Supporting Healthy Minds and Youth Resiliency Grants

Overview

At the Foundation, we recognize the critical need to honor young people and offer spaces that support ongoing growth and development in the face of various forms of discrimination. The experiences of living with the traumatic consequences of persistent systemic oppression can lead to higher rates of anxiety, depression and suicidality for youth of color – Arab/Middle Eastern, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Indigenous/ Native American, multiracial communities – and LGBTQ youth when compared to white, cisgender and heterosexual peers. Moreover, they are less likely to have access to culturally relevant supports. Yet, youth of color and LGBTQ youth demonstrate astounding resiliency in the face of mental health challenges.

Through our Supporting Healthy Minds and Youth Resiliency funding opportunity, the Foundation will support youth of color and LGBTQ youth as they explore and grow their resiliency through identity, agency and belonging.

Identity, agency and belonging help youth develop personal and interpersonal capacities, such as relationship development with peers and adults, problem solving, critical thinking, sense of awareness and sense of self – all of which are critical to strengthening resiliency and coping.

Focus Area: Nuture Healthy Minds

The Foundation will be looking for ways applicants integrate their commitment to growing a sense of identity, agency and belonging for young people throughout their work. An array of youth programming will be considered, such as (but not limited to):

* Civic engagement
* Poetry and the arts
* Traditional cultural practice
* Outdoor adventure
* Apprenticeship or job skill training
* Community service

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

* Eligible applicants include community-based organizations (501(c)3 or public agencies) that engage youth in safe, supportive and culturally responsive environments that intentionally work to enhance a sense of identity, agency and belonging among youth of color and LGBTQ youth.
* To be considered for funding, organizations must meet the following criteria:

* Include the same group of young people and adults meeting over a sustained period of time to foster strong relationships and learning.
* Support young people as they build their skills and/or develop in each of the following areas:

* Development of racial, ethnic, sexual and/or gender identity.
* Demonstration of agency exhibited through exercising power and influence.
* Experience of belonging through establishing strong, supportive relationships with peers and trusted adults and understanding themselves to be a valued member of their community.

* Respond to cultural dynamics of the engaged group i.e. programmatic components are designed or adapted to meet the needs of their context and the population served; organization’s staff bring lived and learned experiences to understand needs, identities and culture of participants; and organization has a history with and is trusted by participants, who are engaged in informing, guiding and/or helping implement the work.

* We know that programs working in diverse communities will have diverse participants beyond preferred groups and age span. Our interest is in supporting programs that are designed to take into account the specific cultural dynamics of priority groups and that those groups make up at least 50% of program participants. 
* Our overall age of interest for this priority is 12-18.