The Trevor Project, the nation’s leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ youth, has received a $45 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the largest single gift in the nonprofit’s 27-year history.
The contribution arrives during a turbulent period for the organization, which lost federal funding earlier this year while demand for LGBTQ+ mental health services continues to climb across the United States and beyond. Leaders at The Trevor Project say the gift provides stability, but not a finish line.
“This investment strengthens our foundation,” CEO Jaymes Black said in a statement, “but the crisis facing LGBTQ+ young people remains urgent.”
A Record-Setting Donation With Long-Term Impact
Scott’s donation follows a $6 million gift she made to The Trevor Project in 2020, signaling continued confidence in the organization’s mission and operations. While Scott is known for offering unrestricted funding to nonprofits she supports, Trevor leadership emphasized that the funds will be deployed deliberately, with an eye toward sustainability rather than short-term fixes.
The organization operates 24/7 crisis services across the U.S. and Mexico, while also hosting TrevorSpace, a moderated social platform used by LGBTQ+ youth worldwide. Leaders say the funding will help strengthen core services, improve infrastructure, and expand reach, particularly as more young people seek support.
A Crisis That’s Growing, Not Slowing
Despite its scale, The Trevor Project reaches only a portion of LGBTQ+ youth in need. An estimated 1.8 million LGBTQ+ young people in the U.S. seriously consider suicide each year. In Mexico, more than half of LGBTQ+ youth reported suicidal thoughts within the past year. Globally, that number is estimated to reach 40 million.
Research consistently shows LGBTQ+ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide compared to their peers. Trevor’s own recent studies indicate rising levels of anxiety, depression, and suicidality, underscoring the need for expanded services rather than retrenchment.
Even at peak capacity, Trevor officials say hundreds of thousands of young people go without support annually, a gap the organization hopes to narrow, though not eliminate, with this new funding.
How the Funds Will Be Used
Trevor leadership says the $45 million gift will be invested over time, with plans to bolster crisis response, develop new technology tools, and reinforce long-term financial health. The organization also plans to continue funding research and advocacy efforts aimed at creating safer environments for LGBTQ+ youth.
Still, leaders stress that private philanthropy alone cannot solve a public health emergency of this scale.
“This gift doesn’t replace the need for ongoing community support,” Black said. “It helps us build toward a future where fewer young people reach a crisis point.”
A Message Beyond the Numbers
Beyond its financial impact, Scott’s donation carries symbolic weight. At a time when LGBTQ+ youth face heightened political scrutiny and social stigma, the gift sends a clear signal of solidarity.
For Trevor staff, volunteers, and the young people who rely on its services, the donation represents something more personal: reassurance that their lives matter, and that support systems, while strained, are still fighting to keep up.
