Translifeline
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Trans Lifeline is a national trans-led 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the quality of trans lives by responding to the critical needs of our community with direct service, material support, advocacy, and education. Our vision is to fight the epidemic of trans suicide and improve overall life-outcomes of trans people by facilitating justice-oriented, collective community aid.
- Income
- $9.2 million
- Spending
- $4.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 51%
- Reserves
- 18.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 98%
- Employees
- 44
- Volunteers
- 17
- Highest pay
- $161,982, executive dir.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 87% of charities in its peer group (mental health, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 18.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 4% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 49% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 84% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1551% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 69% of charities in its peer group (mental health, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 257 of 7 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $1.8 million spent. HOTLINE: This year our hotline answered 10,918 calls and our answer rate skyrocketed from 37% to 96%. This increase in coverage aligns with our commitment to doubling the number of available staff operators, implementing an operator block schedule, and redesigning the hotline dashboard. The dashboard redesign alone more than doubled our capacity for effective calls received (up to 10,452 from 4,701, or a 55% increase). With all of these organizational investments, we were able to expand our capacity for providing empathetic peer support and are trending upwards in both call quality and answer rate.
- $407,236 spent. ADVOCACY/GRANTMAKING: In 2025, our advocacy work centered around grantmaking. Our Microgrants program works with direct service organizations across the US that support, defend, and promote trans people and their rights. We work directly with the partners to reduce fraud and ensure that funds go directly into the hands of trans people. In 2025, we partnered with Trans Housing Coalition (Atlanta), Trans Income Project (New Orleans), Trans Queer Pueblo (Phoenix), Lavender Rights Project (Seattle), and Collective Inter-cultural TRANSgrediendo (NYC) to move $98,500 in support grants to ~200 trans individuals. Additionally, the partner organizations retained administrative payments in honor of their stewardship and service, along with additional support to organizational points of contact.
- $262,495 spent. Other programs: Volunteer, General, People & Culture
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 2014.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.