Rick-Arlo Yah-Lira (he/him/él)

Rick-Arlo is a speaker, strategist, and community trainer who centers liberation for Indigenous, immigrant, and 2SLGBTQ+ communities. As a gay, formerly undocumented Indigenous Maya Yucateco and Mexican immigrant, he brings lived experience and professional expertise to every room he enters—resisting erasure, reclaiming power, and building movements from the margins.

For more than eight years, Rick-Arlo has shaped philanthropic strategy and movement-building by leading major gifts and individual giving programs for civil rights organizations at the national, state, and regional levels. He currently serves as Major Gifts Officer for Lambda Legal National Defense and Education Fund in the Western Region, advancing the nation’s oldest and largest legal organization fighting for 2SLGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV. His previous roles include Associate Director of Donor Relations at Equality California and Silver State Equality, as well as leadership in fundraising and donor relations at the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties and the San Diego LGBT Community Center.

Rick-Arlo is driven to dismantle traditional philanthropy and replace it with community-centered models rooted in accountability, collective power, and long-term investment in those most impacted by injustice. He mentors emerging BIPOC fundraisers, advises grassroots organizations pro bono, and consults on equity-centered fundraising practices. A former board member of AFP San Diego, he currently serves on the boards of San Diego Pride and Humanitarian Outreach for Migrant Emotional Health. Nationally, he sits on the Human Rights

Campaign’s Board of Governors, co-chairing regional fundraising and local political efforts. He is also a graduate of the HRC BIPOC Leadership Institute and an advisor to the HRSí Working Group elevating Latine leadership.

When he’s not organizing, Rick-Arlo explores local food scenes with his rescue pup, Cali Burrito.