In our "Five Questions With..." video series, communications leaders and PR experts share insights on strategy, leadership and life beyond the office.
Our guest is Kevin Wong, Chief Communications Officer at The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people. Drawing on his experience leading communications for one of the most recognized nonprofits in the LGBTQ+ space, Wong discusses how to maintain mission visibility amid shifting corporate priorities, what authentic partnership actually looks like and how to turn earned media moments into lasting impact.
Key Topics Covered:
Navigating a Shifting Corporate Pride Environment: With Fortune 500 companies pulling back on public DEI commitments, Wong acknowledges the mixed signals nonprofits can receive from corporate partners—but notes that some companies are responding to the moment by doubling down on their support, which sets them apart both externally and with their own employees.
The Authenticity Test: Wong explains how The Trevor Project vets corporate partnerships by looking inward first—asking potential partners what support looks like for their own LGBTQ+ employees before any external campaign is launched, ensuring that public messaging is backed by genuine internal commitment.
Turning Awards Into Action: When The Trevor Project received two TIME list recognitions and the Elton John Impact Award, Wong and CEO Jaymes Black made a deliberate decision to redirect the spotlight toward the organization's staff and mission rather than leadership—then used that momentum to reinforce the case for continued investment from funders and partners.
Always Here, Always Forward: Wong unpacks the meaning behind The Trevor Project's Pride theme, explaining how showcasing queer joy functions as a mental health protective factor for LGBTQ+ youth—and why celebrating the community's resilience and visibility is as much a part of the mission as crisis intervention.
Personal Insights: Wong shares his dream pop culture partnership—and why personal connection to the LGBTQ+ community is one of the most powerful tools for moving people from awareness to action.
Nicole Schuman is Managing Editor at PRNEWS.
Transcript:
Nicole Schuman: Hi, everyone, and welcome back to 5 Questions With. Today, we're with Kevin Wong, Chief Communications Officer at The Trevor Project. We're so happy to have him. And first off, happy Pride. Thank you and all of your colleagues for the important work that you do over at The Trevor Project. For those people that may not know what The Trevor Project is, or aren't familiar with it, would you like to give us just a quick summary of what you guys do over there?
Kevin Wong: Absolutely. Hi, everyone. Happy Pride. Thank you for shining a light on The Trevor Project's mission. We're a suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, and our mission is to end suicide among LGBTQ+ youth.
Nicole Schuman: A very worthy cause, for sure. A lot of these 5 questions are going to have to do with Pride, just because the environment has been changing over the past few years. You know, corporate Pride sponsorships shrinking — there's been a 65% drop in Fortune 500 companies publicly documenting their DEI practices this year. From where you sit, where I'm sure partnerships and sponsorships are important, what does that mean for The Trevor Project? And how do you guys keep your mission visible when some partners may be going quiet?
Kevin Wong: It's important for us to ensure that we're highlighting young people — they are our North Star. So anytime that we have a chance to get our messages of hope, support, our crisis services and our resources in front of young people, that's what we want to aim for. And so sometimes that means working with corporate partners in particular to amplify our message. Over the past few years, we've seen some waxing and waning, but sometimes that is someone saying, "My budget was slashed," or "There have been tariffs that are impacting our budget," or "Our organization itself is doing a pivot in strategy." There are these individuals, these people who really care about working with nonprofits and care about our mission, and so they have to deliver this news. So keeping that in mind for anybody who's watching — there are people behind some of these corporate partnerships who really want to make a difference, and sometimes those decisions are out of their hands. And then at the same time, we're seeing this mix where some people are saying, "We have to decrease or pull out of our support," and some people are saying, "We see what's happening in the macro environment, and it's very important to us that we continue our partnership." Some of them have said, "It's important that we double our donations," or "We're going to do a cause marketing campaign, and on top of what we're already doing, we're going to educate our staff." There are all these different ways that some partners have said, "We're going to double down and stand with you," which is really cool to see. And that can really set companies apart — cause marketing isn't an exact science. Brands have to work with the experts to get it right, and it really sets brands apart when they partner with us.
Nicole Schuman: And employees see that, too. That's important to a lot of people and I think it goes beyond even what the initial purpose might be. Question 2. The bar for what counts as authentic Pride support has clearly moved. The community is more skeptical of performative campaigns. Gen Z doesn't want the rainbow washing — they know if you really care or if you don't. As a communicator for an organization doing life-saving work, how do you help your corporate partners find the right approach? What separates real partnership and communication from what doesn't pass the test?
Kevin Wong: We do our best to work with companies and corporations on mutually beneficial goals. If we're going to partner together, we ask questions like, "What does support look like for your LGBTQ+ employees? What internal programming have you done, or what are you seeking to do? How can we help amplify what you're doing?" And then externally, that's another opportunity area for companies that want to show support — but making sure that internal foundation is shored up first is really important. Because sometimes a staff member is going to say, "Well, why are we doing this external campaign with The Trevor Project when internally we haven't addressed X, Y and Z?" And at the same time, when you're working with a topic expert like The Trevor Project around LGBTQ+ youth mental health and suicide prevention, that adds a layer of credibility to a brand that wants to say something to a community. Whether that's a cause marketing campaign or a product with a giveback component, all of those are very helpful in connecting with the consumers you're looking for. I think the corporate support in Pride conversation has gotten more layered and complex. Organizations like the Trevor Project, HRC and GLAAD need resourcing — they need people, boots on the ground, advocating for the bills that protect our communities and against ones that harm them. And it is so important to young people who are watching: anyone who sees a display of corporate support, especially if that corporation is investing resources in partnering with the Trevor Project, that can make a really big difference. It sends signals to people within the company, people who are partnered or contracted with the company, and the young people around them.
