Fundacion Todo Mejora Chile

2026 Mid-Year Report: As needs grow, sustaining safe spaces is becoming  increasingly challenging 

Today, in Chile, talking about LGBTQIA+ children, adolescents, and young people  means talking about prevention, mental health, and human rights. It also means  recognizing that the environment surrounding them has become increasingly  complex. 

Throughout the first half of 2026, we have seen not only the consolidation of a  political and social climate that is less supportive of diversity, but also the tangible  ways in which this climate is affecting the daily lives of young people. 

Public narratives that question established rights, the normalization of violence in  digital spaces, and a weakening commitment to inclusion across institutions are  contributing to greater isolation and vulnerability. These trends create environments  in which LGBTQIA+ children and young people face increasing barriers to feeling  safe, accepted, and supported. 

Recent evidence confirms that these concerns are not simply anecdotal. Chile's  2025 National Youth Survey found that seven in ten LGBT+ young people have  experienced discrimination. Among transgender respondents, that figure rises to  more than eight in ten. Nearly half report symptoms of anxiety or depression, while  two in five have experienced suicidal ideation. Psychological, physical, sexual, and  online violence continue to occur primarily in the very places where young people  should feel safest: their families, schools, and communities. 

These findings are reinforced by another alarming source of evidence. The National  Survey on Health, Sexuality and Gender found that nearly 40% of LGBTQ+ people  in Chile had thought about or planned suicide during the previous year—more than  twice the rate reported by the cisgender heterosexual population. 

Behind every statistic is a person who often struggles to find a place where they can  speak openly and without fear. This is precisely why the work of Fundación Todo  Mejora remains as essential today as ever. 

The people we serve 

During the first half of the year, we observed a trend that confirms what we  anticipated at the beginning of 2026: the demand for support continues to grow.

Our #HoraSegura (SafeHour) and Familia a Colores (Families in Color) programs  have experienced sustained increases in demand. More young people are reaching  out for a space where they can be heard without judgment, while growing numbers  of parents, caregivers, and families are seeking guidance to better support their  children and adolescents through circumstances they often feel unprepared to  navigate. 

We know that feeling heard is one of the strongest protective factors for mental  health. We also know that isolation significantly increases risk. A single conversation  may not immediately solve someone's problems, but it can prevent a young person  from facing those challenges completely alone. 

To respond to this growing need, we completed the implementation of a new digital  platform for #HoraSegura during 2026. This investment has improved accessibility,  reduced barriers to entry, and strengthened our ability to provide timely support as  demand continues to increase. 

At the same time, maintaining this technological infrastructure requires ongoing  investment. Technology allows us to reach more people than ever before, but it also  depends on secure systems, technical support, maintenance, and sustained  operational resources. 

Today, sustaining a safe space also means sustaining the infrastructure that makes  that safe space possible. 

Our organization in today's context 

The challenges have not only grown for those seeking support—they have also  intensified for organizations working to provide it. 

Throughout 2026, Fundación Todo Mejora has had to adapt parts of its  organizational structure and operations in response to a significantly more  demanding funding environment. Like many nonprofit organizations around the  world, we have seen declining interest from companies and brands in supporting  initiatives focused on diversity and inclusion. International organizations have  reported similar trends, reflecting a broader shift in philanthropic and corporate  giving. 

Paradoxically, this decline in available funding comes at precisely the moment when  evidence shows that needs are increasing. In other words, as more young people  require support, securing the resources needed to provide that support becomes  increasingly difficult.

This tension represents one of the greatest challenges facing our organization today.  During the first half of the year, we were required to reduce our projected annual  budget by 10%. Current forecasts suggest that this reduction may need to increase  during the second half of the year if additional funding cannot be secured. As a result,  the foundation must continually reassess priorities and make difficult decisions to  protect the continuity, quality, and long-term sustainability of its programs. 

Our mission remains unchanged 

Despite these challenges, our mission remains the same. We continue to believe  that mental health is shaped not only by what happens within an individual, but also  by the environment that surrounds them. Young people thrive when they feel safe,  affirmed, and connected to supportive communities. For this reason, our work  extends beyond crisis response to strengthening the systems, relationships, and  institutions that foster belonging and well-being. 

This vision is reflected in four strategic areas that together provide comprehensive  support to LGBTQIA+ children, adolescents, and young people across Chile. 

- #HoraSegura (SafeHour) 

Our free, confidential, and specialized emotional support service provides timely  assistance to children, adolescents, and young people experiencing emotional  distress, discrimination, violence, or social isolation. Every conversation represents  an opportunity to reduce risk, strengthen protective factors, and remind a young  person that they do not have to face their challenges alone. 

- Familia a Colores (Families in Color) 

Families play a critical role in protecting young people's mental health. Through  Familia a Colores, we provide parents, caregivers, and professionals with evidence based guidance, practical tools, and supportive resources that help transform homes  into environments of acceptance, safety, and affirmation. 

- Comunidad Diversa (Diverse Communities) 

Preventing violence requires more than responding after harm has occurred.  Through Comunidad Diversa, we work alongside schools, educational communities,  and local organizations to strengthen inclusive practices, promote respect for  diversity, and build environments where discrimination and violence are less likely  to occur. 

- Research, Evidence, and Advocacy 

Lasting social change depends on reliable evidence. Through research, data  generation, and public engagement, Fundación Todo Mejora contributes technical  expertise that supports stronger public policies, informs institutional practice, and  promotes more informed public conversations about mental health, well-being, and  LGBTQIA+ inclusion.

Together, these four areas represent an integrated approach to prevention—one  that addresses immediate needs while also helping create the conditions for long term social change. 

Looking ahead to 2027 

If the first half of 2026 has taught us anything, it is that the need for safe, evidence based support will continue to grow. 

The available data on discrimination, violence, polyvictimization, and mental health  show no signs of improvement. On the contrary, they reveal that thousands of  LGBTQIA+ children, adolescents, and young people in Chile continue to grow up in  environments where simply being themselves comes at a profound emotional cost. 

The funding landscape presents an equally significant challenge. Opportunities to  sustain innovative, evidence-based programs supported by rigorous intervention  models remain limited. This reality affects not only Fundación Todo Mejora, but also  many organizations around the world working to advance diversity, equity, inclusion,  and mental health. 

Against this backdrop, our greatest priority is to ensure the long-term sustainability  of what we have built. 

Over the past several years, Fundación Todo Mejora has developed programs and  services that are widely recognized for their quality, credibility, and impact. These  initiatives have demonstrated sustained growth in the number of people they reach  and hold significant potential for adaptation and expansion beyond Chile. 

Protecting this progress means ensuring that our core programs continue to deliver  high-quality services while remaining accessible to those who need them most. It  also means continuing to strengthen the foundation's role as a trusted technical  partner—producing research, developing specialized resources, evaluating  interventions, and generating evidence that contributes to more effective public  policies and institutional practices. 

As demand continues to grow, our commitment remains unchanged. 

Every young person deserves to know that they are not alone. Every family deserves  access to the tools needed to support their children. Every school and community  has the potential to become a place of belonging rather than exclusion. Because at Fundación Todo Mejora, we continue to believe—even in the most  challenging times—that things can get better. But they only do when communities,  institutions, and individuals work together to ensure that no young person has to face  these challenges alone.

• 2026_MidYear_Report_Globalgiving_english.pdf (PDF)