2026-09-15T11:58:02-05:00 2025-12-31 954557617 Harrington Group CPAs LLP 2698 Mataro Street Pasadena CA 91107 990 2025-01-01 261906629 IOLA Foundation IOLA 3237824934 7190 W Sunset Blvd 504 Los Angeles CA 90046 Paul Dien Chair & President 3237824934 2026-09-15 1 Jason K Stelling EA P02456446 6264036801 2025 It Gets Better Project Paul Dien 7190 W Sunset Blvd 504 Los Angeles CA 90046 1792286 0 X www.itgetsbetter.org X 2008 CA The mission of It Gets Better 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, connect to their communities, and know their power as individuals. 9 9 12 10 0 0 2123652 1792244 0 0 1147 42 12088 0 2136887 1792286 232032 252500 0 0 1506367 1015632 0 0 195021 740093 268806 2478492 1536938 -341605 255348 524299 719525 64307 4185 459992 715340 X It Gets Better's mission is to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth around the globe. 0 0 504601 252500 It Gets Better EDU exists to ensure our uplifting and informative stories reach LGBTQ+ youth and their peers wherever learning takes place. With an impactful youth ambassador program, student-driven grantmaking initiatives, and a growing library of free educational resources for educators and student leaders, thousands of middle and high school students engage with It Gets Better EDU programming every year.In 2025, It Gets Better EDU, with support from American Eagle, the MAC Viva Glam Foundation, Humble Bundle, and Tumblr, returned with season four of It Gets Better: Changemakers. We awarded $252,500 in grants to 27 schools and community organizations throughout the United States. Grants supported a range of LGBTQ+ inclusive projects, from community art projects and queer proms to launching Genders & Sexualities Alliances and Pride celebrations. Since 2022, It Gets Better has distributed more than $1.6 million in grants through this program to support 170 projects across the United States and Canada.Throughout the year, our Youth Voices ambassadors proved themselves to be powerful spokespeople for both It Gets Better and their peers. Two ambassadors kicked off the year by hosting the discussion "Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth in Challenging Times" for an audience of educators, school administrators, and nonprofit professionals at SXSW EDU. Youth Voices ambassadors also led street teams of their peers to document Pride celebrations in eight cities around the country and participated in panel discussions for Mental Health Awareness Month, Pride Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and Trans Day of Remembrance. We capped off 2025 with two Youth Voices alums being named to GLAAD's annual 20 Under 20 list.This year, It Gets Better took over stewardship of imi, the digital mental health resource created in collaboration with Hopelab and CenterLink. More than 230,000 people have found support through imi since 2022, including 50,000 unique users in 2025 alone.In total, roughly 991,000 people, including 8,526 educators, accessed It Gets Better EDU resources and engaged with Youth Voices-generated content in 2025. 367763 Storytelling is at the heart of our effort to empower LGBTQ+ youth around the globe. We share stories that inspire hope, stories that spark conversations, and stories that can inform and positively influence a sexual orientation and/or gender identity journey. Every It Gets Better story offers a unique, wisdom-infused perspective designed to show LGBTQ+ youth that through community, shared experiences, and life-affirming resources, things can and will get better. This simple message of hope has been translated across all forms of media, including social media, television specials, best-selling books, theater, museum exhibits and more. It has attracted millions of followers and supporters from around the world. It Gets Better is the destination for LGBTQ+ youth exploring their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.In 2025, It Gets Better shared uplifting content and messages that reached a global audience of more than 2 million people across TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, Facebook, Tumblr, LinkedIn, and Bluesky, and more than 190,000 unique visitors explored ItGetsBetter.org, our information-rich website, to engage with resources designed to inform LGBTQ+ youth on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity journey. Each year, we are engaging with roughly 655,000 young people through our media and website channels.In response to pivotal cultural and political moments, It Gets Better created timely storytelling campaigns to remind LGBTQ+ youth they are seen, valued, and