND ALLIES A WAY TO BE INVOLVED IN LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY BUILDING, ACTIVISM, EDUCATION, AND VOLUNTEERING.DURING WEEKLY SESSIONS, 50% OF MONTHLY PROGRAMMING IS EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS, 20% IS PEERLED LEARNING, AND 30% IS SOCIAL TIME TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY BUILDING. THROUGH A ROBUST CURRICULUM OF EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS, GUEST SPEAKERS, MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, AND DISCUSSION BASED LEARNING, TOYP AIMS TO SKILLUP AND CONNECT THE NEXT GENERATION OF LBGTQ+ COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS. IN BETWEEN MEETINGS, PARTICIPANTS STAY IN TOUCH ON A DISCORD CHANNEL, AND THEY CAN REACH OUT TO TOYP STAFF FOR SUPPORT AROUND SUBJECTS LIKE COMING OUT, COLLEGE APPLICATIONS, CELEBRATING SUCCESSES, REFERRING FRIENDS, AND REQUESTING RESOURCES. THE VIRTUAL FORMAT OF TOYP FILLS A GAP IN LGBTQ YOUTH PROGRAMMING BY MITIGATING BARRIERS TO YOUTH PARTICIPATION, COMBATING ISOLATION AND PROMOTING MENTAL HEALTH. IN 2021, THE YOUTH PROGRAM HOSTED 23 LGBTQ+ YOUTH PARTICIPANTS, CONNECTING YOUNG PEOPLE TO COMMUNITY DURING COVID19 SHELTERINPLACE AND PROVIDING A SAFE SPACE FOR YOUTH IN COUNTIES WITHOUT LGBTQ CENTERS AND THOSE WHO ARE NOT OUT AT THEIR HIGH SCHOOLS. THE PROGRAM ALSO PROVIDED AN ACCESSIBLE SPACE FOR NEURODIVERGENT YOUTH, YOUTH WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES, AND YOUTH WHO ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING FOR VARIOUS REASONS. PRESENTATIONS AND GUEST SPEAKERS DURING THIS PERIOD INCLUDED: NAME AND GENDER MARKER CHANGE WORKSHOP; BONNIE VIOLET: DRAG, SPIRITUALITY, AND PERSONAL NARRATIVE; QUEERS IN STEM PANEL; TATTOOING SCIENCE & QUEER HISTORY; LABOR ORGANIZING; LGBTQ API HISTORY; FINANCIAL LITERACY; GENDER IDENTITY; AND HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS.DURING THIS PERIOD, SPECIFIC IMPACTS OF THIS PROGRAM INCLUDED: MULTIPLE PARTICIPANTS SKILLSHARED ABOUT BUILDING AND LEADING GSAS AT THEIR SCHOOLS; MULTIPLE PARTICIPANTS SKILLSHARED ABOUT ADDRESSING BULLYING, GENDERED DRESS CODES AND LANGUAGE IN CLASSROOMS, AND SOCIAL ASPECTS OF COMING OUT; ONE PARTICIPANT LED AN OAKLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS PROTEST DEMANDING SAFER COVID PROTECTIONS (THEY NOW VOLUNTEER FOR A LOCAL GRASSROOTS POLITICAL CAMPAIGN); ONE PARTICIPANT CITED THE TYOP PRESENTATION ON STEM AS INSPIRATION THAT HELPED THEM IDENTIFY STEM AS THEIR UNDERGRAD TRACK OF FOCUS (WHICH THEY PLANNED TO PURSUE AT UC BERKELEY THE FOLLOWING YEAR); AND FOLLOWING THE TYOP PRESENTATION ON HARM REDUCTION, ONE PARTICIPANT BECAME A COMMUNITY ADVOCATE FOR NARCAN AT THEIR SCHOOL.