Join Generation Be There and help shape a future where more people feel confident asking for help and showing up for one another kindly, safely, and with care. Start by earning your free Be There Certificate today.
Join Generation Be There and help shape a future where more people feel confident asking for help and showing up for one another kindly, safely, and with care. Start by earning your free Be There Certificate today.
Join Generation Be There and help shape a future where more people feel confident asking for help and showing up for one another kindly, safely, and with care. Start by earning your free Be There Certificate today.
Born This Way Foundation’s mission is to empower and inspire young people to build a kinder, braver world that supports their mental health. Keep scrolling to learn more about the impact of our work.
Find past impact reports for 2024, 2023, and 2022.
Find past 990 documents here for 2024, 2023, and 2022.
Find past audited financial statements for 2024, 2023, and 2022.
Dec. 10: Born This Way Foundation announced our funding of $5,000,000 USD to 55 organizations across 11 countries that make up the 2025-2027 Kindness in Community Fund grant recipients. This was made possible thanks to the generous support of partners including Pivotal Ventures, Cotton On Foundation, SEPHORA, Haus Labs, and others. Support for these grassroots organizations will go to expand mental health services and programs addressing housing, food, and safety. Grant recipients were selected based on being youth-led or youth-informed, rooted in equity and inclusion, and committed to providing accessible mental health resources to their community.
Nov. 17: Our Vice President of Research and Evaluation, Dr. Claudia-Santi Fernandes, and Research Intern, Sophia Greene, published an op-ed in The Fulcrum on the impact of funding cuts on young scientists and its potential long-term consequences for scientific innovation and economic resilience.
Nov. 6: Our research guide, “Advocate for LGBTQ+ Young People: How to Be an Active Ally,” provides statistics, resources, and actionable steps for individuals and communities to serve as active allies for LGBTQ+ young people. As federal and state policies shift to target LGBTQ+ communities and the organizations that serve them, this guide highlights the important role allies play in building communities that are kind, brave, and inclusive.
Nov. 5-7: Our Vice President of Research and Evaluation, Dr. Claudia-Santi Fernandes, and Senior Research Associate, Keemia Abbaszadeh, traveled to Nashville, Tennessee for the Unmuted 2025 Summit at Vanderbilt University, hosted by the National Association for Media Literacy and Boston Children’s Hospital’s Digital Wellness Lab. Claudia, Keemia, and Youth Advisors Jeremy Liew and Rushil Johal led a workshop during which audience members were encouraged to brainstorm ways to implement allyship in their daily lives, based on the Active Allyship Resource Guide.
Nov. 4: Born This Way Foundation research partner, Dr. Alvin Tran, and his graduate students presented key findings from the focus groups of LGBTQ+ young people in an oral presentation at the American Public Health Association’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C. The session focused on the intersection of LGBTQ+ identities and disability, and was entitled “Planning for Inclusive Care: LGBTQ+ Youth Perspectives on Affirming Practices, Access, and Provider Accountability.”
Oct. 16: Our research team joined tech and social policy leaders at the University of Pennsylvania for the “Tech and Well-Being: Issues of Policy + Practice” conference. As technology reshapes care, community, and democracy, our presented research highlighted the importance of youth-centered research design and the importance of community-based insights in influencing research and policy interventions.
Oct. 15: We co-hosted a virtual seminar in partnership with the Family Online Safety Institute to discuss newly published research and resources to support LGBTQ+ young people’s wellbeing, both online and offline. Our Manager of Research and Clinical Knowledge, Fran Giannattasio, and our Youth Advisory Board Member, Dylan Dhindsa, helped lead the discussion.
Oct. 1: We wrapped up our Kindness In Action events with our Miami community. With support from Cotton On, we brought together local youth organizations and their student leaders to participate in a panel discussion. We also split the group by age with younger participants joining a Storytellers Club workshop and older participants joining a Caring Adults workshop, which provided advocates with the social tools and resources to support young people and their mental health.
Sep. 29: Our Vice President of Research and Evaluation, Dr. Claudia-Santi Fernandes, joined panelists at the Digital Mental Health Summit at Santa Clara University in California. In discussion with public health experts, the "Digital Mental Health + LGBTQ+ Youth: Bridging Industry, Research & Clinical Care” panel centered queer youth perspectives, design and implementation of digital mental health interventions, and best practices for researching LGBTQ+ community groups.
