Supporting The Trevor Project’s Life-Saving Mission
Photo by Ashley Lukashevsky via the Trevor Project
By: Jackson Budinger
2020 has presented a myriad of challenges for all of us. But for many, it’s also ignited a fire. Whether committing to a recurring monthly donation to a Black Lives Matter organization, signing up to be a poll worker, or even just rekindling a tenuous relationship, many of us have been inspired to take action.
Our work lives have also undergone introspection. How do we spend our days? Who are we reaching and helping? Why does it matter? How can we be better, for ourselves and for our colleagues?
While this scrutiny of our lives and our work may inevitably surface some dark and difficult questions, it’s also been an undeniable opportunity for reflection and positive change.
It’s during this significant moment that LaunchSquad started working with The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ youth. Through crisis services, including 24/7 phone, chat and text options, a robust research department, and a powerful advocacy team fighting for a variety of LGBTQ rights and policies, The Trevor Project ambitiously seeks to end LGBTQ youth suicide.
Now more than ever, The Trevor Project needs PR support to spread the word about its impactful and life-saving services. It’s estimated that over 1.8 million LGBTQ young people seriously consider suicide each year in the U.S., an alarming statistic. The spread of COVID-19 and a divisive political climate have only exacerbated the emotional and mental obstacles that many LGBTQ youth face. In fact, since the start of the pandemic, the volume of youth reaching out to Trevor’s crisis services has increased significantly, at times double their pre-COVID volume.
When Trevor’s CEO Amit Paley joined in 2017, he swiftly mobilized the 20-year-old organization to adopt a startup mentality – implementing firm OKRs and mandating a technology innovation overhaul. And if there’s one thing we know at LaunchSquad, it’s startups. We’ve brought our tech and business communications expertise to this vital nonprofit and in a few short months have been able to tell stories in outlets like Fast Company about how Trevor is using innovative AI models to help save lives.
The Trevor Project also produces a steady cadence of research reports, surveying large groups of LGBTQ youth to illuminate risk factors and other mental health challenges. In addition to quarterly research reports and monthly research briefs, The Trevor Project released the largest national survey of LGBTQ youth mental health ever conducted in July 2020. These often profound data findings have allowed us an entry point with media, bringing to life a problem that many reporters may not have previously been aware of. Using Trevor’s research, we’ve landed stories in publications like Axios, POPSUGAR, and STAT.
Part of the beauty of working at an agency like LaunchSquad is that you can always find purpose and meaning in what you do. We work with such an eclectic array of companies that are all solving problems and speaking to important audiences. With The Trevor Project, we have been given the opportunity to partner with a mission-based nonprofit that is doing life-changing work. We’re looking forward to helping the team at Trevor continue to grow awareness for their crucial mission to end LGBTQ youth suicide.