Our Vetting Process

Every direct service provider listed on InReach is independently vetted by our trained volunteers to be a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ people facing persecution or discrimination. 

Is the provider active and legitimate?

Is the provider LGBTQ+ affirming?

Does the provider meet any of InReach's intersectionality definitions?

We strive to repeat our vetting process regularly to ensure user safety.

Our Vetting Process (updated: 2024)

InReach is built for the diverse and intersectional LGBTQ+ community – InReach’s free platform lists verified services for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers, refugees and other immigrants, BIPOC communities, the transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) community, youth and caregivers, and more LGBTQ+ communities in need of safe resources.

At InReach, we are dedicated to ensuring our free resource platform is filled with high-quality, accessible, and welcoming direct service providers for LGBTQ+ people facing persecution or discrimination. Our trained volunteers conduct a rigorous, tailored vetting process for every provider listed on InReach. Our core vetting criteria include: 

  1. Is the direct service provider active and legitimate? (required to be listed on InReach)
  2. Is the direct service provider LGBTQ+ affirming? (required to be listed on InReach)
  3. Does the direct service provider meet any of InReach’s intersectionality definitions? (preferred but not required to be listed on InReach)

    • At InReach, we understand that achieving LGBTQ+ equality requires trans justice, racial justice, refugee justice, reproductive justice, language justice, and more. Therefore, in addition to ensuring that each provider listed on InReach is generally LGBTQ+ affirming, our trained volunteers also verify whether providers are led by and/or have expertise in serving specific historically marginalized LGBTQ+ communities. 

    • See our intersectionality definitions below for more information. 

Our team ensures these criteria are met by thoroughly researching and often directly communicating with each provider. Every provider listed on InReach has regularly updated documentation on these core criteria. We also evaluate additional features we value in the providers we publish, such as whether they offer translation services for non-English speaking clients and whether they have a confidentiality policy for their services. At the end of our vetting process, providers are classified as either “verified” or “unverified.” Unverified providers are deemed ineligible for inclusion on InReach, at least for the time being.

Examples of things we look for during our vetting process include:

  • Does the provider have an active physical and/or web address?
  • Has the provider hosted events and/or updated online content within the past 6 months?
  • Is the provider responsive to email and/or phone outreach? 
  • Our trained volunteers deploy a multi-tiered vetting process to assess whether or not a service provider is generally ‘LGBTQ+ affirming’.   
  • Step #1: Is the organization’s mission to serve the LGBTQ+ community (e.g., an LGBTQ+ center)?
  • Step #2: If ‘no’ to the above, our Resource Team looks at different factors / questions based on the type of organization:
    • Religiously affiliated organization (e.g., Catholic Charities, Salvation Army, a church or congregation, etc.);
    • Organization who “serves everyone” or is “open to all people in need” (e.g., a food pantry, an overnight shelter, etc.);
    • A medical/healthcare organization (e.g., a hospital, medical clinic, health center or healthcare system, etc.);
    • An immigrant-focused organization (e.g., a non-LGBTQ+ specific organization providing immigrants with English as a second language classes, or legal services, etc.);
    • Other (ie., none of the above accurately describes the organization)
  •  Examples of things we look for include:
    • Anti-discrimination policy that clearly states banning discrimination for both sexual orientation and gender identity
    • LGBTQ+ community events or services (e.g., support groups, Pride month events on calendar)
    • Does your organization/clinic have experience working with members of the LGBTQ+ community?
    • Does your organization have any openly LGBTQ+ staff members? Do they receive the same benefits and policies as non-LGBTQ+ staff members? (e.g., family leave care; dependent policies; healthcare coverage)
    • Does your staff participate in any LGBTQ+ specific trainings and certifications?

With our history in LGBTQ+ asylum, our organization was founded on the belief that every LGBTQ+ person deserves the safety and freedom to live authentically. We believe LGBTQ+ equality requires trans justice, refugee justice, racial justice, reproductive justice, language justice, disability justice – justice for all members of our diverse community.

As a result, in addition to satisfying our general LGBTQ+ affirming verification criteria, we look for (prefer but do not require to be listed on InReach) organizations who are ‘led by’ and/or have services ‘focused on’ serving historically marginalized LGBTQ+ communities. 

For example, we look for organizations who are led by those with relevant lived experience for LGBTQ+ people facing discrimination and persecution, such as organizations who are: 

  • Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) led 
  • Black led 
  • Immigrant led 
  • LGBTQ+ led
  • Trans led  
  • Women led
  • *Note: We hope to add new ‘led by’ categories in the future. 