worthy of joy. For Valentine's Day, our "See Us, Love Us" campaign featured real-life LGBTQ+ couples, best friends, siblings, and chosen family members in a series of photos and videos celebrating queer love in all its forms. As book bans and attacks on LGBTQ+ language continued to dominate headlines, we developed the "Banned Words" crossword puzzle, a storytelling and engagement campaign that turned censorship into connection. In July, we launched our first Summer Reading Challenge, a campaign that celebrated queer literature and more than a dozen LGBTQ+ authors while raising funds to support LGBTQ+ youth. We refreshed the traditional "It Gets Better" video format by asking guests to finish the sentence: "It Gets Better When..." The series launched with Karla Mosley, star of the CBS soap opera Beyond the Gates, whose video became the most-viewed live-action original video we had produced in more than three years. We followed with new videos from influencer and creator Shannon Beveridge, the cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for Mental Health Action Day, and award-winning actor Guillermo Daz.We presented our fifth annual It Gets Better: A Digital Pride Experience, bringing 130 LGBTQ+ streamers together on Twitch throughout June, the most streamers we have ever worked with for a single campaign. Collectively, they went live for more than 350 hours of content for queer youth, raising critical funds for our work and showing young viewers that Pride does not only live in big-city parades. Our end-of-year fundraising campaign, The Bigger Picture, was a storytelling-centric effort designed to show LGBTQ+ youth that there is life beyond the headlines. As our biggest end-of-year fundraising effort to date, the campaign featured video content from celebrities and supporters including Noah Wyle, Paul Feig, Rosie O'Donnell, Margaret Cho, Conor Janda, Mike Manning, Karla Mosley, and more. The campaign culminated in our first-ever Queerathon on Twitch, a ten-hour livestream event featuring gaming, panel discussions, a live book reading, interviews, and participation from Youth Voices ambassadors and It Gets Better: Changemakers grantees. 243351 It Gets Better is the world's largest storytelling effort to empower LGBTQ+ youth. Investing in local, like-minded organizations outside the US, It Gets Better brings storytelling and other life-affirming support to communities of LGBTQ+ youth around the globe. By the end of 2025, the It Gets Better Global Affiliate Network continued to span 19 countries across four continents, with global storytelling efforts happening in eight languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, German, Greek, French, and Hungarian.In May, as an introduction to Pride Month, It Gets Better hosted its Global Summit live on Twitch. The summit drew participation and viewers from 14 countries in English and Spanish, including Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Hungary, the United Kingdom, and Peru. The event featured youth-led panels, gaming segments, and highlighted our growing It Gets Better Espaol initiative.Our global affiliates continued to celebrate major wins throughout the year. It Gets Better Canada received more than $1.5 million CAD in funding from the Canadian Department of Women and Gender Equality to support 2SLGBTQI+ youth. The funding helped support the development of GLO, an app that launched in late 2025 and provides daily check-ins, stress management lessons, and an interactive companion for mental health support. It Gets Better Brazil's series Conversas Que Inspiram was nominated for the Prisma Queer Award at the 49th So Paulo International Film Festival, and Rubn Maza, Director of It Gets Better Mexico, was awarded "Activist of the Year" at the Impulse LGBTIQ+ Awards.Our It Gets Better Espaol initiative also continued to grow in 2025 as part of a three-year commitment from Converse to support our capacity-building efforts to expand storytelling initiatives, educational programming, and global community-building for Spanish-speaking LGBTQ+ youth audiences in the U.S. and abroad. We continued to collaborate with Hispanic creators on our largely Spanish-language Instagram channel, @itgetsbetterespanol. For Hispanic Heritage Month and in celebration of It Gets Better's 15th anniversary, we launched the quinceanera-themed campaign #Mis15. Influencers including Drag Race Mexico co-host Lolita Banana and actor/activist Rose Montoya wrote and recorded video messages to their 15-year-old selves, with participation from our Youth Voices. We capped the month with a quinceanera-themed