Funding Amount

US $300,000 - US $1,000,000

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Grant Type

Foundation

Can we apply?

Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.

Geography

  • Based in any U

Required status

  • 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status
  • Organizations applying for funding must meet the following threshold criteria:Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or have a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor.

Other requirements

  • Operate in one or more of the following states: California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New York, or Pennsylvania.
  • Demonstrate a track record of working to advance youth mental health and well-being and are exploring innovative solutions that may not yet have proof of concept but show potential for transformative impact.
  • Support communities or populations facing barriers to accessing support for mental health and well-being.
  • Grants will be made in the form of general operating support.

Overview

The Tow Foundation Innovation Fund aims to enhance youth mental health by providing grants between $300,000 and $1 million to nonprofit organizations. This initiative seeks innovative solutions to improve access to mental health care for youth aged 0-25, addressing barriers and fostering community support. The foundation invites diverse applicants to propose bold approaches that can lead to transformative impacts, focusing on both proven and novel strategies in various settings.

NOTE:
Submit a brief first-round application (Pre-proposal Deadline). Select applicants will be invited to submit a more detailed second-round application (Full Proposal Deadline).
The Tow Foundation is pleased to announce a new grant opportunity for nonprofit organizations innovatively expanding access to the care and support that youth need to thrive.
The Innovation Fund intends to make grants, ranging from $300,000 to $1 million over three years, to up to 10 organizations that are improving youth mental health and well-being and serving young people between the ages of 0-25.
Through the Innovation Fund, the Foundation hopes to inspire and invest in bold approaches, and to learn from exploring questions like: What are the most challenging barriers youth and their families face in accessing support for mental health and well-being? What emerging innovations exist to address these barriers? What is the resulting impact of these innovations on youth and their families?
The Innovation Fund takes a broad and inclusive approach when imagining the kinds of care and support that may have a positive impact on youth mental health and well-being. This includes interventions across the prevention to treatment continuum. We welcome submissions from a diverse array of organizations working in a variety of community, school, and clinical settings. For the purpose of this initiative, the word “innovation” could mean scaling proven efforts, attempting to apply existing efforts to new populations or geographies, or experimenting with a novel approach altogether. By not defining “innovation,” we hope to encourage creative thinking.

Eligibility

Organizations applying for funding must meet the following threshold criteria:Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or have a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor.Operate in one or more of the following states: California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New York, or Pennsylvania.An organization may be based in any U.S. state or territory, but must have active, relevant programming or presence in one of the six states listed to be eligible.Demonstrate a track record of working to advance youth mental health and well-being and are exploring innovative solutions that may not yet have proof of concept but show potential for transformative impact.Support communities or populations facing barriers to accessing support for mental health and well-being.Grants will be made in the form of general operating support.

Past recipients of this program

Recent awards under this program (from The Tow Foundation Inc's IRS filings)

14 grants in The Tow Foundation Inc's 2022–2023 filings reference “Tow Foundation Innovation Fund Grant” in their stated purpose. Amounts and places as reported by the funder.

What The Tow Foundation Inc actually gave

Source: IRS Form 990-PF, 2025

Grants in 2025
206
Total given
$46.84M
Median grant
$100K
Range
$250–$5M
  • By dollars: New York 63%, Connecticut 11%, Pennsylvania 8%. Top recipient cities: New York, NY; Washington, DC; Brooklyn, NY.
  • 41% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
  • 18% of recipients were new grantees, not repeat recipients.

Example grants

  • Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York · New York, NY

    Biomedical research building

    $5M

  • Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center · New York, NY

    The initiative in radiotheranostics

    $1.6M

  • Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · Southeastern, PA

    Donor advised fund contribution 1

    $1.42M

  • New York Genome Center Inc · New York, NY

    Women's genetics center

    $1.4M

  • The Hospital for Special Surgeries · New York, NY

    Realizing the promise of precision medicine and tissue regeneration in autoimmune and…

    $1.24M

IRS Form 990-PF, 2025. Amounts as reported by the funder. Full 990 history →

Focus Areas & Funding Uses

Fields of Work

  • Mental health
  • Youth programs
  • Nonprofits

Categories

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