Building Community. Advancing Dignity. Creating Hope.

We are LGBT Rights Uganda Foundation

We are a Swedish-registered nonprofit organization working to advance human rights, health, dignity, inclusion, and community well-being for LGBTQ+ people in and connected to Uganda.

For more than a decade, we have built a strong digital community where people can find information, connection, guidance, and support. Today, our online community reaches more than 20,000 people, making us one of Uganda's leading LGBTQ+ online communities.

But our work is about more than numbers.

Behind every profile, message, and interaction is a person.

Someone looking for reliable information.
Someone seeking connection.
Someone trying to understand their rights.
Someone looking for health information or a pathway to appropriate support.
Someone who simply needs to know that they are not alone.

We exist to help build those pathways.

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More Than a Decade of Community

LGBT Rights Uganda Foundation grew from a simple belief:

Everyone deserves dignity, safety, access to information, and the opportunity to build a meaningful life.

For more than 10 years, we have developed an online presence serving LGBTQ+ people connected to Uganda.

Through our digital community, we have provided information, guidance, referrals, community engagement, and support to individuals navigating difficult circumstances.

Over time, we have grown from an online community into an organization working to build a broader support ecosystem connecting people with:

Community → Information → Support → Health pathways → Opportunity

Our next chapter is about strengthening that ecosystem and making it more sustainable.

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OUR MISSION

To strengthen the dignity, well-being, rights, and opportunities of LGBTQ+ communities connected to Uganda.

We pursue this mission by:

• Building trusted and inclusive communities.

• Providing accessible information and guidance.

• Connecting people with appropriate health and support services.

• Promoting human rights and dignity.

• Developing partnerships and referral pathways.

• Supporting community-led initiatives.

• Creating opportunities for empowerment and independence.

• Strengthening systems that enable people to access support when they need it.

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OUR VISION

A future where nobody is left without a pathway to support.

We envision communities where LGBTQ+ people can access reliable information, appropriate health pathways, supportive communities, opportunities, and the knowledge that their dignity matters.

Our long-term vision is to build a stronger and more connected support ecosystem that combines digital community, health pathways, human rights, empowerment, and practical support.

 

WHAT WE DO

Our work is built around several interconnected areas.

🌈 Community

We maintain and grow an online community where people can connect, access information, share experiences, and find pathways toward support.

🧭 Support & Guidance

We provide information, guidance, referrals, and community support for people navigating challenging circumstances.

🩺 Health

Through appropriate partnerships and referral pathways, we seek to help people access reliable health information and connect with relevant services.

Our health initiative also connects users with Etunganun, a separate organization providing complementary services in Uganda.

⚖️ Human Rights

We promote dignity, equality, inclusion, and awareness of human rights affecting LGBTQ+ communities.

🌱 Empowerment & Opportunity

We aim to create pathways that help people develop skills, access opportunities, and build greater independence.

🤝 Partnerships

We work toward partnerships with organizations, professionals, community groups, donors, and other stakeholders who share our commitment to human dignity and inclusion.

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OUR COMMUNITY

20,000+ People. One Connected Community.

Our digital community is one of the most important foundations of our work.

For more than a decade, people have found us online because they were looking for information, connection, support, or simply a community where they could feel understood.

Our community continues to grow.

But we measure our impact not only by followers.

We measure it by the people reached, connections made, information shared, referrals provided, and opportunities created.

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OUR IMPACT

12+ Years

of community engagement and digital presence.

20,000+

people reached through our online community.

600+

individuals supported through counselling, guidance, referrals, community assistance, and related support.

8

dedicated community volunteers supporting our work.

These figures represent more than statistics.

They represent people.

And our goal is to reach many more.

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A Swedish-Registered Nonprofit

LGBT Rights Uganda Foundation is registered as a Swedish nonprofit association (ideell förening).

Our Swedish organizational structure provides a framework for governance, financial accountability, transparency, and responsible international fundraising.

We are committed to operating according to our governing documents and applicable Swedish requirements.