stream on Twitch in collaboration with Electronic Arts and The Sims. 1115715 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 19 0 1 12 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 AL AR CA CO CT DC FL GA HI IL KS KY MA MI MN MS NH NJ NM NY NC OR PA RI SC UT VA WV WI MD X X X It Gets Better Project 3237824934 7190 W Sunset Blvd 504 Los Angeles CA 90046 Paul Dien Chair & President 5.00 X X 0 0 0 Avrielle Gallagher Vice Chair 5.00 X X 0 0 0 Brian Pines Secretary & Treasurer 5.00 X X 0 0 0 Carl Baloney Director 5.00 X 0 0 0 Moe Ari Brown Director (end 3/25) 5.00 X 0 0 0 Christina Fialho Director 5.00 X 0 0 0 Tracy Gilchrist Director 5.00 X 0 0 0 Rob Leis Director 5.00 X 0 0 0 Shaun Lewis Director 5.00 X 0 0 0 Justin Wee Director 5.00 X 0 0 0 Brian Wenke Chief Executive Officer 40.00 X 178469 0 11941 Ross Von Metzke Sr. Dir., Comm. & Public Relations 40.00 X 137932 0 11561 Justin Tindall Sr. Dir., Programs & Operations 40.00 X 146698 0 11572 463099 0 35074 3 0 1 0 0 1792244 1792244 42 42 1792286 0 0 42 252500 252500 190410 133287 28561 28562 672874 513511 79298 80065 68740 48630 11618 8492 83608 59695 12611 11302 3499 3499 31200 31200 55486 23432 9288 22766 10745 10745 2793 77 2716 7247 7247 4171 4171 14114 9987 2836 1291 371 371 3565 3565 9822 9822 Other program costs 22657 22657 Dues & subscriptions 21979 2729 8711 10539 Production expenses 20630 20630 Program suppl. & equip. 18847 1355 17492 41680 9233 17935 14512 1536938 1115715 226202 195021 504622 5227 0 523123 5549 185329 3429 3656 5916 3726 7306 2190 3393 0 524299 719525 64307 4185 64307 4185 X -1128 415340 461120 300000 459992 715340 524299 719525 255348 0 X 0 1 X 1 0 X 4015019 3084599 2472602 2123652 1792244 13488116 4015019 3084599 2472602 2123652 1792244 13488116 848291 12639825 752 7682 3703 1147 42 13326 14092 100 5000 19192 13520634 73874 0.93490 0.91060 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 0 0 0 1535388 1535388 226769 56692 0 0 377904 357618 273925 226769 1236216 1854324 94476 89405 68481 56692 309054 463581 5916 3726 2190 2190 X 1790736 0 1790736 1550 1550 1792286 1535388 0 1535388 1550 1550 1536938 Part X, Line 2: IOLA Foundation is exempt from taxation under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) and California Revenue and Taxation Code Section 23701d. Generally accepted accounting principles provide accounting and disclosure guidance about positions taken by an organization in its tax returns that might be uncertain. Management has considered its tax positions and believes that all of the positions taken by IOLA Foundation in its federal and state exempt organization tax returns are more likely than not to be sustained upon examination. IOLA Foundation's returns are subject to examination by federal and state taxing authorities, generally for three and four years, respectively, after they are filed. Part XI, Line 4b - Other Adjustments: Loss on disposal of fixed asset Part XII, Line 4b - Other Adjustments: Loss on disposal of fixed asset North America - Canada and Mexico, but not the United States 0 1 Program liaison 73372 0 1 0 0 0 1 73372 0 73372 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Ansonia Public Schools 42 Grove Street Ansonia CT 06401 066001583 Government 10000 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community AZTECH Robotics LLC 1838 E La Vieve Lane Tempe AZ 85284 843663669 501(c)(3) 10000 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community Compass Inc 201 North Dixie Highway Lake Worth FL 33460 650052657 501(c)(3) 7500 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community Dzanc Books Inc 2580 Craig Road Ann Arbor MI 48103 205405226 501(c)(3) 7500 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community Encircle Family and Youth Resource Center 358 South 700 East B430 Salt Lake City UT 84102 812938209 501(c)(3) 10000 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community FCPS Pride LLC 11022 Del Mar Court Fairfax VA 22030 474496914 501(c)(4) 7500 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community Federal City Performing Arts Association Inc 1517 18th Street Northwest Washington DC 20036 521245241 501(c)(3) 10000 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community Fourth City Sisters 4027 Juniata Street St Louis MO 63116 824953722 501(c)(3) 10000 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community Give Us The Floor 456 Montgomery St Suite 1288 San Francisco CA 94109 474343977 501(c)(3) 7500 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community Hazen Union High School District PO Box 338 Hardwick VT 05843 030223291 School