Sep. 25: In our continued partnership with HopeLab, we released the report brief, “I Just Want to Be Accepted by Others": How Transgender Young People Seek and Experience Online Support”, which was uniquely shaped by transgender young people themselves through youth co-design of the survey and co-distillation of results. This brief highlights how online communities function as sources of affirmation and critical support for young trans people, offering connection, information, and alternative spaces to build communities that may not be as easily accessible as in-person spaces.
Sep. 19: For our New York community, we hosted a special Channel Kindness Radio Live interview and an interactive research workshop on our recently published resource guide, “Online Safety for LGBTQ+ Young People: Resources to Enhance Technology and Platform Responsibilities."
Sep. 16: In partnership with After School Matters and Obama Foundation, we highlighted local youth leaders’ perspectives in the Chicago area with a youth-led panel discussion and brought our Be There Certificate workshop to continue supporting young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
Sep. 10: Our Manager of Research and Clinical Knowledge, Fran Giannattasio, and Research Intern, Sophia Greene, published “3 Ways to Scroll Smarter and Kinder: Strategies for Developing Social Media Literacy,” a Channel Kindness article outlining tactics for critically evaluating online content and ethically participating in digital communities.
Aug. 18: Drawing on personal experience and research, our Manager of Research and Clinical Knowledge, Fran Giannattasio, shared four ways for graduate students to prioritize their mental health on Channel Kindness.
Aug. 15: We released a resource guide titled, “Online Safety for LGBTQ+ Young People: Resources to Enhance Technology and Platform Responsibilities,” which provides key statistics from our research report on LGBTQ+ young people’s experiences in online spaces. This guide focuses on actionable strategies platform leaders can take, based on focus groups with LGBTQ+ centers across the country, and key takeaways from discussions with LGBTQ+ young people and adult experts in the field.
Aug. 2: Our Vice President of Research and Evaluation, Dr. Claudia-Santi Fernandes, traveled to Washington, D.C. to speak on a keynote panel, moderated by Dr. Judith Joseph, at the Active Minds Mental Health Conference. The discussion focused on empowering young people to use their lived experiences as a driving force in shaping mental health policy.
Aug. 1: We launched our first Kindness in Action events, focused on youth mental health, community care, and local Solutions. With support from Cotton On, we showcased the Be There Certificate course for the Los Angeles community and shared about the important work of The Laurel Foundation, ending the event by assembling and providing self-care kits for their students.
Jul. 3: Our Vice President of Research and Evaluation, Dr. Claudia-Santi Fernandes, and Research Intern, Sophia Greene, presented to the Global Mental Health Action Network’s LGBTQI+ working group on translating youth-engaged research into action through the creation of resource guides. The subsequent question and answer session focused on adapting this practice for countries with restrictive or anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
Jun. 30: Celebrating Pride Through Storytelling and Self-Expression with UGG Our senior associate, Mariah Karis, and Youth Advisory Board member, Shruti Venkat, led an in-person Channel Kindness Storytellers Club in collaboration with UGG to celebrate Pride Month through creativity, community, and self-expression, followed by a hands-on customization experience with the UGG team. (Photo Credit: Josh Hollin)
Jun. 27: Our Research Intern, Sophia Greene, shared about how LGBTQ+ young people living in unsupportive communities can celebrate Pride Month in her article, “Pride Behind Closed Doors: Celebrating in an Unaccepting Home.”
Jun. 26: Dr. Claudia and Youth Advisory Board member Kristen Lew presented virtually to the Mental Health Storytelling Coalition on Born This Way Foundation’s youth-engaged approach to research. They encouraged attendees to reflect on ways to translate youth-engaged research into actionable change.
Jun. 25: New Research Brief Highlights the Power of Digital Support for LGBTQ+ Young People in Rural Communities Along with our partners at Hopelab, we released a research brief, “Exploring Pride and Support of LGBTQ+ Young People in Rural Communities”, which focuses on the realities faced by LGBTQ+ young people in rural areas. The report highlights both the challenges they experience, such as higher rates of depression and limited in-person support, and the strength they show through pride and online connection.
