The I Am Human Foundation is a left-of-center LGBT advocacy group based in Ellenwood, Georgia, and founded in 2014 by transgender activist Alex Santiago. The has received funding from national left-of-center advocacy groups and LGBT organizations while also lending its name to national coalitions and demand letters. Tax documents for the organization indicate the group was organized to provide services to the homeless, however, the group’s website provides little detail regarding specific activities.

The group was among more than 200 organizations that sent a letter condemning Target for pulling products highlighting LGBT and transgender pride that critics argued were focused on children. Funders of the organization include the Third Wave Fund, Kroger, Coca-Cola, the Black Trans Fund, and the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice. ^{1 2}

Background and Activity

The I Am Human Foundation was founded in 2014, by Alex Santiago, who is identified on the group’s website as a “trans man of color.” The group was initially known as the I am Human Alliance and was organized to work on issues including “sex, race, religion, gender and more importantly homelessness.” The group has a stated commitment to community service and claims to have activated 215 volunteers and helped 2,500 individuals through its community outreach efforts. ³

While the group states it was informally founded as an alliance in 2014, it was formally incorporated and granted tax-exempt status in 2020 and reported $136,500 in revenue in 2020. The group subsequently reported $238,015 and $249,850 in revenue in 2021 and 2022, respectively. ⁴

The group lists eight volunteer leaders on its website. The group’s website does not list specific details of the organization’s activities. Tax filings for the group indicate that the organization’s activities include working “to supply basic needs to the homeless population through activities including, but not limited to, preparing sack lunches, personal hygiene kits, and providing HIV testing and prevention.” ^{5 6}

Funding

The I Am Human Foundation reported $249,000 in revenue in 2022. Donors to the organization include the Third Wave Fund, Kroger, the Griffin-Gracy Educational Retreat and Historical Center, the Fund for Trans Generations, Flux, Coca-Cola, Borealis Philanthropy, the Black Trans Fund, the Black-Led Movement Fund, the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, Aids United, the Alliance for Full Acceptance, and the Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Rights. ⁷

Coalitions

The I Am Human Foundation was among over 200 LGBT-related left-of-center organizations that criticized Target, and other companies such as Anheuser-Busch, after Target “reluctantly decided last week to pull some Pride Month merchandise from its shelves.” The coalition of groups, led by the Human Rights Campaign urged Target to “provide necessary security for employees, restore Pride merchandise to its shelves, and stand by its commitment to the values it has long professed.” ⁸

1. “About Us.” I Am Human Foundation. Accessed April 25, 2024. https://iamhumanfoundation.org/about-us/#1531199646434-b2fe3a35-910a
2. Return of Organization Exempt form Income Tax (Form 990). I Am Human Foundation. 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/831450516/202221119349300812/full
3. “I Am Human Foundation.” Nonprofit Explorer. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/831450516
4. “I Am Human Foundation.” Nonprofit Explorer. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/831450516
5. Return of Organization Exempt form Income Tax (Form 990). I Am Human Foundation. 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/831450516/202221119349300812/full
6. “About Us.” I Am Human Foundation. Accessed April 25, 2024. https://iamhumanfoundation.org/about-us/#1531199646434-b2fe3a35-910a
7. “About Us.” I Am Human Foundation. Accessed April 25, 2024. https://iamhumanfoundation.org/about-us/#1531199646434-b2fe3a35-910a
8. Killian, Joe. “More than 100 organizations call on Target, other businesses to stand up to anti-LGBTQ threats.” NC Newsline. June 1, 2023. Accessed April 25, 2024. https://ncnewsline.com/2023/06/01/more-than-100-organizations-call-on-target-other-businesses-to-stand-up-to-anti-lgbtq-threats/