It Gets Better Project fights anti-LGBT bullying and spreads awareness with the help of FBB

It Gets Better Project, our second-quarter 2012 human rights beneficiary, gave us this report about how they are using the funds contributed by members of Foundation Beyond Belief. Members donated $7,650 to It Gets Better Project last quarter.

On behalf of the It Gets Better Project™, I would like to sincerely thank you for the wonderful contribution that you have made to our organization. Our Project is honored to have the support of the thousands of volunteers and donors that make up Foundation Beyond Belief. We are especially thrilled to be in the company of incredible groups such as PFLAG and Equality Now who have also been beneficiaries of your Foundation’s important work.

The money that the Foundation has donated to our Project will make a positive impact on our ability to continue providing messages of hope to LGBT youth around the world, and to address the rampant issue of anti-LGBT bullying. As we continue to grow and have an even stronger international presence, contributions such as yours become even more vital to maintaining our ability to accomplish our mission.

Below is an estimation of how our Project will use the $7,650 donated by Foundation members:

• Safe Messaging Program: $2,000 – The It Gets Better Project works to ensure that all of the content uploaded to its website (www.itgetsbetter.org) and social media platforms, and thus distributed to young people, is safe for viewing, particularly by LGBT youth. We review the content of each user-submitted video to make sure that there are no pro-suicide messages or any other messages that might lead to physical or emotional harm, consistent with our organization’s Safe Messaging Policy. Approximately 40% of your organization’s generous contribution will be dedicated to this program.
  
  
• International Affiliate Program: $2,000 – Approximately 25% of the total contribution will be budgeted for our International Affiliate Program, which seeds and supports affiliated projects like ours around the world. We have launched four of these already (in Sweden, Denmark, Australia, and Latin America), and have many more in development. This program enables the It Gets Better Project to fight toward an end to LGBT bullying and to coordinate international efforts to advocate for pro-LGBT laws. It also brings it gets better videos, social media content, and events to young people across the globe.
  
  
• BetterLegal: $1,500 – Approximately 20% of the total contribution will be spent on a new program, called BetterLegal, which we are excited to launch this summer. This innovative new program is premised on the notion that the library of content amassed over two years by the It Gets Better Project can provide a powerful tool to illustrate the challenges confronting LGBT youth, through videos and written testimonials, in a manner that is compelling in the courtroom and in the community at large. BetterLegal provides support to participating legal services organizations handling pro-LGBT cases and advocacy work, by supplying it gets better videos and other content that can be used as source material in legal documents, in community education materials, and in legislative advocacy efforts. Use of this content enhances a legal services organization’s ability to advocate and educate on behalf of LGBT youth. Your organization’s donation will be used to train volunteers, develop additional technical capacity, and produce documentation for BetterLegal.
  
  
• Schools and Libraries Project: $1,150 – The book It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying and Creating a Life Worth Living is a fantastic resource for young people and adults in schools and communities around the country. The book, first published in 2011, presents stories from over 100 different authors and shares positive messages of hope with those who read it. Our Schools and Libraries Project seeks to spread these messages of hope by providing a mechanism for our supporters to donate copies of the book to local libraries or schools of their choosing. A portion of the funds from your contribution will go toward maintaining and growing this Project.

Thank you, once again, from all of us here at the It Gets Better Project. We are truly appreciative of your support. 

Sincerely, 
Seth Levy, General Counsel 
It Gets Better Project