District 10000 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community Indiana Youth Group Inc 3733 N Meridian St Indianapolis IN 46208 351760451 501(c)(3) 10000 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community Indy Pride Inc DBA Carmel Pride 275 Medical Drive Carmel IN 46082 351951286 501(c)(3) 10000 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community LiveWell Camas 417 NE Birch Street Camas WA 98607 994435353 501(c)(3) 7500 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community Milwaukee LGBT Community Center 315 W Court Street Milwaukee WI 53212 391893808 501(c)(3) 10000 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community Native Movement PO Box 83467 Fairbanks AK 99708 680535413 501(c)(3) 10000 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community New Orleans Pride Center 2762 Orleans Ave New Orleans LA 70119 933082127 501(c)(3) 10000 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community North Haven Pride Inc 17 Cooper Rd North Haven CT 06473 922193151 501(c)(3) 10000 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community Plymouth Congregational Church of Seattle 1217 6th Avenue Seattle WA 98101 910564980 501(c)(3) 10000 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community Polyphony Hs 570 Oak St Winnetkaa IL 60093 261988315 501(c)(3) 10000 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community PRISM FL Inc 1327 Partridge Close Pompano Beach FL 33064 850891778 501(c)(3) 10000 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community Safe School South Florida Inc 13100 West Dixie Highway North Miami FL 33161 204993492 501(c)(3) 10000 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community Safe Schools Desert Cities Corp PO Box 1662 Palm Springs CA 92263 460816814 501(c)(3) 10000 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community San Diego Unified Council of PTAs 2375 Congress Street Bungalow 7 San Diego CA 92110 330293359 501(c)(3) 10000 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community Youth Outlook 1828 Old Naperville Road Naperville IL 60563 364223806 501(c)(3) 10000 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community Youth Services of Tulsa 311 S Madison Ave Tulsa OK 74120 730785251 501(c)(3) 10000 0 Improve the experience of LGBTQ+ students at school and community 24 1 Part I, Line 2: It Gets Better presents an annual request for proposals, which support projects uplifting and empowering LGBTQ+ youth in local communities, as well as middle and high schools, across the United States. This opportunity is extended to public and/or charter secondary schools that serve students between 13-18 years old, confirmed by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), as well as youth-serving 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Each grantee is vetted for legitimacy via a stringent application and review process inclusive of final approval from the Board of Directors. All grantees are expected to provide a report of results within one year of receiving a grant based on deliverables outlined in a signed agreement between the grantee and It Gets Better. It Gets Better maintains contact with grantees throughout the grant cycle to ensure the expenditures outlined in grant proposals are being followed as projected. X X 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Brian Wenke Chief Executive Officer 177469 0 1000 0 0 0 0 0 11941 0 190410 0 0 0 Justin Tindall Sr. Dir., Programs & Operations 145698 0 1000 0 0 0 0 0 11572 0 158270 0 0 0 Part I, Line 5 Annually, the Board reviews and approves the CEO bonus amount, if any, based on financial performance. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 11b A copy of Form 990 is provided to the organization's governing body before it is filed, for review. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 12c The Board of Directors reviews annual conflict of interest disclosures and addresses any issues that arise. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 15 The process for determining compensation of the CEO and Key Employees includes a review, discussion and approval by the Board of Directors, who do not have a conflict of interest in with respect to the compensation agreement, and independent of the person being compensated. The Board of Directors makes compensation decisions by looking at comparability data, the skills and expertise of the executive and the performance in meeting goals and expectations. Form 990, Part VI, Section C, line 19 Own website (ItGetsBetter.org), another's website (i.e., Candid), and upon request.