The Lonely Hearts Club Challenge is a $1 million commitment and open funding call for early-stage organizations and solutions focused on fostering meaningful social connection, teen belonging, and wellbeing in a tech-driven world.
Donor Name: Young Futures
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Awards and Prizes
Deadline: 04/05/2024
Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
Galvanized by the work of the U.S. Surgeon General, and in partnership with the Foundation for Social Connection, this is the first of several high-need thematic challenges that Young Futures will issue over the next few years.
All challenges seek to help (pre)teens ages 10-19 thrive in a tech-driven world.
The first cohort of up to 10 grantee partners will be deeply committed to a youth-centered and empathetic approach to transforming the culture and norms of social connection and wellbeing in a digital age.
The Young Futures Academy
- Up to 10 grant recipients, aka Young Futures Innovators (YF Innovators), will join the foundational cohort of the Young Futures Academy (YFA), a six-month program designed to help level up their organization and amplify their impact.
- YFA participants will receive leadership and organizational coaching, mentorship, access to a peer community, and media and communications support. YFA will culminate in a virtual Showcase, where YF Innovators will present their organization and solution(s) to an audience of funders, potential programmatic partners, and users. In addition, YF Innovators will receive travel and accommodation support to participate in an in-person retreat at the start of the program.
Funding Information
Young Futures anticipates awarding up to ten organizations one-year grants for a total of up to $1 million.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must be:
- Organizations based in the U.S. and registered as a non-profit with 501(c)(3) or tax-exempt status under fiscal sponsorship.
- Organizations offering a solution or program that has already been piloted or deployed.
- Organizations whose leadership is willing to actively participate in and complete the six-month Young Futures Academy (-10 hours a month).
They Get Fired Up By Organizations And Solutions That:
- Foster meaningful social connection in today’s tech-driven world in ways that are both equitable (accounting for the unique needs of (pre)teens with marginalized identities) and developmentally appropriate (accounting for diverse physical, behavioral, emotional, intellectual, and age-specific needs).
- Engage youth in the design, execution, and evaluation of its solution(s).
- Are transformative and impactful, significantly accelerating how (pre)teens foster social connection and improve their wellbeing, and define and measure impact using evidence (scientific or community input).
- Are seeking to scale. Candidates are beyond the point of testing and require support, community, and learning to grow and scale their solution(s) beyond its initial use or location within the next two years. They may be building their solutions in their organization or within an existing institution as an intrapreneur.
For more information, visit Young Futures.