Nicole Schuman: There are so many more stakeholders than you think about when it comes to a Pride campaign or a partnership. A more PR-focused question — and this is great news for you guys. It's been a big Pride season. You have two TIME list recognitions and the Elton John Impact Award. How do you, as the head of communications, make sure that earned media momentum translates into real awareness and action rather than just a news cycle?
Kevin Wong: Our CEO, James Black, who joined almost two years ago now — when we found out that we were going to be honored as TIME Visionaries, the inaugural list, and then TIME100 Philanthropy, he said, "It's very important to me that this honor is not about me. It is about all of the people around our mission that make us successful and that help with forward movement." So we worked with James and workshopped how we wanted to talk about these honors and the impact they can have. We previewed the news to staff and were able to say, "The reason we've built up a reputation so much that TIME100 Philanthropy has recognized us is because of the staff on our crisis services lines, because we provide quality service. We have an award-winning, IRB-approved research team that puts out outputs used in statehouses across the country. We have incredible programs that help the organization stand out. This goes to everybody who has helped get this recognition." And then on the public side, we pulled that thread through and said to funders, partners and foundations, "This just happened, it highlights our mission, and these are the same reasons why your investment in the Trevor Project is a good investment. You are helping us resource this massive mission." Just in the US, more than 1.8 million LGBTQ+ young people seriously consider suicide, so that work requires year-over-year fundraising effort just to serve a fraction of them.
Nicole Schuman: I think it's really cool that you worked with your C-suite to decide how to put this out into the public — not everybody does that, so kudos. Question 4. The Trevor Project's Pride theme this year is Always Here, Always Forward, which carries a lot of weight right now. How do you showcase the joy of Pride and the urgency of the work in the same message without one overshadowing the other?
Kevin Wong: I'll start with the meaning of Always Here, Always Forward. For the organization, we've always been here — we always want to provide our crisis services, and we're always going to be there in a moment of darkness for an LGBTQ+ young person who needs to connect with a trained counselor. And at the same time, LGBTQ+ people have always been here, in every society going back historically, and our community has always bonded together, always found chosen family, and always moved forward together. So that's also a nod to our community. Now, on joy — queer joy is what we would call, in the mental health space, a protective factor for LGBTQ+ young people. A risk factor can increase risk for negative mental health outcomes, and a protective factor can reduce that risk. Being able to showcase queer joy on our platforms, where we reach millions of people through social alone, shows young people who are watching: "When I survive and thrive, I can experience this. I know that life has queer joy in it." It makes sure that people across the world know they are not alone and that they are supported. LGBTQ+ young people have huge support networks — sometimes they just have yet to find them.
Nicole Schuman: Sharing joy definitely multiplies when you do it. Last question, and it's a fun one. I just heard that your colleague Zach is moderating a Trevor Project talk back at Wicked Pride Night — that's really cool. If you could partner with any piece of pop culture, a film, a show, or an artist, for the ultimate awareness campaign, what or who would it be and why?
Kevin Wong: First, congratulations to Zach — huge accomplishment. This was his second ever post-show talk back on Broadway. We've done one with Every Brilliant Thing, one with Cats: The Jellicle Ball, one with Wicked and we have one planned with & Juliet. These are really cool ways to connect with people who may want to know more about our mission but also care about Broadway. Okay, the moment we've all been waiting for. Last year, when we found out the organization was about to lose federal funding to the tune of about $25 million — and that's recurring, every year — we put out a call for support and asked celebrities and talent agencies to sign a letter saying they hoped to preserve this funding. Many people came out of the woodwork, some who had always been in our corner, and some who came out of nowhere and said, "I just assumed you would always be here, but now I really need to step up." With that said, it would be a dream to work with Pedro Pascal — wildly successful, massive platform, and of course he has a very personal tie to our community, as a family member of his is a trans person. Something happens to you when you can humanize this work, when you have a personal relationship with someone who is LGBTQ+ — you see them for who they are, and because of that, you care more. That's why we always ask: did policymakers talk to an LGBTQ+ young person before introducing these policies? Have they embedded themselves in a community of trans people? Or are they making decisions based on potentially harmful political rhetoric? So it would be a dream to work with someone like Pedro Pascal. Also, he would probably bring Grogu with him — he's a dad, so he understands the needs of youth.
Nicole Schuman: That's awesome. Well, thank you so much, Kevin, for being on 5 Questions With. Wishing you and the team a happy Pride. Thank you for all the work that you do and will continue to do — we really enjoyed having you today.
Kevin Wong: Thank you so much for having me and for spotlighting The Trevor Project.