Using LGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Groups Effectively

Dear nonprofits and corporations,

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) have become a cornerstone of workplace inclusion efforts, offering employees from historically marginalized communities a space to find support, build community, and amplify their voices. For LGBTQIA+ employees, these groups are often lifelines—especially in corporate spaces where queer representation in leadership is lacking.

But ERGs are more than just affinity spaces. When used effectively, they can help corporations advance equity, inform internal policies, drive community impact, and even support nonprofit missions.

However, this moment also brings growing tension: in recent years, the U.S. has seen a troubling trend of corporate DEI rollbacks. Under political and financial pressure, some of the country’s largest companies have scaled back or eliminated diversity initiatives altogether. These cutbacks threaten the infrastructure that supports LGBTQIA+ employees, and by extension, the ERGs that serve them. Now more than ever, investing in ERGs isn't just a nice-to-have—it's a critical act of resistance, resilience, and progress.

Here’s how corporations can support their LGBTQIA+ ERGs, how ERGs can maximize their internal influence, and how nonprofits can partner with them to create shared impact.

How Corporations and Businesses Can Maximize the Impact of Their LGBTQIA+ ERGs

1. Resource Them Like They Matter
   If your ERG is expected to show up for Pride, host events, and contribute to DEI strategies, they need more than good vibes—they need budget, staff support, and leadership access. Allocate real funding and designate time for ERG members to participate during work hours.

2. Connect ERGs to Business Strategy
   Position LGBTQIA+ ERGs as strategic partners, not side projects. Invite them to consult on marketing campaigns, hiring practices, policy changes, and vendor relationships. Their lived experience can help your company avoid costly missteps and build genuine brand trust.

3. Uplift ERG Leadership
   Serving on an ERG is labor—often emotional and invisible. Recognize it as leadership development. Offer stipends, bonuses, or career advancement opportunities to those who step up. Visibility matters, especially when ERG leaders represent multiple marginalized identities.

4. Measure and Share Impact
   Track and share how your ERG contributes to employee engagement, retention, and inclusion. Use data to secure ongoing executive buy-in and grow the group’s influence.

How to Support ERGs from Within the Organization

1. Encourage Cross-ERG Collaboration
   Many employees hold multiple identities. Partnering with other ERGs (e.g., BIPOC, disability, or parenting groups) helps amplify intersectional voices and broaden coalition-building across the company.

2. Establish Clear Goals
   Don’t let your ERG exist just to host parties. Set goals around recruitment, policy advocacy, mentorship, or community engagement. Your work should align with the company’s DEI roadmap—and push it further.

3. Communicate Up and Across
   Make sure leadership knows what you’re working on, and don’t keep your wins in a Slack channel. Share updates across internal newsletters, all-hands meetings, and department huddles.

How Nonprofits Can Partner with LGBTQIA+ ERGs to Advance Their Mission

1. Find the Right ERG Fit
   Not every ERG is active or well-resourced. Look for companies that are vocal about their DEI values, and research whether they have LGBTQIA+ groups you can approach. Use LinkedIn, employee testimonials, or company social posts to identify opportunities.

2. Offer Mission-Aligned Opportunities
   Present ERGs with specific, low-lift ways to support your work: volunteer opportunities, Pride Month partnerships, employee giving campaigns, lunch-and-learns, or event sponsorships. Make your ask clear and tied to a shared value or community.

3. Be a Resource
   Nonprofits are often viewed as experts in community engagement. Offer educational workshops or panels to ERGs looking to deepen their impact or celebrate intersectional identities meaningfully. Build a reciprocal relationship, not just a funding ask.

4. Cultivate Relationships Year-Round
   Don’t reach out only in June. Pride partnerships should be part of longer-term engagement strategies. ERGs can become recurring donors, volunteer groups, or even future board pipelines.

LGBTQIA+ ERGs hold incredible potential for advancing equity inside companies and creating ripple effects outside of them. But their impact depends on whether they are truly supported, resourced, and connected to broader strategies.

As DEI programs come under attack in parts of the U.S., the need for bold, values-driven leadership has never been greater. ERGs can serve as a powerful line of defense against cultural backsliding—but only if they are protected, uplifted, and embedded into the heart of a company’s mission.

For corporations, the call is to invest in ERGs like the vital changemakers they are. For nonprofits, the opportunity lies in building authentic partnerships that bring value to both missions. And for ERG leaders, this is a reminder: your work matters, your voice matters, and when aligned with purpose, you can shift culture inside and out.

Sincerely, 

Queers

Queer For Hire provides fundraising support and LGBTQIA+ diversity training for nonprofits, professionals, and corporations.

Learn about our Fundraising Services <here> – we’ll lead or support your fundraising efforts, whether you need general support or want to focus on raising money from and for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Learn about our Fundraising Trainings <here> – we can coach your board, staff, and fundraising team on how to fundraise and how to engage LGBTQIA+ donors.

Learn about our other services <here> or our resources <here>.