Summary
Organization name
Inside Out Youth Services
other names
IOYS
1990
Category
Youth Development
Organization Size
Large Organization
Address
516 W Colorado AveColorado Springs, CO 80905
El Paso County, CO, US
Inside Out Youth Services
A nonprofit organization
$75 raised by 2 donors
1% complete
$10,000 Goal
Inside Out Youth Services is the leading nonprofit in the Tava- Kaavi (Pikes Peak) region dedicated to serving LGBTQIA2+ young people, ages 13-24. At the Inside Out community center, young people have a safe and affirming space to make friends, access resources and trusted adults, and participate in evidence-based programs that cover everything from comprehensive sexual education to life skills, leadership to social opportunities.
Out in the community, IOYS engages in education and civic engagement at local, state, and national levels, amplifying youth voices to inform policymakers, promote inclusive practices, and advance understanding of equitable digital and community environments. In 2024, our advocacy work impacted almost 25,000 young people.
By donating via the Colorado Gives platform, you help ensure that LGBTQIA2+ youth have the opportunity to thrive in a world that too often leaves them behind. Your generosity directly impacts their futures—thank you for making a difference!
2025 Prism Award Winner - Inside Out Youth Services
Giving Activity
Mission
IOYS builds access, equity, and power with LGBTQIA2+ young people, through leadership, advocacy, community-building, education, and peer support.
Background Statement
When Regina Dipadova founded Inside Out in 1990, it was in the heyday of Focus on the Family and Colorado Springs' reputation as a city of hate. Dipadova recognized that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and questioning (LGBTQIA2+) youth in the Pikes Peak region are at highest risk in their peer group for various health-related problems, including drug and alcohol abuse, school drop-out, physical abuse, sexual abuse, homelessness, and suicide. To address the needs of the LGBTQIA2+ community Dipadova worked with the El Paso County Department of Health and Environment's (EPCDHE) McMaster Center for Drug and Alcohol Treatment to start the Inside Out Program for LGBTQIA2+ youth.
The program offered support and recreational activities for LGBTQIA2+ youth as well as counseling for drug and alcohol problems. In September 1995, the Board of Inside Out was formed and began to seek support for program expansion and an increase in services for LGBTQIA2+ youth as a 501(c)3 non-profit. In 1997 Inside Out Youth Services became a nonprofit and expanded their impact. Thirty-five years later, Inside Out continues its work creating a safe space for LGBTQIA2+ youth and their allies and promoting education and outreach into the El Paso County region.
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Organization Data
Colorado Springs, CO 80905