Objective
The year-end fundraising season is crowded, and for The Trevor Project, 2023 brought additional urgency as anti-LGBTQ+ legislation surged across the U.S. We needed a campaign that wouldn’t just stand out but connect deeply, inspire action, and move donors from passive concern to engaged support.
We also faced a segmentation challenge: a significant portion of our list included new or lapsed donors—well-meaning supporters who felt aligned with the mission but were unclear on how to make a difference, especially a second time.
RESULTS
$6.1M raised · 35K+ donors · 552K+ crisis contacts supported
CLIENT
The Trevor Project
CAMPAIGN
Year-End Giving
MY ROLE
Lead Marketing Strategist
As the lead marketing strategist, I was responsible for conducting audience research, developing a comprehensive content strategy, overseeing the execution of multi-channel marketing activations, and managing stakeholder collaboration to ensure cohesive campaign messaging and successful outcomes.
Audience research & Insights
Primary Audiences: Supportive adults
To identify our highest-opportunity segments, I partnered with our development teams to analyze past giving patterns and segmentation performance. We also did qualitative interviews with key personas and reviewed brand tracker results.
The strongest signal came from a group we called "supportive adults"—parents, teachers, mentors, and allies who weren’t necessarily plugged into LGBTQ+ advocacy but were driven by a desire to help. They didn’t always see themselves as donors, but responded to messaging that was:
Personal and story-driven
Focused on hope, not fear
Clear about what action would accomplish
One data point from Trevor’s internal research stood out: LGBTQ+ young people with at least one accepting adult in their life are 40% less likely to attempt suicide. When we tested this in early-stage creative, it resonated immediately—it gave supporters a clear role and validated their instinct to care.
Did you know?
Strategy
I led the creation of a cross-channel campaign called “Be the One.” It was built on three strategic imperatives:
Clarity of Message
Use a singular, emotionally compelling insight to anchor the narrative.
Audience Relevance
Position supporters as lifesaving allies—no prior experience required.
Channel Alignment
Ensure cohesion across paid media, email, social, PR, influencer, and partnerships.
The goal wasn’t just to raise money—it was to shift mindset: from feeling overwhelmed in figuring out how to help to feeling equipped to support The Trevor Project’s lifesaving programs.
Execution
Audience Segmentation: Created audience cohorts based on recency, frequency, and lifetime value, layered with engagement scores.
Email Journey: Designed a multi-part drip series including first-touch storytelling, match urgency, and year-end push—each with variant subject lines for A/B testing.
Landing Page UX: Partnered with web and product teams to build a mobile-first page with embedded video, minimal form fields, and trust signals.
Paid Media Strategy: Allocated $350K across Meta, Google, YouTube, and programmatic, prioritizing custom lookalikes and high-intent segments.
Influencer Activation: Created content packs for creators and talent, including templated captions and data snapshots. Notable amplification from celebrity partners.
Team Collaboration: Ran weekly collaborative meetings to syncs across marketing, content, comms, and development to track metrics and optimize in real-time.
Campaign Activations
Content Strategy
Video: Featured LGBTQ+ young people sharing how The Trevor Project has provided critical support over 25 years.
Blog: How You Can Be the One
Spotlight: Be the One with Donor Mikki Brooke
Social Proof
Created quick, digestible graphics and videos for 3M+ followers.
“Be the one…” posts showcasing real-life donor stories
Landing Page
Designed a mobile-optimized, high-converting page with one-click donations.
Featured real-life testimonials from LGBTQ+ young people and donors.
Email Nuture Series
Stewardship emails built long-term relationships with donors.
Fundraising appeals aligned with key giving moments (Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday).
Personalized donor engagement based on past giving behavior.
INFLUENCER Collaborations
Partnered with Vitaminwater and the House of Avalon to amplify our message.
Earned Media
Launched a press push in late October to position Trevor as a top nonprofit for year-end giving.
PBS News: After a year of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, a lifeline for trans and nonbinary people faces cuts
The Conversation: Going home for the holidays can be challenging if you’re a young trans person – here’s how to prepare
Results
$6.1 million of dollars raised through 35,202 gifts
a 40% YoY increase and Trevor’s most successful year-end to date
766K+ Social engagement
with 52 million impressions
allowing us reach new folks to learn about our organization and bring creditability to our work
552K+ crisis contacts supported
providing life changing impact made possible by campaign revenue
Why it worked
We grounded the campaign in empathy and research, then translated that into messaging with clarity and urgency.
We made it easy for supporters to see their role and take action.
We built trust by consistently and humanely reinforcing our message across every channel.
Built year-round Pride campaign to grow donors and brand partnerships.