The Trevor Project

The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project · Public domain · source
Name	The Trevor Project
Formation	1998
Founders	Randy Stone
Type	Nonprofit organization
Purpose	Crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth
Headquarters	West Hollywood, California

The Trevor Project is a nonprofit organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth. Founded in 1998, it operates national helplines, digital chat services, and public education initiatives, and collaborates with schools, healthcare systems, and policymakers. The organization engages with media, research, and advocacy networks to address youth mental health and suicide risk among sexual and gender minority populations.

History

The organization originated from the Emmy-winning short film Trevor (short film), produced by Randy Stone, after which activists and artists including Ellen DeGeneres, Patricia Heaton, Melissa Etheridge, Neil Patrick Harris, and Gavin Creel helped create a crisis line modeled on precedents such as Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Crisis Text Line, and Lifeline (Australia). Early leadership drew on figures affiliated with Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, Lambda Legal, ACLU, and PFLAG while consulting clinicians from American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, and National Association of Social Workers. Fundraising events featured celebrities from The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Saturday Night Live, Grey's Anatomy, and Glee, and alliances formed with institutions like Harvard University, Stanford University, UCLA, and University of California, Los Angeles. Over time the group expanded services with grants from private donors and foundations similar to Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Gates Foundation, and corporate partnerships with Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Apple. Major program developments paralleled public policy moments, including debates in the Supreme Court of the United States, legislative actions such as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act discussions, and cultural shifts highlighted by events like Stonewall riots anniversaries and Pride marches in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago.

Services and Programs

Core offerings include 24/7 lifeline services via telephone, text, and online chat, modeled after services such as National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and integrated with platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok to reach youth. Clinical training and curricula are provided to educators and counselors affiliated with Department of Education (United States), school districts in New York City Department of Education, and universities including Columbia University, University of Michigan, University of Texas at Austin, and University of Florida. Prevention programs incorporate approaches cited by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and research institutions such as Johns Hopkins University and Yale University. Allyship and policy toolkits for administrators reference best practices from GLSEN, The Trevor Project-style frameworks used alongside resources from SAMHSA, National Institutes of Health, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Outreach campaigns have collaborated with entertainment properties like Marvel Comics, HBO, Netflix, and Disney Channel to promote messaging during events such as Pride Month and Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Impact and Research

The organization sponsors and publishes research on suicide risk among LGBTQ youth in collaboration with academic partners such as The Trevor Project-affiliated studies with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Yale School of Medicine, UCLA School of Law, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, and research centers at University of California, San Francisco. Surveys and reports cite data comparable to studies by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Gallup, Pew Research Center, and The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. Findings have been discussed in venues ranging from congressional hearings with members of United States Senate and United States House of Representatives to panels at World Economic Forum and conferences hosted by American Academy of Pediatrics and Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Impact evaluations reference methodology from RAND Corporation, Kaiser Family Foundation, Mathematica Policy Research, and Brookings Institution analyses.

Funding and Governance

Funding has combined private philanthropy, corporate partnerships, government grants, and individual donations, with comparisons drawn to revenue models used by nonprofits like Common Sense Media, Planned Parenthood, Amnesty International, and Doctors Without Borders. Major donors and partners have included entities in the tech and entertainment sectors such as Amazon (company), Netflix, Spotify, Walt Disney Company, and Warner Bros., alongside foundation support reminiscent of Annenberg Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, and Carnegie Corporation. Governance is overseen by a board of directors and executive staff with backgrounds linked to institutions like Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic, Mount Sinai Health System, Columbia University, and legal counsel networks involving Sidley Austin, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and Covington & Burling alumni. Financial reporting practices align with standards used by Internal Revenue Service filings for 501(c)(3) organizations and auditing conventions from firms such as Deloitte, Ernst & Young, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Controversies and Criticism

The organization has faced scrutiny similar to other national nonprofits regarding fundraising transparency, governance, and program efficacy debated in outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and The Guardian. Critiques reference disputes over clinical best practices advocated by groups such as American Academy of Pediatrics and counterpoints from organizations like Family Research Council and Alliance Defending Freedom. Debates have intersected with policy controversies involving state legislatures in Florida, Texas, Idaho, Arkansas, and national legal actions heard before the Supreme Court of the United States, and prompted responses from advocacy networks including Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, Lambda Legal, National Center for Transgender Equality, and PFLAG. Independent evaluations and investigative reporting by outlets such as ProPublica and think tanks like Heritage Foundation and Cato Institute have fueled public discussion about the balance of clinical autonomy, parental rights, and youth confidentiality in crisis services.

Category:LGBT health organizations