CenterLink: The Community of LGBTQ Centers

CenterLink: The Community of LGBTQ Centers, based in Fort Lauderdale, FL, serves as the primary support network for over 375 LGBTQ community centers across the nation. Since its founding in 1994, CenterLink has specialized in strengthening and connecting LGBTQ community centers through comprehensive capacity-building services designed to enhance organizational effectiveness and service delivery. The organization provides peer-based technical assistance, networking opportunities for center leaders, and training programs that help centers address the social, cultural, health, and political advocacy needs of LGBTQ community members. CenterLink assists both newly forming organizations and established centers in improving their operational capacity, accessing public resources, and engaging regional communities in grassroots social justice movements. With a focus on building sustainable infrastructure, CenterLink recognizes that LGBTQ community centers often serve as the only staffed nonprofit LGBTQ presence in many areas, frequently providing direct health services including counseling, peer-led programs, support groups, and mental health services. The organization works to address the resource challenges many centers face, particularly those operating with minimal paid staff or relying entirely on volunteers. By fostering a unified center movement through national coalition building and social activism, CenterLink empowers community centers to serve their constituencies more effectively and engage local decision-makers in advancing LGBTQ liberation and empowerment.