shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use The Trevor Project?

24/7 suicide prevention and crisis support for LGBTQ+ young people - thetrevorproject.org

Depends. If you are an LGBTQ+ young person in crisis, this is a free, top-rated 24/7 service worth using despite mixed user reviews and funding turbulence. Adults in crisis, medical emergencies, and anyone shopping for software should look elsewhere.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~30 public sources; several snippets were truncated, so some ratings context is partial.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

Free

All crisis services

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • LGBTQ+ youth in crisis
  • Parents seeking affirming guidance
  • Donors vetting a 4-star charity
  • Researchers needing youth mental-health data

Not for

  • Adults — Trevor serves LGBTQ+ youth only; call 988 instead
  • Medical or psychiatric emergencies — use 911 or an ER
  • Software buyers — this is a nonprofit hotline, not a tool
  • Anyone needing fast, consistently helpful chat responses

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Serves youth only; adults in crisis need other lines like 988.

high

Federal funding for the LGBTQ+ 988 subline ended July 2025; access routes changed.

medium

Financial strain reported since 2023; budget cuts could affect service availability.

medium

Online chat draws complaints; phone line may be the better channel.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free 24/7 crisis line: phone, chat, and text
  • 4/4 stars on Charity Navigator
  • Called a solid resource for parents by Common Sense Media
  • Publishes extensive, cited research on LGBTQ+ youth mental health
  • Mature ops stack (Okta, Asana, Vonage) with automation savings

Cons

  • Multiple Reddit users report unhelpful crisis-line interactions
  • Reported financial woes and staff dissension in 2023
  • Lost the federal LGBTQ+ 988 subline in July 2025
  • Glassdoor snippet shows only 39% employee approval
  • Reddit post claims the staff union is suing the org

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/27/2026 - 10 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x1review x4news x5

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • Free

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free 24/7 crisis support
  • Ease of use: 3/5. Chat complaints; mixed reports
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Phone, chat, text, research, resources
  • Support quality: 2/5. Multiple 'not helpful' user reports
  • Security posture: 3/5. Security engineer hired; no breaches found
  • 4/4 stars Charity Navigator Top-tier charity rating
  • 2,373 Employees 2023, per Wikipedia
  • Free Cost to users 24/7 phone, chat, text

Pricing

All crisis services

Free

  • 24/7 phone line
  • Chat and text support
  • Supported by donations and volunteers

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Life-saving for some users, but several Reddit threads describe unhelpful crisis-line experiences, and staff morale appears strained.

“The Trevor Project saved my life. Now it's losing millions in...”
Reddit, r/lgbt
“The trevor project is not helpful.”
Reddit, r/lgbt
“Rant about the Trevor Line”
Reddit, r/lgbt
Full analysis

Based on ~30 public sources; several snippets were truncated, so some ratings context is partial.

Free 24/7 crisis line for LGBTQ+ youth, 4/4 charity rating; mixed reviews and 2025 funding cuts. Adults: use 988.

Methodology

Based on ~30 public sources; several snippets were truncated, so some ratings context is partial.

Sources

  1. The Trevor Project - Get Helpthetrevorproject.org
    official
  2. The Trevor Project - Charity Navigatorcharitynavigator.org
    review
  3. Working at The Trevor Project - Glassdoorglassdoor.com
    review
  4. The Trevor Project - Common Sense Mediacommonsensemedia.org
    review
  5. The trevor project is not helpful - Redditreddit.com
    review
  6. Trevor Project in crisis amid financial woes - Washington Bladewashingtonblade.com
    news
  7. The Trevor Project Lost Funding - TIMEtime.com
    news
  8. Trump's restored LGBTQ+ 988 line excludes Trevor Project - Advocateadvocate.com
    news
  9. Trump administration ends LGBTQ+ youth hotline - Maine Publicmainepublic.org
    news
  10. How The Trevor Project Saves 5,500 Hours and $300K with Oktaokta.com
    news

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