Jun. 18: Launch of Resource Guide Empowering Families to Supporting LGBTQ+ Young People We released a new resource guide, Support LGBTQ+ Young People: A Guide for Families to Listen, Learn, and Act, in partnership with Hopelab, Bard High School Early College, CenterLink, WeEmbody Lab, and The NEAR Center. This guide offers research insights, youth-informed tips, and practical tools to help families create affirming, supportive spaces for the LGBTQ+ young people in their lives.
Jun. 14: Channel Kindness Storytellers Club Inspires Reflection and Connection at Her Conference 2025 Our senior associate, Keemia Abbaszadeh, and talented storyteller and Youth Advisory Board alumna, Livia Caligor, led an inspiring in-person Channel Kindness Storytellers Club workshop at the 2025 Her Conference hosted by the media platform, Her Campus, in New York City, engaging over 500 attendees in reflective writing and building meaningful connections. (Photo Credit: @tateproductionsinc, 2025)
Jun. 2: Dr. Claudia led a roundtable discussion at the Social Innovation Summit in San Francisco entitled “Partnering with LGBTQ+ Youth for Change.”
Jun. 1: We officially opened our 2025 Kindness in Community Fund call for nominations, inviting young people ages 15-24 to nominate organizations in their communities providing free, accessible, and youth-focused mental health support across 25 countries.
May 30: Dr. Claudia wrote an article for The Opinion Pages in which she calls on the newly-elected Pope Leo to extend Augustinian values of truth, unity, and love to LGBTQ+ young people, arguing that true faith grows stronger, not weaker, when it welcomes all.
May 30: Born This Way Foundation Spotlights LGBTQ+ Young People and Community for Youth Pride Our chief of staff, Josh Meredith, shared his story and spotlighted our work supporting LGBTQ+ youth through mental health resources, community-building, and our Kindness in Community Fund at Pride Rising, a vibrant World Pride 2025 event for LGBTQ+ young adults hosted by the DC Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, alongside partners including Human Rights Campaign, OutVote, and Gen Z for Change. (Photo Credit: @damonbowephoto, 2025)
May 29: Channel Kindness Storytellers Club Co-Hosted by WE THE URBAN We co-hosted a special Channel Kindness Storytellers Club with WE THE URBAN founder, Willie Greene, to explore the power of writing, mental health, and self-affirmation. Through freewriting prompts and open discussion, participants reflected on identity, growth, and healing. The session highlighted how words can be a tool for resilience and reminded us that telling our stories is a form of care. (Photo Credit: @raulromo, 2022)
May 22: Shorty Awards Honors our Kindness in Community Fund Video Campaign We’re honored to have received the Audience Honoree Award at the 17th Annual Shorty Awards for our Kindness in Community Fund Video Series. As we expanded the Kindness in Community Fund globally, we spotlighted 65 youth-serving organizations through a powerful, digital-first storytelling campaign, building a global community rooted in kindness and care.
May 14: Sophia Greene spoke on a panel alongside youth mental health activists Jorge Alvarez and Catherine Alves at Omidyar Group’s Ohana Gathering. Moderated by Jayla Stokesberry, the discussion focused on the sanctity of online spaces for LGBTQ+ youth.
Apr 28: The 74 published Dr. Claudia’s op-ed on the value of every child having a trusted adult in their life. Dr. Claudia highlighted how such relationships foster well-being and resilience.
Apr. 18: Our Research Intern, Sophia Greene, discussed how online communities provide vital support for young women with chronic illnesses: “The Weight of Being Disbelieved – and the TikTok Community That Lightens It.”
Mar. 18: Hosted a convening titled “Without it, I Wouldn’t Be Here Today,” bringing together LGBTQ+ young people, local leaders, local educators, and community stakeholders at Bard High School and Early College in New York to spotlight Born This Way Foundation and Hopelab’s new research on connection and safety in online spaces. The event turned research into action through storytelling and cross-sector conversation.
