category finalist
mfilippelli@orci.com
In 2025, queer youth in the United States were navigating one of the most volatile cultural environments in recent memory. Political rhetoric targeting LGBTQ+ communities was escalating, corporate allies were becoming more cautious, and many young people were facing rejection from families, schools, and communities during a formative moment in their lives.
At the same time, the organizations working to support them were facing their own challenge: donor fatigue. The fundraising space for progressive causes had become crowded and uncertain, and potential supporters were increasingly hesitant to give. Younger audiences often lacked the financial means to contribute, while older donors wanted proof that their money was truly making a difference.
It Gets Better, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering queer youth through mentorship, grants, and educational resources, needed a campaign that could cut through that hesitation by demonstrating both the urgency of the moment and the tangible impact of every contribution.
Our answer was The Bigger Picture.
The idea was built around a simple truth: when young people are struggling to survive in the present, they need help seeing a future. And when donors are deciding whether to give, they need to see the full impact their support can create. “The Bigger Picture” connected those two perspectives. For queer youth, it offered hope beyond the challenges they face today. For donors,
it showed how every contribution, no matter the size, could expand opportunities for the next generation.
The campaign itself became an exercise in unlocking that bigger picture. Through donations and shared milestones, audiences unlocked exclusive messages, performances, and appearances from LGBTQ+ advocates and allies including Scott Evans, Guillermo Díaz, Karla Mosley, Mike Manning, and Noah Wyle. Each milestone revealed new content, turning participation into collective progress.
Transparency was central to the campaign. Every touchpoint, from social posts and email outreach to live-streamed events, clearly communicated where donations were going and how they would support It Gets Better’s programs. Contributions directly fund changemaker grants that empower queer youth to launch their own initiatives, mentorship programs connecting youth across the country, educational resources for families, and global partnerships that expand access to support networks.
Most importantly, the campaign was shaped by the voices of the community it was designed to support. It Gets Better’s youth ambassadors collaborated directly with the creative team to refine messaging in their own voice, appearing in campaign content and helping lead outreach across social and email channels. Their stories made the mission tangible for donors.
The campaign culminated in Queerathon, a live-streamed fundraising event on Twitch featuring queer youth hosts, interviews, gaming streams, and community-driven entertainment. Viewers were able to donate in real time while connecting with the community they were supporting.
The results showed what happens when purpose and creativity work together. The campaign raised over $190,000, surpassing its original $150,000 goal and becoming It Gets Better’s largest fundraising moment of 2025—outperforming even Pride. The organization also saw a 12% year-over-year increase in recurring monthly donors, reaching its highest level ever.
But the most important impact goes far beyond fundraising. Every dollar raised helps queer youth build programs, communities, and futures that might otherwise feel out of reach. Because when people come together to see the bigger picture, they can help create a better one.
