Born This Way Foundation

We engage with young people directly through programs like channel kindness and #bekind365 that amplify their stories, elevate their perspectives, and celebrate the kinder, braver world they are already building. Channel kindness is our digital platform providing a safe space for young people to share stories of kindness, resilience, and community. The platform offers interactive features, including the kindness map, showcasing global acts of kindness to inspire youth involvement and foster connection, and to support authors and causes through engaging stories. We host free virtual channel kindness storytellers club workshops, aimed at providing supportive, joyful spaces for young people to practice the power of writing their own stories. With each story shared, action taken, and (cont'd on pg. 41) kindness pledge made, we're collectively shaping a world that celebrates empathy and resilience. As of 2023, channel kindness had published nearly 2,000 stories from 54 countries. Additionally, the platform hosted 15 storytellers club workshops engaging 390 participants. Overall, there was a 37% increase in site visits from 2022, reaching over 195,000 page views. #bekind365 is a digital platform inspiring everyone to practice intentional kindness every day, fostering transformational experiences and building a kinder, braver world. Through various digital activations, #bekind365 engages participants at every level - corporate, nonprofit, school, and individual - inviting everyone to incorporate kindness into their daily lives from anywhere, anytime. Through #bekind365, anyone can send uplifting messages via the gratitude postal service, explore 365+ curated kind acts with the kindness generator, witness the ripple effect through the kind connector, and pledge to practice daily acts of kindness. #bekind365 launched in march 2023 with more than 37,000 participants across 111 countries pledging to over 13,000,000 acts of kindness, underscoring the profound connection between kindness and mental health, as individuals who practice, receive, and witness kindness often exhibit better mental health indicators.

Be there certificate is a free, interactive course designed to enhance mental health literacy and equip young people with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to support someone struggling with their mental health. Developed by jack.org in partnership with Born This Way Foundation, This self-paced course is available in english, spanish, and french, with tailored content for each language. The be there certificate offers an intuitive and actionable framework where participants learn how to recognize the signs someone is struggling, understand their role in providing support, and connect them to the help they need and deserve. By the end of 2023, more than 35,000 individuals had earned their certificates, reflecting their commitment to deepening their understanding of mental health (cont'd on pg. 42)and supporting others. Evaluation data also revealed impressive outcomes from those who have earned their certificates, with 95% reporting improved ability to recognize signs of mental health struggles and 96% feeling more confident in providing support.

Young people recognize mental health as a priority, but lack access to resources to support it. Our grantmaking and other community support efforts help close This gap by funding and amplifying community based organizations that provide free and accessible services that support youth wellbeing. In june 2023, we continued our partnership with centerlink, the community of lgbtq+ centers. Together, we dispersed $250k across more than 40 organizations in states where the wellbeing of lgbtq+ youth is particularly challenged. These grants supported services that are used by more than 24k youth, including mental health resources, pride pantries, safety measures, and more. Additionally, we teamed up with our partners at cotton on Foundation to begin the international expansion of our grassroots (cont'd on pg. 41)grantmaking program, the kindness in community fund. In 2024, the fund will dedicate $3m to support 65 organizations across 10 countries. Young people drove the process at each step: from nominations all the Way to the final selection. By supporting initiatives that offer clinical services, housing, clothing, food security, and programming that fosters community and inclusion, we are addressing the immediate and long-term needs of young people around the world.

In addition to the specific programs listed above, the Foundation is committed to engaging with young people directly, online and offline, and providing accessible mental health resources to equip them with the skills they need to support themselves and one another. This includes providing the global find a helpline resource that offers free, confidential support from a real human over phone, text, or webchat, around the world, as well as continued work with the national council for mental wellbeing to deliver #teenmentalhealthfirstaid to schools across the country. This in-person training teaches high school students about common mental health challenges and what they can do to support their own mental health and help a friend who is struggling. We ensure all of our initiatives are grounded in the latest scientific evidence utilizing youth-engaged research and rigorous program evaluation to expand and to apply our understanding of the factors impacting youth mental health. To keep our work authentically youth-led, at the core of all of our programs is our global youth advisory board that plays a pivotal role in the planning and execution of programs and campaigns core to the Foundation's mission, work directly with Foundation staff on a regular basis, and serve as ambassadors of the Foundation online and in their communities.