Mar 12. Released new research, in partnership with Hopelab, titled “Without It, I Wouldn't Be Here Today,” spotlighting how online spaces serve as vital sources of identity, peer support, and safety for LGBTQ+ young people. Findings highlight how partnerships between young people and trusted adults can build kinder and braver environments that enhance wellbeing outcomes and reduce depression among LGBTQ+ young people. During a feature segment on NBC News Now, Dr. Claudia and Jorge Alvarez, a young mental health activist, discussed the importance of online safe spaces for LGBTQ+ young people and emphasized the need for active allyship.
Mar. 4: Youth Advisory Board Announcement for Born This Way Foundation’s Anniversary: Welcomed the 2025–2026 Youth Advisory Board, a diverse cohort of global youth leaders shaping Born This Way Foundation’s programs, campaigns, and research. These Advisors ensure young people's ideas and lived experiences drive our mission toward a kinder, braver world.
Mar. 1: Fran Giannattasio participated in a panel hosted by the American Academy of Pediatrics on the role of social media in fostering safe online spaces. She spoke alongside two youth panelists and Dr. Megan Moreno, MD, a Professor of Pediatrics and Affiliate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
Feb. 27: Hosted by United for Global Mental Health, President and Co-Founder, Cynthia Germanotta, led a discussion with young people, activists, communications professionals, and entrepreneurs on how online communities shape youth mental health. Dr. Claudia joined and presented on the process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data from the Born This Way Foundation x Hopelab survey.
Feb. 23: For Random Acts of Kindness Week, Dr. Claudia was interviewed by WTNH News 8 about partnering with young people to build a kinder, braver world.
Feb. 15: Dr. Claudia’s op-ed on social media platforms’ moral responsibility to protect LGBTQ+ teenagers was published in The Fulcrum.
Feb. 12: Dr. Claudia was interviewed by Petal Modeste on Season 9, Episode 14 of the Parenting for the Future Podcast, where she discussed the importance of youth-engaged research and translating findings into action.
Feb. 6 + 7: NAMI Activation for The Big Game: Joined with NAMI during The Big Game to uplift stories of resilience and kindness from young people and public figures alike. At the GENYOUth Super School Meals Closing Rally and live from Media Row, our youth reporters asked what keeps people hopeful through challenges. These moments spotlighted the strength of community and the power of young people to inspire.
Dec. 3: Photo of Cynthia Germanotta giving a keynote at the Bloomberg American Health Summit for the Adolescent Mental Health pillar, centered on young people’s leadership in reaching mental health solutions.
Oct. 24: Partnered with UTA Next Gen to bring our Channel Kindness Storytellers Club workshop and a kindness activation to ZCON, a youth-led conference bringing together Gen-Z changemakers and brands.
Oct. 1: Reunited with Cotton On for the Kinder, Braver Together campaign to expand international awareness of the Be There Certificate. 100% of net proceeds from the line also supported Born This Way Foundation’s mental health initiatives and programming.
Jul. 24: Announced the international expansion of the Kindness in Community Fund grant with support from our partners at Cotton On, giving $3,000,000 to 65 youth-centered organizations across 10 countries meeting the diverse mental health needs of young people globally.
Feb. 20 +22: Curated youth-led town halls in collaboration with California Senator Laphonza Butler to discuss and present actionable insights on improving youth mental health in the state of California and beyond.
Dispersed over $250,000 across 40+ local organizations in the United States working to directly support LGBTQ+ youth mental health resources.
Sept. 1: Launched the Kinder, Braver Together campaign with Cotton On to expand the reach of our Be There Certificate program, invite international nominations for the Kindness in Community Fund, and create a range of limited-edition products - with 100% of net proceeds donated to Born This Way Foundation’s mental health initiatives.
Jun. 14: Released the 2023 Kind Communities Survey in partnership with Benenson Strategy Group, following the initial 2017 survey exploring young people’s perspectives on mental health and the impact of kindness on their wellbeing.
May 28. Received the Shorty Award for Fitness, Health, and Wellness for the Be There Certificate in partnership with Jack.org.
Mar. 27: Launched #BeKind365, an online platform with a variety of features that invite people to take intentional, daily kind action in services of themselves, their loved ones, their communities, and the planet.
Jan. 31: Announced our Youth Advisory Board, composed of 31 advisors across 6 continents between 15 to 24 years old who are dedicated to supporting youth mental health in their communities and advising Born This Way Foundation’s work, including campaigns, programs, and research.
