Iola Foundation

THE MISSION OF THE IT GETS BETTER PROJECT IS TO UPLIFT, EMPOWER, AND CONNECT LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, AND QUEER (LGBTQ+) YOUTH AROUND THE GLOBE. ITS VISION IS A WORLD WHERE ALL LGBTQ+ YOUTH ARE FREE TO LIVE EQUALLY AND KNOW THEIR WORTHINESS AND POWER AS INDIVIDUALS.

MEDIA:THE IT GETS BETTER PROJECT'S STORYTELLING CAMPAIGN IS AT THE CENTER OF ITS GLOBAL EFFORT TO EMPOWER LGBTQ+ YOUTH. EVERY IT GETS BETTER STORY OFFERS A UNIQUE AND WISDOM-INFUSED PERSPECTIVE, BUT THE MESSAGE IN EACH IS THE SAME: SHOWING LGBTQ+ YOUTH THAT, WHATEVER THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES, LIFE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE, I.E., IT GETS BETTER. THIS SIMPLE MESSAGE HAS BEEN TRANSLATED ACROSS ALL FORMS OF MEDIA, INCLUDING SOCIAL MEDIA, TELEVISION SPECIALS, BEST-SELLING BOOKS, THEATER, MUSEUM EXHIBITS AND MORE, AND HAS ATTRACTED MILLIONS OF FOLLOWERS AND SUPPORTERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. THE IT GETS BETTER PROJECT IS THE DESTINATION FOR LGBTQ+ YOUTH EXPLORING THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND/OR GENDER IDENTITY.IN 2021, THE IT GETS BETTER PROJECT COLLECTED AND SHARED DOZENS OF POWERFUL AND INSPIRING STORIES ATTRACTING MORE THAN 400K VISITORS TO ITGETSBETTER.ORG WITH IT GETS BETTER STORIES VIEWED MORE THAN 7.2 MILLION TIMES ACROSS FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE, INSTAGRAM, TUMBLR, TIKTOK, AND TWITCH. POPULAR STORIES OF THE YEAR INCLUDED MARGARET CHO, KYLE DEAN MASSEY, TRAVIS FLORES, KYNE SANTOS, KALEN ALLEN, LAVERNE COX, MARK KANEMURA, MJ RODRIGUEZ, ZACHARY QUINTO, CALLE Y POCHE, RYAN O'CONNELL, AND PABLLO VITTAR. THE IT GETS BETTER PROJECT ALSO RELEASED TWO ORIGINAL WEB SERIES, PASSION POWER PERFORMANCE: OUT & TRAINING FOR THE TOKYO OLYMPICS AND THE AWARD-WINNING WRITING OUR OWN DICTIONARY - EACH REACHING MILLIONS OF YOUNG LGBTQ+ PEOPLE ACROSS THE US AND AROUND THE WORLD.

