About Us
Our Mission
TEP is a federally recognized 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to move our community out of crisis by creating equitable systems of support centered around Disabled 2TIGE-BIPOC (2Spirit, Trans, Intersex, and Gender Expansive members of the community who are also Black, Indigenous, and or People of Color), to ensure that we all get to thrive.
About TEP
Founded in 2016 with a simple clothing swap, Trans Empowerment Project (TEP) has grown into a global grassroots movement supporting the lives and leadership of 2Spirit, Trans, Intersex, and Gender Expansive (2TIGE) individuals, especially those who are Disabled and BIPOC. We’re not just working to meet basic needs — we’re building sustainable systems of support, solidarity, and joy through cultural change to challenge and outlast oppression.
We believe that our liberation won’t come from institutions nor will it be won through legislative actions — it will come from building the inclusive future that we wish to see, together.
Our Story.
TEP began in a small community space, offering free clothing to help Trans people live more fully and safely in their truth. What started as one act of care quickly revealed the overwhelming gaps in safety, resources, and support for our people.
As attacks on Trans existence have intensified — with over 950 anti-trans bills proposed in 2025 alone — we’ve expanded our work to provide direct aid, safety tools, leadership training, and healing-centered community building. Our growth has always been fueled by and for those most impacted.
You can read our full founding story here.
We are committed to transparency. See exactly how we use our funding →
Supporting our Community - From Surviving to Thriving
At Trans Empowerment Project, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all support.
Our work is designed as a pathway—meeting 2TIGE community members and allies where they are, and working alongside them as they move from crisis to connection, from connection to empowerment, and from empowerment to leadership.
Community Support During Crisis
We show up when it matters most.
Through peer support spaces, mentorship, and direct aid programs like microgrants and gender-affirming clothing swaps, we provide tangible support to help community members navigate crisis, instability, and isolation.
Examples:
- Microgrants
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Clothing swaps
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Peer support spaces
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Mentorship program
Empowerment Through Education
Knowledge is power, and we’re making it accessible.
Through Liberation Lab, TEP’s 24/7 training platform, and community-based programs like Sisterhood Not Cisterhood, we equip individuals with the tools, language, and confidence to advocate for themselves and others; regardless of gender identity or their relationship to the 2TIGE community. Anyone who genuinely wants to learn is always welcome at TEP!
Prioritizing Joy, Connection, and Healing
Survival isn’t the end goal, thriving is.
We create spaces where 2TIGE individuals can rest, build community, and experience joy without expectation. Through programs like Quest Collective and Influence 4 Good, where community members can connect, play, and just be their whole self.
Examples
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Quest Collective
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Influence 4 Good
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Various virtual events each year
Leadership & Growing Community Power
When our supporters and community members are ready, we don’t just invite participation, we support development in their leadership.
Through our organizing and group leaders programs, we help individuals turn their lived experiences into action, leading initiatives, building community, and driving change where they live.
Examples:
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Group Leaders Program
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Organizing initiatives
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Community-led campaigns
- Encouraging others to join our P2P initiatives
Our Guiding Principles
Justice & Equity
- We believe in dismantling systems of oppression and redistributing resources to build true equity for those most impacted.
- We live in a world of abundance and need to change our programming away from a scarcity mindset
Rest & Joy
Rest is a right, not a reward. Joy is resistance. Our work centers both so that we can all move out of a crisis mindset and into a place of sustainability so that we can truly live our best lives.
Community-Led Change:
- Those closest to the harm must lead the way to healing and liberation.
- However, those who are the closest to harm also deserve to rest and play , right now; today!
- Those who have had the most privilege should be at the front lines, doing the heaviest lifting, in support of the leaders that already exist within our communities.
Accountability & Growth:
We’re building spaces, free from white supremacy, where learning, unlearning, and doing better are always possible!
Intersectionality:
We center the lived experiences of Disabled 2TIGE BIPOC folks in all that we do. Regardless of which lanes we swim in, we know that the only true way to build equity is by ensuring that the most marginalized members of our communities have their needs met.
How we Operate
Trans Empowerment Project is a small, community-led organization doing large-scale, direct-impact work.
We are a team of two full-time staff, supported by a small but deeply committed group of volunteers.
Together, we:
- Distribute tens of thousands of dollars in direct aid through microgrants
- Train individuals, organizations, and companies in allyship, equity, and intersectionality
- Support grassroots organizers across the country in building local, community-based resources
- Create community spaces like Sisterhood Not Cisterhood focused on connection, education, and solidarity
We also handle everything behind the scenes: from fundraising, grant writing, compliance, program development, communications, organizing, data tracking, and operations.
Although we are often overlooked by traditional funding means, our programs thrive largely in thanks with grassroots giving and bold partnerships with streamers and creators who believe in what we do!
Vision for the Future
We’re building an equitable future where ALL people, especially those most marginalized of our community members (disabled, BIPOC, folks who are not included in a binary system)— don’t have to wait for safety or joy.
With the resources we need, TEP can scale up sustainable, community-led infrastructures that ensures rest and resilience are accessible now.
We’re calling on those who’ve had the most rest to do the heaviest lifting, so those of us who’ve carried the weight for too long can finally thrive.