09/01/2026
“To provide assistance and support in areas where human potential was limited by adverse physical, mental, or social conditions, or where the scope of research was too new, controversial, or imaginative to receive traditionally oriented support.” -- Mission Statement of the Erickson Educational Foundation.
Reed Erickson (he/him),1917 – 1992, was a mechanical engineer, businessman, financier, and philanthropist whose support of transgender research and advocacy made him one of the most influential early benefactors of the transgender rights movement.
In 1964, he founded the Erickson Educational Foundation (EEF), which provided funding for LGBTQ organizations, served as an information resource for transgender individuals, and supported pioneering research into gender-affirming healthcare. Through the EEF, Erickson contributed millions of dollars to research projects, referral networks, educational materials, and advocacy efforts, helping shape the development of the transgender movement in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s.
Alongside our partners Community Healthcare Network, Colectivo Intercultural TRANSgrediendo, New York Transgender Advocacy Group, Destination Tomorrow, and The NEW Pride Agenda, we're continuing to celebrate TGNCNB leaders for . Check out 365transvisibility.org, a new digital hub and permanent home for our initiative.