GLOBAL:THE IT GETS BETTER PROJECT FOSTERS A GLOBAL COMMUNITY BY CULTIVATING A GROWING SLATE OF INTERNATIONAL, LIKE-MINDED ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE EMBRACED OUR MISSION TO SUPPORT LGBTQ+ YOUTH IN THEIR HOME COUNTRIES; BY SPEARHEADING GLOBAL GRANTMAKING INITIATIVES TO ELEVATE THE WORK OF ORGANIZATIONS SERVING LGBTQ+ YOUTH; BY ENGAGING WITH YOUNG LGBTQ+ PEOPLE BOTH ON AND OFFLINE THROUGH SPECIAL EVENTS; AND BY CURATING SAFE VIRTUAL SPACES VIA SOCIAL MEDIA WHERE LGBTQ+ YOUTH CAN CONNECT AND ENGAGE WITH ONE ANOTHER.THE IT GETS BETTER GLOBAL AFFILIATE NETWORK NOW SPANS 19 COUNTRIES WITH THE 2021 INTRODUCTION OF IT GETS BETTER PANAMA. THE IT GETS BETTER PROJECT'S GLOBAL STORYTELLING EFFORTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN 8 LANGUAGES: ENGLISH, SPANISH, PORTUGUESE, RUSSIAN, GERMAN, GREEK, FRENCH, AND HUNGARIAN. THE IT GETS BETTER PROJECT OFFERS ITS AFFILIATES CONTINUING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FORM OF GLOBAL SUMMITS. IN 2021, THE EVENT FEATURED EIGHT SESSIONS WITH 30 PANELISTS INCLUDING IT GETS BETTER YOUTH VOICES, MENTAL HEALTH EXPERTS, NONPROFIT PROFESSIONALS, SOCIAL ACTIVISTS, AND SOCIAL INFLUENCERS COVERING TOPICS OF GLOBAL INTEREST LIKE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, IMMIGRATION REFORM, AND RACIAL JUSTICE.LAUNCHED IN 2017, THE IT GETS BETTER PROJECT'S GLOBAL GRANTMAKING INITIATIVE HAS AWARDED MORE THAN $400K IN GRANTS TO INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS SERVING THE NEEDS OF LGBTQ+ YOUTH. GLOBAL GRANTMAKING TOTALED $67,500 IN 2021 AND SUPPORTED CAPACITY BUILDING AND/OR STORYTELLING INITIATIVES IN MEXICO, CANADA, COLOMBIA, HUNGARY, GUATEMALA, AND TAIWAN. FURTHER, AN ADDITIONAL $16,338 IN DISCRETIONARY MICROGRANTS FOR ORGANIZATIONS SERVING BIPOC AND TRANS COMMUNITIES WAS AWARDED TO QUEER WOMEN OF COLOR MEDIA ARTS PROJECT, KESHET, BLACK AIDS INSTITUTE, LATINO EQUALITY ALLIANCE, NATIONAL QUEER AND TRANS THERAPISTS OF COLOR NETWORK, UNITED WE DREAM, WAVES AHEAD, THE OKRA PROJECT, GATE AND BREAKOUT!

EDUCATION:THE IT GETS BETTER PROJECT'S EDUCATION PROGRAM, IT GETS BETTER EDU, CONVERTS POPULAR IT GETS BETTER MEDIA CONTENT INTO GUIDES DESIGNED TO HELP FACILITATE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE LGBTQ+ EXPERIENCE IN THE CLASSROOM. THREE NEW EDUGUIDES WERE RELEASED IN 2021, INCLUDING SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS FOR PASSION POWER PERFORMANCE: OUT & TRAINING FOR THE TOKYO OLYMPICS AND WRITING OUR OWN DICTIONARY - TWO IT GETS BETTER ORIGINAL PRODUCTIONS. THOUSANDS OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS WERE DOWNLOADED FROM ITGETSBETTER.ORG BY EDUCATORS THROUGHOUT 2021 TO REACH TENS OF THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS GRAPPLING WITH THE CHALLENGES OF REMOTE LEARNING.NOW IN ITS SECOND YEAR, THE IT GETS BETTER PROJECT'S YOUTH AMBASSADOR PROGRAM YOUTH VOICES CONTINUES TO ILLUSTRATE THE IMMEASURABLE ENERGY AND PASSION YOUNG LGBTQ+ PEOPLE HAVE FOR CREATING A WORLD THAT EXCEPTS THEM AS THEY ARE. DURING THE 2021/2022 ACADEMIC YEAR, WE WELCOMED 13 DIVERSE AND PASSIONATE LGBTQ+ YOUTH TO THE PROGRAM. THESE EXCEPTIONAL YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE IT GETS BETTER PROJECT TO OFFER THEIR UNIQUE STORIES AND WORDS OF ADVICE TO OTHER LGBTQ+ YOUTH AROUND THE GLOBE. THEY ARE STUDENTS, ARTISTS, AND ACTIVISTS WHO ARE WORKING TO CHANGE THEIR COMMUNITIES FOR THE BETTER AND WHO HAVE EMPOWERING INSIGHTS TO LEND TO THEIR LGBTQ+ PEERS.IN NOVEMBER 2021, THE IT GETS BETTER PROJECT, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AMERICA EAGLE AND AERIE, LAUNCHED A $500K GRANT INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT LGBTQ+ INCLUSION IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS ACROSS THE US. THE PROGRAM, 50 STATES 50 GRANTS 5,000 VOICES, WILL AIM TO FUND 1-2 PROJECTS WITH THE CAPACITY TO IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE OF LGBTQ+ STUDENTS AT SCHOOL IN EVERY US STATE, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND POPULATED US TERRITORY. GRANTS WILL BE VALUED AT UP TO $10K EACH AND WILL BE SELECTED AND DISTRIBUTED FOR THE 2022-2023 ACADEMIC YEAR.