We recently connected with Alexis Williams and have shared our conversation below.

Alexis, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

The LGBTQ Fertility Fund (LFF) was founded to address a pressing need: equity and accessibility in family building for LGBTQ individuals and couples. Historically, our community has faced tremendous barriers to parenthood, from financial disparities to systemic exclusion in fertility services. Our mission stems directly from these lived experiences and the gaps we saw in support.

For our founder, Alexis G. Williams—a Black, queer woman with PCOS—and her transgender partner, the journey to consider building a family was met with anxiety, isolation, and a lack of accessible resources. The realization that many in our community face similar, if not greater, challenges inspired Alexis to take action.

We understand that parenthood in the LGBTQ community is often far more complex than it is for others. Fertility preservation, assisted reproductive technologies, adoption, and surrogacy all come with significant financial burdens and unique hurdles for queer and trans individuals. For those in our community who are also people of color or economically disadvantaged, these challenges are compounded by systemic inequities.

Our mission is deeply meaningful because it’s about more than family-building—it’s about fostering equity, empowering individuals, and building a sense of community and belonging. We don’t just want to help LGBTQ individuals and couples grow their families; we want to ensure that these families are formed in a society where love, diversity, and inclusion are celebrated.

LFF exists because we believe every family deserves a fair chance, and we’re here to make that dream a reality.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

The LGBTQ Fertility Fund (LFF) is a groundbreaking nonprofit committed to equity in family building for LGBTQ individuals and couples. Founded in 2024 by Alexis G. Williams, a Black and queer woman who intimately understands the barriers to LGBTQ parenthood, LFF was created to address the systemic inequities and financial obstacles that prevent so many in our community from building the families they deserve.

Why We Exist
Historically, family-building options for LGBTQ people have been limited. Even today, the path to parenthood is uniquely challenging:

– 63% of LGBTQ millennials are considering expanding their families, yet financial and systemic barriers remain a significant obstacle.
– Fertility preservation, artificial insemination, adoption, and surrogacy can cost anywhere from $10,000 to over $100,000—an amount out of reach for many.
– Transgender individuals, people of color, and those from financially disadvantaged backgrounds face compounded challenges in accessing affirming reproductive care.

What We Do
At LFF, we provide grants, educational resources, and access to inclusive medical care to remove the barriers that LGBTQ individuals and couples face in their family-building journeys.

– Grants: We assist with the costs of fertility preservation, artificial insemination, adoption, and surrogacy.
– Partnerships: We collaborate with LGBTQ-friendly medical providers to ensure culturally competent care and donated services.
– Awareness: We educate our community on family-building options and advocate for systemic change to eliminate discrimination in reproductive health.

What Sets Us Apart
LFF is the first organization solely dedicated to making family-building equitable for the LGBTQ community. Our Black and queer-led leadership team prioritizes the needs of the most marginalized, including transgender individuals and people of color.

What We’re Proud Of
– Since our founding, we’ve received hundreds of inquiries, demonstrating the immense demand for our services.
– We’ve partnered with organizations like The Sperm Bank of California to build a network of affirming providers.
– Our vision is to help at least 25 individuals or couples each year, with plans to grow our impact as funding increases.

What We Want You to Know
Every LGBTQ person deserves the chance to create a loving family without stigma or financial burden. At LFF, we’re breaking down barriers and building a future where all families—regardless of identity or income—can thrive. Together, we’re transforming the landscape of family-building for the LGBTQ community.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The journey of creating the LGBTQ Fertility Fund (LFF) is deeply personal to me. As a Black, queer woman living with PCOS, I’ve faced my own fertility struggles. When my partner, who is nonbinary, and I began to consider starting a family, we quickly realized how limited the options were for LGBTQ people like us. The emotional and financial toll of fertility treatments, surrogacy, and adoption felt overwhelming. But what weighed even heavier was the lack of resources, especially for transgender people like my partner, who faced even more barriers in accessing affirming care.

I remember one night sitting with my partner, feeling frustrated and helpless. Every question we’d heard about when we were going to have kids was loaded with assumptions, but it wasn’t just about the questions. It was about the glaring absence of support for people like us, people whose dreams of parenthood were constantly overshadowed by financial and systemic hurdles. I realized that there were so many others out there—people like us—who were struggling in silence, without the support they needed.

That realization sparked something in me. I knew I couldn’t stay silent. I couldn’t just let this be our problem; it was a community issue. I began reaching out to medical providers, LGBTQ activists, and organizations to build connections. It wasn’t easy. There were days of doubt—would anyone listen? Would anyone care? But every time I received an email from someone in need of help, like the trans individual who reached out to us for fertility preservation support, it reinforced why this work mattered.

LFF started with just a vision, and it has grown through resilience. I’ve poured my heart into this organization, because I know how important it is to make sure that no one has to feel like their dream of becoming a parent is out of reach. What I’m most proud of is that every single person who comes to us knows that they’re not alone. We’re creating a community where everyone is seen and heard.

Through every challenge, from starting this nonprofit with limited resources to forging partnerships with affirming providers, resilience has been the thread that has kept me moving forward. And seeing the impact LFF has already had, knowing we’ve helped people take the first step toward their family-building dreams—it reminds me that this work is worth it. We’re not just breaking barriers for one person, but for an entire community, and that’s what keeps me going.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

When I first envisioned the LGBTQ Fertility Fund (LFF), I had no financial backing—just a strong belief that there was a critical need in the community. The initial capital to start the organization came together through a combination of personal savings, small donations from close friends and family, and an unwavering commitment to seeing this work come to life, no matter the financial hurdles.

I remember the first few months being particularly challenging. It was just me, a laptop, and a big dream. I had to tap into my own resources, using some of my personal savings to cover initial expenses—website hosting, registration fees, and the essentials that helped me start building the foundation. But it wasn’t enough to truly get the ball rolling.

The turning point came when I began reaching out to my network, sharing the vision of the LGBTQ Fertility Fund with friends, colleagues, and fellow activists. I wasn’t just asking for money; I was asking for their belief in what we could do together. Slowly but surely, I found people who were willing to take a chance on this vision. A few trusted allies in the LGBTQ community and beyond made initial contributions, and that momentum helped me build a modest fundraising campaign.

In parallel, I started looking for partnerships with LGBTQ-friendly medical providers, not only for the support they could offer but also to help cover the costs of fertility services. These early partnerships were key in allowing us to start delivering real support to those in need, while still building the financial resources needed to expand our work.

Through determination, small grassroots fundraising efforts, and leveraging the generosity of a supportive community, the initial capital began to grow. It wasn’t an easy path, but each small step felt like a victory, and each person who believed in the mission made it possible to keep moving forward.

Now, as we continue to grow and secure additional funding through grants and donations, I’m proud of how far we’ve come. But it all started with a belief in the power of community and the resilience to find ways to make it happen, no matter how uncertain the future seemed. The journey is far from over, but with the support of our donors and partners, LFF is finally able to provide real assistance to those who need it most.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lgbtqfertilityfund.org/
• Instagram: lgbtqfertilityfund
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-LGBTQ-Fertility-Fund/61559706744874/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-lgbtq-fertility-fund/?viewAsMember=true