The Trevor Project

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The Trevor Project is the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.


Mission

The Trevor Project is determined to end suicide among LGBTQ youth by providing life-saving and life-affirming resources including our nationwide, 24/7 crisis intervention lifeline, digital community and advocacy/educational programs that create a safe, supportive and positive environment for everyone.


Vision

A future where the possibilities, opportunities and dreams are the same for all youth, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Organizational Values

Acceptance

Inclusiveness is one of our mantras. We are rooted in the belief that everyone should be treated like a human being regardless of their sexual identity, gender, or race. We as an organization will not turn any one away who asks for help. We will show them compassion. And, in recruiting staff and volunteers we will reflect the diversity of our community.

Commitment

We promise to deliver the best 24 hour 7 day a week telephone counseling for youth in crisis. We promise to create a safe space, through our helpline and online, for LGBTQ youth. We promise to deliver our message of suicide prevention in schools throughout the country. We promise to hire a highly qualified and professional staff and providing them with incentives. We promise to operate our board, our committees, our helpline, our offices and our events with the utmost integrity.

Innovation

We have been and will continue to be pioneers in reaching out to youth in crisis; whether it's in schools, on the helpline or online. We will be stewards in nonprofit fundraising (events, Circle of Hope, direct mail campaigns). We will be innovative in our recruiting and retention of staff, volunteers, and board members.


History of The Trevor Project

The Trevor Project was founded by writer James Lecesne, director/producer Peggy Rajski and producer Randy Stone, creators of the 1994 Academy Award®-winning short film, Trevor, a comedy/drama about a gay 13-year-old boy who, when rejected by friends because of his sexuality, makes an attempt to take his life.

When Trevor was scheduled to air on HBO® in 1998, the filmmakers realized that some of the program’s young viewers might be facing the same kind of crisis as Trevor, and began to search for an appropriate support line to broadcast during the airing. They discovered that no such helpline existed, and decided to dedicate themselves to forming what was, in their view, a much-needed resource: an organization to promote acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth, and to aid in crisis and suicide prevention among that group. Thus, The Trevor Project was born, and with seed funding provided by The Colin Higgins Foundation, The Trevor Lifeline was established and became the first and only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention lifeline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth.

Today, in addition to operating the crisis and suicide prevention lifeline, The Trevor Project provides online support to young people through the organization’s Web site, as well as lifesaving guidance and vital resources for educators and parents.


Strategic Plan

Priority Directives

(Five Year Key planned accomplishments FY2010-2015)


1. IMPACT: to increase the number of LGBTQ youth accessing program services using state-ofthe-art technology in order to reduce suicide risk.

• Maintain operations and accreditation of Trevor’s 24/7 crisis and prevention helpline

• Expand school workshop programming and implement online training

• Maintain annual evaluation of program services


2. AWARENESS: to create greater acceptance of LGBTQ youth in schools and at home through suicide prevention education to reduce peer and family rejection.

• Create formal strategic partnerships with public school districts (New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Philadelphia, and Washington DC)

• Actively engage religious communities in a dialogue for advice and support

• Promote family acceptance of LGBTQ youth


3. ADVOCACY: to advance comprehensive suicide prevention policies and mandates in schools using evidence based research in order to reduce harassment and bullying of LGBTQ youth.

• Require state youth risk assessment surveys to include sexual orientation

• Implement a successful, exportable, grass roots model for mandating suicide

prevention training in schools


4. EXPERTISE: to communicate The Trevor’s Project’s mission and scope of work as directly and sincerely as possible in order to become a respected and frequently cited resource for national media.

• Enhance our position as a one of a kind resource for LGBTQ youth and their families

• Obtain a variety of top-tier press coverage regarding the epidemic of LGBTQ youth

suicide and the programs/services offered by The Trevor Project


5. EFFICIENCY: to strengthen organizational capacity by engaging more volunteers and donors to ensure long-term sustainability.

• Establish a cultural philosophy that states “It is my privilege to solicit contributions for The Trevor Project”, resulting in a reliably funded organization whose fundraising increases year-over-year.

• Enhance the organization’s functional expense ratio so that 75% or more of our

financial resources are devoted to programmatic efforts

• Strive for geographic and gender parity on the board of directors

• Continue fundraising training for all Board members providing mentors to support one

another

• Provide meaningful involvement for all volunteers, especially engaging more women and people of color


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