How to Support Scarleteen’s Fall 2025 Fundraiser

Hello, and thanks so much for helping us raise $40,000 for Scarleteen this fall!

There are a ton of ways you can help us, starting with donating to our fundraiserexternal link, opens in a new tab! Read on for more about what we’re doing and how to share our work with the world. 

As health educators, we believe our team should have access to health benefits, and so do many of our donors like you. For our paid staff, some of whom are also disabled with complex medical needs, that means fair healthcare benefits that actually meet their needs. For volunteers, that’s an as-needed health care fund that provides support when they need some help.

This article provides information about Scarleteen and language you can use to hype us up on social media and in your community. We are also asking people to consider setting up personal fundraising pages on GoFundMe Proexternal link, opens in a new tab, our fundraising platform: We find that teams and individuals have huge success with these! FYI, an anonymous donor has offered to match up to the first $10,000 in donations. For early donors, that means every $1 contributed turns into $2, which is a great thing to hype up on your personal fundraising page.

You can find details on how to set up a personal or team fundraiser below. Our graphics to download and use on your fundraising pages, in any emails, and/or social media are in this shared Google Driveexternal link, opens in a new tab.

Overall, the more personal your own appeal feels, the more people connect, and, ideally, donate and/or share. People feel like they are supporting real humans when they hear from real humans, and specifically, they feel like they are supporting YOU when YOU make these asks. The people you’re important to will generally be most responsive when they hear why Scarleteen is important to you, and the unique value it has for you.

There are some basic facts about Scarleteen and some examples of posts for social media and elsewhere below. 

We strongly recommend rephrasing these in your own words and adding your own words to anything you repost. This shouldn’t feel canned and should highlight your love for Scarleteen! 

Good Talk: Advice on How to Get People Sharing and Talking About Scarleteen’s Fundraiser

Here are some tips on crafting good language for fundraising.

• Add context with your own story: If you’ve been a reader or volunteer, for example, or if you share Scarleteen’s sex⁠ (sex: Different things people choose to do to actively express or enact sexuality and sexual feelings; often this involves genitals, but not always. ) ed content with clients, students, friends, etc.
• Talk about your favorite parts of sex ed! Is there a particular thing you really love about sex ed and the kind of sex ed Scarleteen provides in particular?
• Encourage people to share your posts even if they can’t donate: organic circulation in social networks tends to spread further and carry more weight. Make sure people know that every share helps your appeal find a new audience.
• Make and link to a personal fundraising page! Consider setting a clear goal and regularly reporting on social media about your path to meeting it, and if you know people who might be interested in a matching donation challenge, reach out⁠ (out: Short for ‘out of the closet’. When someone’s LGBTQ+ identity is known to other people.) to them personally, via email, phone, text or in person. You can work with a match whether by having them offer to match your goal, or by connecting them with us so we can make their match part of ours. Encourage followers to get competitive to help push you over the top⁠ (top: In sexuality, this is someone who wants to take the/a lead during sex with a partner or partners, or to consensually take the role of being in charge of sexual actions.) .
• If you hear from people who are interested in making larger gifts or setting up a matching donation, connect them to Heather — at h.corinnaATscarleteenDOTcom — for more information.
• What does Scarleteen mean to you? What do you want people to know about us, and why we are important? Why are we unique? Why are you supporting Scarleteen and asking others to join in?
• Thank donors! If someone tells you they donated, send an appreciative message and quote them on social media if they reached out there! If someone’s anonymous, you can say something like ‘thanks to the anonymous friend of Scarleteen who just donated $$ to my fundraising page!’
• Encourage people to consider becoming recurring supporters. Recurring donors — be they monthly or less often — help us be more sustainable; it’s much easier to budget when we know how much is coming in every month, although we love one-time donors too.

About Scarleteen

Here’s some helpful information about us!