We also look for organizations who provide services that are focused on serving a specific marginalized LGBTQ+ population(s), including: 

  • Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) community 
  • Immigrant community  
    • Asylum seekers
    • Resettled refugees 
  • LGBTQ+ youth 
    • Trans youth 
  • Spanish speakers 
  • Trans community 
    • Gender nonconforming community
    • Trans men and the transmasculine community 
    • Trans women and the transfeminine community
    • Trans youth 
  • *Note: As our organization’s capacity grows, we hope to add new LGBTQ+ communities in the future.  

Great question! Our vision is to build a dynamic platform that incorporates regular community feedback, including from direct service providers listed on InReach. 

The ability for organizations to “claim” their own profile on InReach is coming soon. Please check back here and follow us on social media (@weareinreach) for updates! 

INREACH’S INTERSECTIONALITY DEFINITIONS

Please see below for our intersectionality definitions (introduced in January 2023) outlining how InReach defines which organizations are ‘trans led’, ‘BIPOC led’, ‘immigrant led’, etc. and what it means for an organization to offer a service ‘focused on’ a specific LGBTQ+ community. 

Definitions List #1: Determining whether an organization meets any of InReach’s ‘led by” definitions

For consistency, InReach uses an adapted version of the Trans Justice Project definition of what it means to be ‘trans led’ for all of our community ‘led by’ definitions, as described below.

  • The organization publicly markets itself as ‘BIPOC led’; OR 
  • The organization adheres to the adapted Trans Justice Funding Project definition for what it means to be ‘trans led’, which holds that the majority of the people in charge of the group identify as trans or gender non-conforming. As applied to ‘BIPOC led’, “in charge” includes any of the following examples:
    • The director, if there is one, should identify as BIPOC.
    • The majority of the governing board collective, advisory committee, or similar governing body, if there is such a body, should identify as BIPOC.
    • The majority of any staff members should identify as BIPOC.
    • If the organization or project is volunteer-run, the majority of volunteers should identify as BIPOC.
  • The organization publicly markets itself as ‘Black led’; OR 
  • The organization adheres to the adapted Trans Justice Funding Project definition for what it means to be ‘trans led’, which holds that the majority of the people in charge of the group identify as trans or gender non-conforming. As applied to ‘Black led’, “in charge” includes any of the following examples:
    • The director, if there is one, should identify as Black.
    • The majority of the governing board collective, advisory committee, or similar governing body, if there is such a body, should identify as Black.
    • The majority of any staff members should identify as Black.
    • If the organization or project is volunteer-run, the majority of volunteers should identify as Black.
  • The organization publicly markets itself as ‘Immigrant led’; OR 
  • The organization adheres to the adapted Trans Justice Funding Project definition for what it means to be ‘trans led’, which holds that the majority of the people in charge of the group identify as trans or gender non-conforming. As applied to ‘immigrant led’, “in charge” includes any of the following examples:
    • The director, if there is one, should identify as an immigrant.
    • The majority of the governing board collective, advisory committee, or similar governing body, if there is such a body, should identify as immigrants.
    • The majority of any staff members should identify as immigrants.
    • If the organization or project is volunteer-run, the majority of volunteers should identify as immigrants. 
  • The organization publicly markets itself as ‘LGBTQ+ led’; OR 
  • The organization adheres to the adapted Trans Justice Funding Project definition for what it means to be ‘trans led’, which holds that the majority of the people in charge of the group identify as trans or gender non-conforming. As applied to ‘LGBTQ+ led’, “in charge” includes any of the following examples:
    • The director, if there is one, should identify as a LGBTQ+.
    • The majority of the governing board collective, advisory committee, or similar governing body, if there is such a body, should identify as LGBTQ+.
    • The majority of any staff members should identify as LGBTQ+.
    • If the organization or project is volunteer-run, the majority of volunteers should identify as LGBTQ+.
  • The organization publicly markets itself as ‘trans led;’ OR 
  • The organization meets the Trans Justice Project definition of what it means to be ‘trans led’; We adhere to the Trans Justice Funding Project definition, which holds that the majority of the people in charge of the group identify as trans or gender non-conforming. “In charge” includes any of the following examples:
    • The director, if there is one, should identify as trans or gender non-conforming.
    • The majority of the governing board collective, advisory committee, or similar governing body, if there is such a body, should identify as trans, or gender non-conforming.
    • The majority of any staff members should identify as trans or gender non- conforming.
    • If the organization or project is volunteer-run, the majority of volunteers should identify as trans or gender non-conforming.
  • The organization publicly markets itself as ‘Women led’; OR 
  • The organization adheres to the adapted Trans Justice Funding Project definition for what it means to be ‘trans led’, which holds that the majority of the people in charge of the group identify as trans or gender non-conforming. As applied to ‘women led’, “in charge” includes any of the following examples:
    • The director, if there is one, should identify as a woman.
    • The majority of the governing board collective, advisory committee, or similar governing body, if there is such a body, should identify as women.
    • The majority of any staff members should identify as women.
    • If the organization or project is volunteer-run, the majority of volunteers should identify as women.

