In today’s political and philanthropic environment, it is important that public health practice, policies, and funding decisions focused on reducing HIV impact in highly-affected communities, be informed not only by evidence informed initiatives, but by exploring promises practices being implemented in those communities. We believe a new approach is required to eliminate inequalities and barriers to stable, healthy productive lives and to address the complex and inter-related issues people of trans-experience face when it comes to accessing HIV prevention, care and treatment services. Promising practices exist that are making a difference, yet little information is known or shared about them. In this session, AIDS United will engage session participants in a developmental process that will take preliminary lessons learned to date from the first cohort of grantees from its Transgender Leadership Initiative, as the basis for a broader discussion of areas where individuals and organizations serving people of trans-experience are moving the needle and making changes to improve access; discuss how we know change is happening; and to discuss what metrics need to be in place to help establish a standard of success that funders and others can consider when making their fund investment decisions.