The Born This Way Foundation, Lady Gaga’s foundation for youth mental health, has announced the 22 recipients of its Kindness in Community Fund. 

The fund has committed $1 million in support of local organizations and their community-led mental health work in the towns where the artist will perform during her Chromatica Ball Summer Stadium Tour. The recipients of grants ranging from $25,000 to $50,000 are focused on youth mental wellness, informed and/or led by youth, and rooted in practices of inclusion, access, and equity. In addition to funding, foundation team members will meet and volunteer with the local organizations during the tour dates in each city.

The idea for the fund originated in 2017, when foundation team members volunteered alongside local organizations at each stop on Lady Gaga’s Joanne World Tour. Each nonprofit had its own unique set of challenges and unmet needs, and the Kindness in Community Fund was created to respond directly to the emerging and changing needs of nonprofit partners and the communities they serve across the country. 

“The diversity of essential services these organizations provide represents the intersectional approach we must take to address and support mental wellness,” said Born This Way Foundation executive director Maya Enista Smith. “Young people have clearly stated their need for proactive mental health support, especially as they face overlapping global crises. These organizations work for and with young people, ensuring their perspectives and needs are placed first.” 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/SolStock)