The Trevor Project recognizes that each of their supporters is unique and crucial to their mission. Supporters were already raising funds organically through Facebook, but The Trevor Project was looking for a way to engage with their donors more meaningfully in this space.Trevor wanted their approach to social fundraising to reflect their values of inclusivity, appreciation, and with a focus on relationship building and centering the LGBTQ community.
The Trevor Project partnered with GoodUnited to host a 50-Mile Walk/Run Challenge on Facebook—a virtual month-long event that encourages participants to fundraise through activity logging, support/tips, milestones, and Group conversations.
It took only three days to surpass the event’s fundraising goal. Trevor upped their ad budget, increasing new participants and donations.
Most importantly, participants spontaneously shared their stories, deepening community connections and support for LGBTQ youth—exactly what The Trevor Project had hoped to see when they piloted the Challenge.
The 50-Mile Challenge raised an incredible amount of money to support a number of initiatives within the organization, including their advocacy work, research, and growth of staff to better support the mission overall.
In fact, its success started a new conversation: how The Trevor Project can engage and retain their new community of fundraisers.
The organization harnessed the momentum and immediately began their second Challenge on Facebook: a 51-Mile Pride Ride Challenge. At the time of this study, The Trevor Project had already surpassed $1.5M in revenue, 53k leads, 41k donations, and 32k group members.
The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning) young people. The organization works to provide life-saving services including their flagship life line—24/7 crisis counseling via phone, text, and chat — as well as:
TrevorSpace - an affirming, international social platform for LGBTQ young people that provides a safe space online for young people to explore their identity, get support and connect.
Advocacy - at the community, city, state, and federal levels for policies and laws that protect LGBTQ youth.
Innovative - intersectional research of the unique suicide risk factors faced by into LGBTQ youth and the ecosystems that harm and support them.
Resources - such as the National Mental Health Survey, the largest annual survey of LGBTQ young people, and educational materials for schools and companies regarding issues affecting LGBTQ youth and their allies.
