01/22/2013

Washington– The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, is announcing today that Jeff Krehely is joining the organization as the Chief Foundation Officer. Krehely currently serves as the Vice President of the LGBT Research & Communications Project at the Center for American Progress. In his new role at HRC, Krehely will oversee all of the HRC Foundation’s comprehensive programming, which focuses on improving equity in the workplace and healthcare settings, creating more welcoming schools, providing resources and education for LGBT families, and amplifying the voices of LGBT people of faith.

“Under Jeff’s leadership, we look forward to maximizing the impact and reach of our Foundation programs so we can continue to improve daily life for as many LGBT people as possible,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Jeff possesses unparalleled expertise across the issues our Foundation works on and he is intimately familiar with what it takes to advance equality in a meaningful way. We can’t afford to approach the fight for full equality with anything less than our best on every front, and Jeff will be an invaluable leader in helping us do just that.”

“I’m thrilled to join the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and look forward to getting to work on some of the most pressing issues facing our community,” said Krehely. “We have made so much progress in the past few years, but there is still more we must do to help LGBT people – whether it’s making it easier to start a family, ensuring everyone has access to high-quality healthcare, or taking steps to tackle bullying so LGBT youth feel safer in their communities. The HRC Foundation has played a leading role in revolutionizing equality for LGBT people in so many settings, from the workplace to adoption agencies to hospitals, and I look forward to working with the staff and continuing to grow these and other initiatives.”

Prior to his time at the Center for American Progress, Krehely served as director of the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), a think tank that provides the compelling research, data and analyses needed to advance equality. Before MAP, Jeff worked at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP), serving first as NCRP’s research director and later as its deputy director. He also held positions at the Atlantic Philanthropies and the Urban Institute.

Krehely’s background in LGBT youth and youth homeless are particularly meaningful as HRC approaches its work for youth in the community with a renewed vigor. Last year, HRC released a groundbreaking report that offered a first-of-its-kind insight into the lives LGBT youth across the country. The report, “Growing Up LGBT in America,” found that 42 percent of LGBT youth say they don’t live in accepting communities and a whopping 92 percent say they hear negative messages about being LGBT.

“We have a responsibility to approach every aspect of our work through the lens of how we can better the lives of LGBT young people,” added Griffin. “Our youth survey illuminated the challenges young people in our community are facing, but it also shows just how hopeful they are – 77 percent say they know things will get better for them. With Jeff at the helm of our Foundation, we won’t rest until equality reaches every single person in every corner of this vast country.”

The HRC Foundation has proven itself to be an invaluable force in driving real change in the lives of everyday LGBT Americans – from creating more equitable workplaces and safer, more welcoming schools, to providing the resources and education couples need to start a family, to tackling inequalities in the healthcare system, to amplifying the voices of LGBT people of faith. Some of the Foundation’s major initiatives include the Corporate Equality Index, which rates corporations on their policies and practices related to LGBT employees; the Healthcare Equality Index, which showcases U.S. healthcare facilities that have demonstrated a commitment to LGBT equity and inclusion; the All-Children-All Families program, which assists same-sex couples seeking to start a family and boosts cultural competency among child welfare professionals; and Welcoming Schools, a comprehensive guide which helps elementary schools across the country embrace diversity, avoid gender stereotyping and address bullying.

Krehely will join the HRC Foundation effective March 1 and will report directly to Griffin.

The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political organization with members throughout the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure that LGBT Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.