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Our commitment to accountability

We maintain policies and procedures covering areas including:

• Financial management

• Anti-fraud and anti-corruption

• Conflict of interest

• Safeguarding

• Data protection and privacy

• Whistleblowing

• Partner and field operations

We believe that trust is earned through transparency, responsible management, and consistent accountability.

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OUR WORK IN UGANDA

Our work is connected to communities in Uganda through our digital presence, community relationships, volunteers, referrals, and partnerships.

We recognize that LGBTQ+ communities can face significant social, health, economic, and legal challenges.

Our approach is therefore centered on community safety, confidentiality, dignity, responsible referrals, and appropriate partnerships.

Where activities are carried out through local representatives or partner organizations, they are subject to our internal financial, safeguarding, and operational procedures.

 

OUR PARTNERSHIPS

We believe sustainable impact is built together.

No organization can address complex community needs alone.

We therefore seek responsible partnerships with:

• Community organizations

• Health and service providers

• Human rights organizations

• Philanthropic foundations

• International NGOs

• Businesses

• Professional service providers

• Researchers and educators

• Individual supporters

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Etunganun

We have a strategic relationship with Etunganun, a legally separate organization providing complementary services in Uganda.

Our organizations maintain separate legal identities and governance structures while exploring appropriate areas for cooperation to improve access to support and services.

 

OUR APPROACH TO DONATIONS

Your support should create measurable impact.

We treat every donation as a responsibility.

Funds received by the Foundation are intended to support our charitable purposes, including community support, health pathways, human rights work, digital infrastructure, volunteer capacity, and organizational development.

We are committed to:

Responsible fundraising
We communicate honestly about what we are raising money for.

Financial accountability
We maintain records of income and expenditure and apply appropriate internal controls.

Transparency
We aim to communicate clearly with supporters about our activities and the impact of their contributions.

Confidentiality
We protect sensitive information concerning beneficiaries and community members.

Responsible partnerships
We assess partnerships and activities in accordance with our governance, safeguarding, and risk-management principles.

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OUR PEOPLE

Community-led. Volunteer-supported. Professionally governed.

Our work is coordinated through our leadership and supported by volunteers, community representatives, and partners.

The Foundation's governance structure includes its Board of Directors, with operational responsibilities delegated to designated leadership according to our governing documents and internal policies.

Our people bring together experience in:

• Community engagement

• Human rights

• Health and well-being

• Digital communication

• Organizational development

• Fundraising

• Administration

We believe the people closest to a community should have a meaningful voice in shaping solutions.

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SAFETY & CONFIDENTIALITY

People come before programs.

Because many people in our community may face vulnerability or discrimination, safeguarding and confidentiality are central to our work.

We seek to:

• Protect personal information.

• Minimize unnecessary collection of sensitive information.

• Respect informed consent.

• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries.

• Provide safe referral pathways.

• Protect volunteers and community representatives.

• Respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns.

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The next chapter

Our first decade was about building community.

Our next chapter is about building capacity around that community.

Over the coming years, we aim to:

• Strengthen our digital support infrastructure.

• Expand health information and referral pathways.

• Increase community support capacity.

• Develop youth-focused support initiatives.

• Build stronger partnerships.

• Expand volunteer training.

• Develop sustainable fundraising.

• Improve monitoring and impact measurement.

• Strengthen organizational governance.

• Develop long-term opportunities for empowerment and independence.

One of our long-term ambitions is to develop safe, appropriate support pathways for young people who may experience family rejection or homelessness because of their sexual orientation or identity, subject to safeguarding requirements, available resources, and applicable laws.

 

WHY WE EXIST

Because someone is always waiting.

Someone may be waiting for information.

Someone may be waiting for support.

Someone may be waiting for a connection.

Someone may be waiting for an opportunity.

And sometimes, someone is simply waiting for a reason to believe that things can become better.

For more than a decade, we have tried to be part of that answer.

Now we are building for the next decade.