All About CenterLink

CenterLink was founded in 1994 as a member-based coalition to support the development of strong, sustainable, LGBTQ community centers. A fundamental goal of CenterLink’s work is to strengthen, support, and connect LGBTQ community centers, and to help build the capacity of these centers to address the social, cultural, health, and political advocacy needs of LGBTQ community members across the country. CenterLink plays a vital role in addressing the challenges centers face by helping them to improve their organizational and service delivery capacity, access public resources, and engage their regional communities in grassroots social justice movements.

Serving over 300 LGBTQ community centers across the country in 48 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, as well as centers in Canada, Colombia, Mexico, and Uganda, CenterLink assists newly forming community centers and helps strengthen existing LGBTQ centers, through networking opportunities for center leaders, peer-based technical assistance and training, and a variety of capacity building services. Our efforts are based on the belief that LGBTQ community centers are primary change agents in the national movement working toward the liberation and empowerment of LGBTQ people. Serving over 2 million people annually, they are the heart and soul of the LGBTQ movement and are vital to our current well-being and dreams for the future.  Whether they provide direct services, educate the public or organize for social change, community centers work more closely with their LGBTQ constituency and engage more community leaders and decision-makers than any other LGBTQ network in the country.

LGBTQ Centers serve a vital and multi-faceted role in many communities across the country.  They are often the only staffed non-profit LGBTQ presence in the area and the first point of contact for people seeking information, coming out, accessing services, or organizing for social change. Over 60% of LGBTQ centers provide some direct health services (including counseling, peer-led programs, and support groups, as well as physical health and other mental health services). At the same time, LGBTQ community centers remain thinly staffed, with 16% operating with no paid staff, relying solely on volunteers; and over 36% employing five or fewer paid staff.

A fundamental goal of our mission is to help build the capacity of centers to meet the social, cultural, health and political advocacy needs of LGBTQ community members across the country.  CenterLink also acts as a voice for LGBTQ community centers in national grassroots organizing, coalition building and social activism in order to strengthen and build a unified center movement.