• We have been around since 1998, and serve around 5 million users each year. Longevity for organizations like ours is really important: We have an incredible depth of experience, skills development, and familiarity with the sex ed environment, which sets us apart from younger organizations.
• Scarleteen is not AI, has not ever been, and never will be. In an era of AI slop and misinformation, people need access to real people offering real support, and resources written by real human beings that draw upon decades of experience and regular reviews for accuracy. Despite some in our field using bots and other AI to provide sex ed, we strongly feel that quality sex ed cannot be provided by machines, and machines scraping our data without consent⁠ (consent: To freely and actively agree to do a specific thing with someone else with all the information about what that thing is, and the right to change your mind.) do not and cannot provide safe, reliable information. In fact, we’re already seeing users approaching us with misinformation they got from chatbots, AI overviews, and more.
• Scarleteen is both for and by people, powered by an incredible team of volunteers and staff. Direct services organizations like ours are CRITICAL for on-the-ground support for people who need us right now, especially at this moment. You can let people know that when they fund Scarleteen, they’re supporting things like helping terrified trans and immigrant youth navigate challenges and crises in their lives.
  • Here’s where your money will typically go:
    • 70% to the people of Scarleteen to pay for their labor and provide them some healthcare and other benefits
    • 20% for infrastructure costs such as hosting, our payroll service, Slack, hardware and other office expenses, travel, taxes and fees, and basic organizing tools
    • 10% to professional services like consulting, some tech maintanence, and legal or accounting services as needed
• We are a unique and 100% original source of inclusive sex, health, and relationships education; our work is queer⁠ (queer: In the context of sexuality, a broad term for sexual orientation that can describe any number of orientations which are not heterosexual. People who identify as queer may be bisexual or pansexual, gay or lesbian, questioning, asexual or more.) and trans led, compassionate, and driven by what users ask for, not what we think our users want or what is determined by funding sources. We don’t judge or shame: We provide accurate information and make sure our users are informed and empowered. We were one of the first organizations to provide inclusive and comprehensive sex ed for free online, independently on our own platform, and remain one of the few who do.
• We have endured hostile administrations and we will keep serving young people, no matter what. We aren’t caving to outside influences and resist attempts to suppress the accessibility of sex, health, and relationships education for all.
• Our users count on us for support with direct services, which include moderated message boards, text, and chat.
• We also have an incredible library of articles and advice columns providing a wealth of information to visitors. Our clearinghouse contains over 3000 original pieces created specifically for our users, and they are regularly reviewed for accuracy and timeliness.
  • We recommend sharing specific resources you love and use frequently, instead of talking generically about our resources. What are a couple of your all-time or recent favorites?Share them!
• We are here for pregnancy⁠ (pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the uterus. Medically, someone is considered to be pregnant when an egg has been fertilized by sperm, cells divide, and the fertilized egg is implanted within the lining of the uterus.) scares, people questioning⁠ (questioning: Having questions about or actively exploring one’s gender identity or sexual/romantic orientation with the aim of finding out more.) their gender⁠ (gender: Characteristics that are seen or presented as distinguishing between male and female in a society. Gender may or may not include assigned or chosen: social roles, feelings, behaviors and/or presentation or appearance.) , survivors of abuse⁠ (abuse: Purposeful harm or mistreatment of another person, which can be verbal, emotional, physical or sexual. An ongoing pattern or cycle of such mistreatment or harm can characterize an abusive relationship.) and assault or those currently still in abusive relationships, people looking for the facts on STIs and birth control⁠ (birth control: Any number of methods people use to intentionally prevent unwanted pregnancy, including the condom, the cervical barrier, the implant, the patch, the pill, the rhythm method, the ring, the shot, the IUD, spermicide and withdrawal.) , and so much more.
• We have a newsletter! You can sign up for regular updates about Scarleteen and our latest work, delivered once a month here: https://mailchi.mp/scarleteen/get-monthly-updates-from-scarleteenexternal link, opens in a new tab

Setting Up Your Fundraising Page

No matter which route you choose, we recommend customizing the text to reflect on what Scarleteen means to you, and why you want donors to support you! Being the first to donate to your page can also create an incentive for other donors!

1. Head to our campaign page external link, opens in a new tabexternal link, opens in a new taband click “Become a Fundraiser”
2. Option One: As an individual
   1. Follow the prompts to set up a personal fundraising page to share. We recommend a minimum starting goal of $500 and adjusting over time as donations come in.
3. Option Two: Join a team: Select a team you’d like to join to work with a group of like-minded people to meet a fundraising goal together
   1. Follow the prompts to set up your page linked to the team of your choice. We recommend the starting goal suggestions from above.
4. Option Three: Create a team: Do you have a group of friends, coworkers, fellow enthusiasts, neighbors, etc? Create a team so you can contribute as a group to Scarleteen’s larger donation goal. Teams can be really fun as people compete with each other to see who can raise the most funds, and you can make them as serious or goofy as you like. (Team Cake competing with Team Pie, anyone? Challenging coworkers at Acme Corp to outdo each other?) We recommend $1,500 as a minimum starting goal and you can keep adjusting it as your numbers go up!
5. Be sure to thank donors for their contributions when they come in!