Aug. 3: Expanded the Kindness in Community Fund, investing $1,000,000 in 22 grassroots organizations supporting youth mental health across the country in conjunction with The Chromatica Ball Summer Stadium Tour.
Jul. 31: Fully funded 232 classroom projects in 209 schools reaching students from majority low-income households through our partnership with DonorsChoose.
May. 4: Released findings from the survey “Kindness in the Workplace in partnership with Indeed.
Mar. 9: Born This Way Foundation, in partnership with jack.org, launched the Be There Certificate, a free online course that teaches how to safely support someone who may be struggling with their mental health, available in English, French, + Spanish.
Jan. 15: Released findings from the survey “Peer Counseling in College Mental Health” in partnership with The Mary Christie Institute.
Updated ChannelKindness.org to include action steps and resources with stories, a 'For Educators' page, and an interactive map of kind acts and stories.
Teamed up with corporate partners to meet unmet needs of nonprofits across the country for second annual Channel Kindness Holiday campaign.
Released 'Youth Mental Health in Las Vegas,' a survey noting changes in prioritization, access, and preference of resources among young people.
Launched fourth annual #BeKind21 campaign, recruiting over 400 partners, 6.8 million participants, and 143 million pledged acts of kindness.
Further supported LGBTQIA+ youth by contributing to and amplifying organizations that serve them and creating live-event activations.
Released 'Kindness Is Action' survey identifying how young people define kindness and its impact on mental wellness.
Fully funded 1,238 classroom projects focused on mental health in 793 schools through partnership with DonorsChoose.
Welcomed a new Advisory Board cohort of 29 young people from across the globe to inform the work of the Foundation and serve as ambassadors.
Launched billboards with #PleaseStayPledge messaging, sharing urgent suicide prevention tools.
Developed the #PleaseStayPledge with Find Your Anchor to offer support and resources.
Organized the third annual #BeKind21 campaign.
Published CHANNEL KINDNESS: Stories of Kindness and Community.
Initiated the #KindlyMask campaign to raise awareness on the importance of wearing a mask as an act of kindness.
Produced #BTWFTalks to promote mental health awareness across communities, generations, and sectors.
Launched #BeKindBeThere with Jack.org to support youth mental health education.
Established the Kindness in Community Fund to support local nonprofits and Black-led organizations.
Created #TeaWithMrsG video series to provide online resources and encouragement during the pandemic.
Kicked off the Channel Kindness Awards to support youth-led projects.
Presented at the Nevada Suicide Prevention Conference and led a “Youth Voice on Mental Health” panel focused on suicide prevention.
teen Mental Health First Aid expanded to 35 additional high schools around the country.
Funded more than 160 DonorsChoose.org classroom projects in response to the shootings in California, Ohio, and Texas.
For our second annual #BeKind21 campaign, we partnered with over 130 organizations and generated over 41M pledged acts of kindness and over 300M social media impressions.
teen Mental Health First Aid expanded to 20 additional high schools around the country.
With The Starbucks Foundation, we launched our #BornThisWayFoundationxStarbucks campaign, raising over $200K to support mental health programs and LGBTQ+ youth wellness.
Together with California’s Mental Health Services Oversight + Accountability Commission, we surveyed over 400 young people in California on mental health and access to resources.
Cynthia appointed World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Mental Health.
Presented at Milken Institute’s 2019 Global Conference focused on evidence-based approaches that help build mental and emotional resilience in youth.
Published “Youth Mental Health in America: Understanding Resource Availability and Preferences” survey.
teen Mental Health First Aid expanded to eight additional schools across the United States.
Las Vegas Youth Mental Health survey results helped explore youth perception of mental health and access to key mental health services in Las Vegas.
Launched an in-venue presence at the Park MGM, coinciding with Lady Gaga’s residency, to invite concertgoers to engage with interactive kindness experiences.
Launched the #MultiplyYourGood campaign by offering to match every kind act and generating over 150M social media impressions.
Teamed up with Starbucks to support and amplify the work of local nonprofit organizations for World Kindness Day.
