LGBTQI+ Local Capacity Building & Advocacy Project
Advocacy. Community. Coalition Building
Equality New York’s LGBTQI Local Capacity Building & Advocacy Project trains and supports small to medium sized organizations throughout New York State. Local leaders and organizations know their communities’ needs.
To achieve our mission of advancing equality and justice for LGBTQI New Yorkers and their families, we must build the capacity of our local communities and organizations.
How to Become part of the LGBTQI+ Local Capacity Building & Advocacy Project
The LGBTQI+ Local Capacity Building & Advocacy Project is an on-going initiative that is designed to identify, train, and build the infrastructure of an organization or group’s advocacy efforts.
The goal is to provide them with the expertise and infrastructure to serve their communities through effective programming, advocacy, and funding. This includes the expertise, tools, and resources to help them own and implement their own advocacy local efforts.
The project include three main components:
Monthly Capacity Building Trainings
We will provide a monthly virtual training for organizations focused on building their capacity. Examples:
Program Design 101
Implement an Advocacy Initiative in Your Organization
Technical Assistance & Mentorship
We will provide access to a mentor to review and support their current capacity building effort they are working on.
Organizations must attend at least one virtual training to have access to mentorship and technical assistance.
In-Person Advocacy Summit
We will bring together organizations to lobby for a collective policy/legislation that will help them experience the planning and implementation of an advocacy initiative. They will be able to replicate this for their organizations.
Upcoming Schedule
Join us for one or all of our upcoming virtual training sessions. All training sessions are open to anyone interested in learning how to build community and organizational power.
Tuesday, September 9, 2025 from 1:00PM-2:00PM
Power Mapping 101
Amanda Babine (she/her)
Tuesday, September 16, 2025 from 1:00PM-2:00PM
Albany 101: Activism in the NY Capitol
Melissa Sklarz (she/her)
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 from 1:00PM-2:00PM
Building Relationships with Elected Officials to Build Your Organization/Groups Power
Tanya Asapansa-Johnson Walker (she/her)
Tuesday, October 7, 2025 from 1:00PM-2:00PM
Effective Communication for Nonprofits: Creating Campaigns
Reggie Evans (she/her)
Tuesday, October 14, 2025 from 1:00PM-2:00PM
Hosting an Advocacy Day for Your Organization & Focus Area
Amanda Babine (she/her)
Tuesday, October 21, 2025 from 1:00PM-2:00PM
Building a Grant Proposal Cheat Sheet
Amanda Babine (she/her)
FEATURED PASt TRAININGS
Building Relationships w/ Elected Officials
Facilitator: Melissa Sklarz, Government Relations Liaison, EQNY
Learn how to build relationships with elected officials who can help organizations in so many different ways. Elected can help sponsor legislation to support your community, give discretionary funding, and build your network of supporters.
Building an Organizational Logic Model
Facilitator: Amanda Babine, Executive Director, EQNY
Logic models allow us to take an honest and realistic inventory of our capacity, programming and strategy. This training will go through the different parts of building a logic model for you organization or program. In addition, we will show examples of good logic models and those that need more work.
Building a Pro-Bono Program for Your Organization
Facilitator: Christopher Oldi, Board Member, EQNY
Most organizations thrive by relying on volunteers. However, it needs to be a larger process and this training will walk you through developing a through Pro-Bono Program to bring in people to help increase your capacity as an organization.
Spring 2026 LGBTQ+ Capacity Building Summit
Building a more Equitable Nonprofit Sector
New York, New York
Equality New York is hosting a two-day summit focused on increasing organizational capacity for small to medium sized nonprofits and community groups. The summit will include workshops and networking opportunities that will give you the expertise and infrastructure to serve your communities through effective programming, advocacy, and funding.
