Five states. Five wins. One thing in common: LGBTQ+ youth leading.

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Hello John,

I could talk about our incredible It Gets Better: Changemakers [[link removed]] grantees [[link removed]] all day, every day, and I still wouldn’t run out of words to describe the pride, honor, amazement, and joy our 2025-2026 grantees bring.

When you are investing in these projects, you are investing in LGBTQ+ youth who care. They look at their communities and ask, “How can I fill the gap?” They invest back when they need to, not when they are asked to.

In Washington, one of our grantees has a project to renovate and create a Third Space for LGBTQ+ youth to host community events, workshops, and provide resources. When they found out during the government shutdown that SNAP benefits would run out and members of their community would be without vital resources, they stepped up, began collecting food, and turned their soon-to-be space into a drop-off location. Within two weeks, they were able to gather over 2700 pounds of non-perishable food and menstrual products to be donated to two local food pantries. Proof that these young people are passionate about finding ways to better society as a whole.

Here are a few more updates on our youth-led grant projects around the country.

Michigan - Launched their literary and cultural arts workshops for LGBTQ+ youth. “Beyond the Binary is about creating space for voices that have always existed — bright, complex, and brave.” - Mentor

Alaska - Held two workshops with the community, learning how to create youth-based zines, including stamp-making and collaging skills! Stay tuned for block printing.

California - Created + delivered a week-long LGBTQ+ affirming curriculum module to all 220 students at their school

Wisconsin - Launched their LGBTQ+ youth of color mentorship program, providing cultural education, including LGBTQ+ POC history, and skill-building classes for youth. Check out the fun history of drag workshops!

That is the power of youth-based activism. This is the magic that happens when we trust LGBTQ+ youth to tell us what their communities need and trust them enough to do it.

Join us. Donate to our general end-of-year fundraiser [[link removed]] or sign up as a supporter of It Gets Better: Changemakers [[link removed]]. We’ll be opening up applications for a new grant cycle next year.

Ariella Assouline (she/her)

Senior Manager, Programs & Operations

It Gets Better

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It Gets Better is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth around the globe. All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

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