Born This Way Foundation made a pop culture moment with a feature as the correct response on Jeopardy!, spotlighting our mission on a national stage.
Together with United For Global Mental Health, launched the #Someone2Turn2 campaign to promote healthy conversations about mental wellness, reaching over 5M social media impressions.
Presented at United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
Kicked off our inaugural #BeKind21 campaign, generating over 8M pledged acts of kindness and over 17M social impressions.
Generated over 1,000 sign-ups for the National Council for Behavioral Health’s Mental Health First Aid training through the #BeKindBeTheDifference campaign.
Through DonorsChoose.org, fully funded 673 mental and emotional wellness projects at 405 schools.
Released “Digital Communities: Youth Mental Health and Online Behavior” survey.
Engaged with over 40k community members in 30 cities during Lady Gaga’s Joanne World Tour, including 8 youth-led service projects and over 150k people trained in Mental Health First Aid.
Launched the #KindFor30 campaign to encourage our community to perform an act of kindness each day.
Released “Kind Communities: A Bridge To Youth Wellness” survey to better understand the perception of mental health among young people.
Born This Way Foundation brought together 50 passionate young changemakers from across the U.S. to serve as the first cohort of Channel Kindness Reporters, equipping them with storytelling skills and a platform to spotlight acts of kindness and compassion in their communities. These youth reporters contributed original stories to ChannelKindness.org, amplifying positive narratives and reshaping how kindness is seen and shared in the media.
Coinciding with Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl Half Time performance, launched the #KickOffForKindness campaign, inviting individuals to host kick-off parties focused on engaging in acts of kindness.
Partnered with TODAY and NBC Universal’s to curate the #ShareKindness Experience at 30 Rockefeller Center - a curated journey of kind acts supporting the campaign’s goal of inspiring one million acts of kindness throughout that month.
Hosted the #KindMonstersEDU event and worked with hundreds of Los Angeles middle school students and teachers.
Launched Channel Kindness.
Launched a Research Advisory Board led by Dr. Sue Swearer of the University of Nebraska.
Announced the #CityofKindness movement, asking 300 mayors to join us in creating a kinder, braver world. Lady Gaga joined the Dalai Lama and the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation to discuss the power of kindness and compassion.
In spring 2016, Lady Gaga and Sir Elton John partnered with Macy’s to launch the Love Bravery collection, a limited-edition line of apparel and accessories designed to spark compassion, combat prejudice, and elevate the messages of kindness and courage central to Born This Way Foundation’s mission. A portion of proceeds supported the Foundation’s work empowering young people to build kinder, braver communities.
Announced #KindMonsters, launching a year-long campaign to promote kindness and acceptance with Mattel’s Monster High.
Launched Hack Harassment to provide safer, more inclusive online experiences in partnership with Intel, Vox Media, and Re/code.
Hosted the Emotion Revolution Summit at Yale University, welcoming teens from across the country to discuss the importance of emotions, unveiling the results of an online survey of 22,000 high school students, and starting the #IAmNotJust campaign, which received 1 billion impressions.
Hosted a conversation on ending campus assault alongside the release of Lady Gaga’s song ‘Til It Happens To You.
Welcomed the 2nd Youth Advisory Board.
Partnered with Tony Bennett’s foundation, Exploring The Arts, to highlight the work of exceptional local youth-oriented nonprofits across the country.
Invited 50 young people to the Born Brave Retreat to uplift youth voices, support youth activism, and inspire leadership skills.
Born Brave Study findings presented at #APA2014, the largest annual gathering of school psychologists to improve student success.
Partnered with Mental Health Creating Community Solutions on the #TextTalkAct campaign.
Partnered with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden's Empowerment Initiative to encourage “a national conversation to increase understanding and awareness about mental health.”
Born Brave Research study launched, in partnership with University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Inaugural Advisory Board announced, composed of 26 young people from across the country.
Born This Way Foundation launched the Born Brave Bus, a traveling activation that accompanied Lady Gaga on tour to bring mental health resources, inspiration, and community connections directly to young people nationwide. The mobile experience provided on-the-ground engagement with local partners, encouraged youth empowerment, and helped forge supportive connections in cities across the country.
Born This Way Foundation launches at Harvard University.