Definitions List #2: Determining whether an organization has a service(s) ‘focused on’ a specific LGBTQ+ community

A service is defined as focusing on a specific LGBTQ+ community if:

  • The service exclusively serves that community;
  • The service explicitly markets itself as serving the community; OR
  • The provider estimates that at least 50% of the clients served by the service are members of the community 

A service is defined as focusing on asylum seekers if the service:

  • Exclusively serves asylum seekers;
  • The service explicitly markets itself as serving asylum seekers; OR
  • The provider estimates that at least 50% of the clients served by the service are asylum seekers.  

 

A service is defined as focusing on resettled refugees if the service:

  • Exclusively serves resettled refugees;
  • The service explicitly markets itself as serving resettled refugees; OR
  • The provider estimates that at least 50% of the clients served by the service are resettled refugees.

 

A service is defined as focusing on the immigrant community if the service:

  • Exclusively serves the immigrant community;
  • The service explicitly markets itself as serving the immigrant community; OR
  • The provider estimates that at least 50% of the clients served by the service are immigrants.  

A service is defined as focusing on Spanish speakers if the service:

  • Exclusively serves Spanish speakers;
  • The service explicitly markets itself as serving Spanish speakers; OR
  • The provider estimates that at least 50% of the clients served by the service are Spanish speakers. 

 

A service is defined as focusing on the BIPOC community if the service:

  • Exclusively serves the BIPOC community;
  • The service explicitly markets itself as serving the BIPOC community; 
  • The provider estimates that at least 50% of their clients served by the service are BIPOC. 

A service is defined as focusing on LGBTQ+ youth if the service:

  • Exclusively serves LGBTQ+ youth;
  • The service explicitly markets itself as serving LGBTQ+ youth; OR
  • The provider estimates that at least 50% of the clients served by the service are LGBTQ+ youth.  

A service is defined as focusing on the HIV community if the service:

  • Exclusively serves the HIV community;
  • The service explicitly markets itself as serving the HIV community; OR
  • The provider estimates that at least 50% of the clients served by the service are members of the HIV community. 

 

A service is defined as focusing on the transgender community if the service:

  • Exclusively serves the transgender community;
  • The service explicitly markets itself as serving the trans community; OR
  • The provider estimates that at least 50% of the clients served by the service are transgender. 

 

A service is defined as focusing on trans youth if the service:

  • Exclusively serves trans youth;
  • The service explicitly markets itself as serving trans youth; OR
  • The provider estimates that at least 50% of the clients served by the service are trans youth.

 

A service is defined as focusing on transgender men and the trans masculine community if the service:

  • Exclusively serves transgender men and the trans masculine community;  
  • The service explicitly markets itself as serving transgender men and the trans masculine community; OR
  • The provider estimates that at least 50% of the clients served by the service are transgender men and trans masculine folks.

A service is defined as focusing on transgender women and the trans feminine community if the service:

  • Exclusively serves transgender women and the trans feminine community;  
  • The service explicitly markets itself as serving transgender women and the trans feminine community; OR
  • The provider estimates that at least 50% of the clients served by the service are transgender women and trans feminine folks.

A service is defined as focusing on the gender nonconforming community if the service:

  • Exclusively serves the gender nonconforming community;  
  • The service explicitly markets itself as serving the gender nonconforming community; OR
  • The provider estimates that at least 50% of the clients served by the service are gender nonconforming.  

Our Re-Verification Process

We strive to re-verify (repeat our tailored verification process described above) all of the direct service providers listed on InReach regularly for maximum user safety and data quality control purposes.

In 2023, we switched from geography-based tiers for re-verifications to re-verifying organizations by time (i.e., ‘when last verified’). 

Our trained interns carry out the bulk of our crucial re-verifications.

With increased capacity and support, we can continue to increase the frequency of our re-verifications to ensure our resource data remains up-to-date, 24/7. (Want to help? Make a tax-deductible donation today.)

Additional Questions?

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to reach out to us!

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