Donate to It Gets Better – Support LGBTQ+ Youth
It Gets Better is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on uplifting, empowering, and connecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth around the world. This guide explains what the organization does, who benefits, how its programs are funded, and the available ways to contribute or get involved.
About It Gets Better
It Gets Better is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to uplift, empower, and connect LGBTQ+ youth around the globe. Its work combines storytelling, education, youth-led initiatives, digital resources, and community-building rather than operating primarily as a direct crisis-care provider.
What Does It Gets Better Do?
What Does It Gets Better Do?
It Gets Better uses several connected approaches to support LGBTQ+ youth:
- Storytelling and media: It publishes and amplifies stories that help young people find representation, encouragement, and connection with LGBTQ+ communities and allies.
- It Gets Better EDU: The organization offers educational content for educators, student leaders, and young people, including free resources and Youth Voices programming.
- Youth-led grantmaking: Its grant initiatives provide funding for projects created by young people to improve schools, community spaces, and access to affirming resources.
- Digital well-being resources: The organization’s imi resource helps LGBTQ+ youth explore identity, manage stress, and build resilience through digital tools.
- Global community-building: It Gets Better works with affiliates and local organizations outside the United States to support LGBTQ+ youth in different communities and countries.
Who It Helps and How
The primary beneficiaries are LGBTQ+ youth, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning young people. Educators, student leaders, families, allies, and local youth-serving groups can also benefit from its training and educational materials.
Programs are designed to meet different needs: a young person may find affirmation through a personal story, an educator may use classroom resources, and a student group may receive funding for a Pride event, inclusive library, gender-affirming closet, queer prom, arts project, or other local initiative. The organization’s global work also connects youth with regional affiliates and, when appropriate, local service providers.
Why Donate to It Gets Better?
People may choose to donate to It Gets Better because LGBTQ+ youth need both immediate affirmation and durable community infrastructure. Storytelling can reduce isolation by showing young people that others share their experiences, while education, grants, and digital tools create practical ways to make schools and communities more inclusive.
An It Gets Better donation may help fund:
- youth-led projects and grants;
- educational materials for classrooms and student leaders;
- storytelling, media, and campaigns featuring LGBTQ+ experiences;
- digital mental-health and identity resources; and
- global affiliate and community-building work.
Donors should review the latest financial documents for the most precise allocation of funds.
It Gets Better Impact
The organization’s 2025 impact report provides the most recent figures identified in this review. It reports:
- More than 2 million people engaged with It Gets Better stories in 2025, including 655,000 youth ages 13–24.
- Since 2022, $1.6 million was invested in 172 youth-led projects across 48 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and nine Canadian provinces.
- The imi digital mental-health resource supported 205,000 people since 2022, including 35,000 in 2025.
- Nearly 1 million people, including 8,526 educators, accessed It Gets Better EDU resources and Youth Voices content in 2025.
- The organization’s 2025 Digital Pride Experience included 130 LGBTQ+ streamers and 350 hours of Twitch programming.
These figures are organization-reported and describe reach, funding, and participation; they should not be interpreted as an independent evaluation of outcomes.
Is It Gets Better Legit?
Several public indicators support evaluating It Gets Better as an established nonprofit. The organization identifies itself as a 501(c)(3), and its public nonprofit profile uses EIN 26-1906629. Its official annual report states that it received a 100 score on Charity Navigator and held a Platinum GuideStar rating; because third-party ratings and profiles can change, donors should verify the current status directly with Charity Navigator and Candid/GuideStar.
The organization also publishes annual reports and financial information on its website. Independent coverage has documented its development from a 2010 storytelling initiative into a broader nonprofit with education, grantmaking, digital resources, and global community programs. These indicators can help with due diligence, but donors should still read the latest Form 990, review governance information, and confirm that the current programs match their giving priorities.