Example Social Media Posts and Shares

Definitely share fundraising posts from Scarleteen’s Instagramexternal link, opens in a new tab, Blueskyexternal link, opens in a new tab, redditexternal link, opens in a new tab, and Tumblr, and fellow volunteers and staff, because they are a great starting point and also highlight the organization and our people! If you can, quote those shares to personalize them, share your fundraising page early and often, and direct people to ways they can support Scarleteen. If you’re a former volunteer, we have some sample posts for you too!

You will find some graphics you can use from Heather and Becky in this drive folder, which might also give you some ideas: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1B-ZXhP89V-ptNeSFGA2IurzyVqq8REYL?usp=sharingexternal link, opens in a new tab 

• I’m raising funds for Scarleteen, an amazing queer and trans led sex, health, and relationships education organization, website and service that’s been around since 1998! We’re trying to raise $40,000 by November 24 and need your help! Head to my fundraising page to contribute. If you can’t donate, please share!
• I’ve a huge fan of Scarleteen, a queer and trans led sex education organization that’s been supporting young people since 1998. I’ve shared their resources with youth/sex educators/other communities and now I want to give back: They need our help to raise $40,000 by November 24^Th. Head to my fundraising page to help me reach my $XX⁠ (XX: A combination of chromosomes identified within the XY sex-determination system as female.) goal. All funds up to the first $10,000 raised will be matched by an anonymous donor.
• Please join me in donating to Scarleteen, an inclusive sex, health, and relationships resource with five million users worldwide every year. I’m committing to a monthly donation of $XX. Want to match me?
• I’m supporting Scarleteen, a vital online sex ed resource, with their annual fundraiser. An anonymous donor is matching the first $10,000 to DOUBLE donations! Want to take up the challenge and match their match?
• Direct services organizations that help real people on the ground are so critical right now. Young people in need don’t have time to wait for big-picture conversations about policy. Scarleteen, a queer and trans led sexual⁠ (sexual: About or relating in some way to sex or sexuality.) education organization I’ve been supporting since YEAR, needs your help right now to keep providing vital direct services and resources! Please contribute at my fundraising page, and share widely through your networks!
• We’re all tired of AI slop, but it’s really dangerous in sexual education, where misinformation does anything from double down on existing myths people already believe to putting people at serious risk of things like unwanted pregnancies, injury, abuse and other dangers. Scarleteen, an organization I’ve been reading and supporting for years, is and will always be people-powered. They help young people all over the world with empowering and inclusive sex, health, and relationships education. Please donate to help them get to $40,000 and keep doing this vital work!
• I’m helping Scarleteen, a sex, health, and relationships education resource that’s been helping young people since 1998, raise $40,000 by November 24^th! An anonymous donor is matching up to the first $10,000 in contributions: Donate now to double your donation!
• Sex ed is really important to me because _____. Scarleteen, a sex, health, and relationships education resource, has been doing just that for almost 30 years. Join me in helping them raise $40,000 by November 24^th.
• It’s scary out there, and young people need our help. That’s why I’m helping Scarleteen raise $40,000 by November 24! Please donate and share!
• Longing for good sex ed? I’ve got great news for you: Scarleteen has been providing inclusive, comprehensive sexual education since 1998, determined by what young people ask for, not what other people think they need. As a supporter, I’m helping them raise $40,000 by November 24. The first $10,000 will be matched by an anoonymous donor. Please help me get to my personal fundraising goal of $XX to suport them!
• I’m helping Scarleteen, an amazing sexual education organization that’s been meeting the moment for young people around the world since 1998, with their annual fundraiser. I’ve set a goal of $$AMOUNT on my personal fundraising page to support our $40,000 target! Please donate and share to help me get there!
• As a former volunteer at Scarleteen, an inclusive sex, health, and relationships resource, I was proud to help young people from all over the world through their direct services. Scarleteen needs your help to keep doing this work: Help me raise $XX to help them hit their goal of $40,000 by November 24^th!
• I was honored to spend [number of years] volunteering at Scarleteen, an inclusive sex, health, and relationships resource for young people worldwide. Their direct services help everyone from people experiencing pregnancy scares to teens kicked out of their homes. Please help them raise $40,000 by November 24^th at my fundraising page and share widely with other fans of sex ed!
• As many of you know, I used to volunteer at Scarleteen, a sex ed resources that provides world-class direct services to young people in need. I’m asking you to help me raise $XX to support their goal of $40,000 by November 24^th!
• When I volunteered at Scarleteen, an inclusive sex, health, and relationships education resource, one of my favorite things to do was _____. Now, I’m supporting them as they raise $40,000 by November 24^th! Head to my fundraising page to contribute, and please consider becoming a monthly donor, and sharing with like-minded people!