The It Gets Better Project, the world’s largest storytelling effort to uplift, empower, and connect LGBTQ+ youth around the globe, is proud to announce that TikTok has become the organization’s second Legacy Partner, signifying a lifetime contribution of $1 million or more. TikTok achieved this recognition in a little more than a year.
The It Gets Better Project has seen enormous growth in their social following, particularly on TikTok where over the past year LGBTQ+ youth have found community and a safe place for self-expression, becoming the most followed LGBTQ+ nonprofit on the platform. In addition to financial gifts, TikTok has provided ad credits to amplify It Gets Better videos to relevant audiences, supported crucial It Gets Better campaigns and Pride activations, and given the organization access to the TikTok content partnerships team to better tailor and create supportive content for their LGBTQ+ youth audience.
“Through financial support and access to a passionate content partnerships team, TikTok has helped the It Gets Better Project to create an incredible strategy to empower LGBTQ+ young people around the world," said Brian Wenke, Executive Director of the It Gets Better Project. "We are building deeper connections with the global LGBTQ+ community and providing young queer people with the guidance they need to successfully navigate a sexual orientation and/or gender identity journey – and we are doing it in a way that allows them to effectively process, and subsequently enjoy, the information."
TikTok has shown incredible support to the It Gets Better Project and helped reach millions by hosting the launch of It Gets Better’s back-to-school campaign, #Queerbook in 2020. Following the success of last year’s campaign, with nearly 43 million views and thousands of participants, the 2021 Queerbook campaign launches today, September 13th on TikTok. This viral campaign will kick off with popular queer influencers such as Julian Burzynski, Kidd Kenn, and TonyTalks sharing their own inspiring “yearbook” quotes using a custom TikTok filter along with #Queerbook to reassure LGBTQ+ youth that there is light at the end of the tunnel and it does get better.
“Building and supporting community is at the heart of everything we do at TikTok,” said Brett Peters, Education and Philanthropy Content Partnerships Lead, TikTok. “Our community would not be what it is without the tireless work of non-profit organizations committed to advancing LGBTQ+ causes that support each one of us. We’re proud to be named a legacy partner to the It Gets Better Project and looking forward to furthering our work together to help even more youth feel free to be their most authentic selves.”
In 2020, TikTok live streamed the organization’s online Pride celebration, It Gets Better: A Digital Pride Experience, resulting in a viewership of more than 300K people over the course of the three day event. Last year, the It Gets Better Project was also honored to be a participant in TikTok’s Creative Learning Fund (CLF), which enhanced It Gets Better Project’s ability to share stories that uplift, empower and connect LGBTQ+ youth and has provided the organization with unprecedented reach to a global audience. Through this program, the It Gets Better Project has launched a new platform-specific fundraising effort to sustain their life-affirming work in the digital space, and has grown their following exponentially. To further their education on LGBTQ+ topics, TikTok will be one of the first partners to have access to a new Employee Resource Series initiative housed under It Gets Better EDU, entitled “Working It Out,” which aims to help employees better understand the LGBTQ+ community and offers ways to be better allies in the workplace through interactive presentations.
Further information on upcoming projects will be available over the next few months at www.itgetsbetter.org.
