The Cigna Group Foundation Combats Youth Mental Health Crisis, Now Accepting 2025 Grant Applications from Nonprofits
- Nonprofits are encouraged to apply now for 2025 grants
- The Cigna Group Foundation committed $9 million in 2024 to address youth mental health, distributing $3 million each year through 2026
- In first year, 28 grantees were awarded funding to expand programs, including youth camps, mindfulness coach program and conflict resolution techniques
BLOOMFIELD, Conn., Feb. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cigna Group Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI), announced today it is taking further actions to combat the youth mental health crisis sweeping the nation. As part of a $9 million, three-year commitment that began in 2024, the Foundation has opened its second year of funding and will distribute $3 million in grants to address post-pandemic stress and distress among youth ages 5-18.
The commitment includes funding to support those who care for youth in everyday settings and interactions, including parents, caregivers, and youth service professionals, such as educators and therapists. The 2025 grant application is now open for eligible organizations in select states through March 13, 2025.
"We recognize conditions spurred by stress in a post-pandemic world are pervasive among our nation's youth. That's why The Cigna Group Foundation remains dedicated to partnering with trusted nonprofit organizations that can deliver local resources and services aimed at supporting and improving youth mental health and well-being," said Melissa Skottegaard, board chair, The Cigna Group Foundation. "We've already seen the positive impacts of these collaborations in several communities where organizations are using grant funds to expand or launch vital youth programs. We look forward to this second year of grants to drive collective impact and create a world where young people can thrive."
The Cigna Group Foundation will prioritize grants in regions where The Cigna Group serves a significant number of customers with high and very high social determinant of health risks, including Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas. The goals with these grants include increasing the reach of programming that fosters social-emotional skills and well-being; increasing the number of parents, caregivers, and youth service professionals who feel equipped to support; and increasing pathways to mental health intervention and access to care.
According to an analysis by The Cigna Group's Evernorth Research Institute, the number of young people with mental health conditions has increased 28% since 2018, and the number of youth with at least two mental health diagnoses has risen 48% over the same period. More than two out of three children and adolescents will experience trauma by age 16, and inadequate levels of social and emotional functioning are being increasingly recognized as central to many public health problems.
First-year Grants Support Programs to Promote Health and Well-being for Youth
In 2024, the first year of the youth mental health grant program, The Cigna Group Foundation distributed funding to 28 organizations that work with local youth every day. Initiatives funded cover a wide range of social and clinical needs, including:
- Eluna's Camp Erin, the nation's largest grief camp network for school-aged youth and their families across the U.S. and Canada. Through a $150,000 grant, Philadelphia-based Eluna is expanding family camps and support for caregivers and mental health professionals through developing new workgroups and workshops in multiples states.
- McCall Foundation's Adolescent Services Program. With a $150,000 grant, Connecticut-based McCall is extending its adolescent services program to Waterbury, Connecticut. The team is using the grant to expand its Spanish-speaking clinical team and extend access and culturally appropriate care to Waterbury residents.
- Mindfulness First's "Leading with Mindfulness" Program. The $100,000 grant is co-funding a program to provide a full-time onsite mindfulness coach during the 2025-2026 academic year in Maricopa County, Arizona. The coach will guide students through Mindfulness First's curricula and give teachers the resources to teach these skills themselves.
- Women's Resource Center's Child and Youth Advocacy Program. Through a $150,000 grant, the Georgia-based nonprofit is expanding its youth program, including Camp PEACE and the GameChangers teen program, which helps children and youth overcome the trauma of witnessing violence in the home and build a foundation for healthy future relationships. Through these programs, children learn how to manage feelings of anger and frustration, discuss their fears and practice peaceful conflict resolution techniques.
The Cigna Group Foundation has a long history of impactful partnerships with nonprofits, and in 2024 announced a philanthropic and community engagement initiative committing more than $27 million in grants over three years to nonprofit organizations focused on improving youth mental health, improving veteran mental health, and reducing barriers to health equity.
About The Cigna Group
The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) is a global health company committed to creating a better future built on the vitality of every individual and every community. We relentlessly challenge ourselves to partner and innovate solutions for better health. The Cigna Group includes products and services marketed under Cigna Healthcare, Evernorth Health Services or its subsidiaries. The Cigna Group maintains sales capabilities in more than 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has more than 189 million customer relationships around the world. Learn more at thecignagroup.com.
About The Cigna Group Foundation
The Cigna Group Foundation is a private foundation funded by contributions from The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) and its subsidiaries. The Cigna Group Foundation aims to support, collaborate, and convene with nonprofit organizations addressing society's greatest health challenges. In addition to increasing access to programs and care in geographies demonstrating significant need, The Cigna Group Foundation responds with humanitarian aid relief during critical times and strengthens colleagues' support of causes through matching donations and volunteer rewards. To learn more, visit www.thecignagroup.com/community.
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