The Tow Foundation today announced that its Innovation Fund selected ten organizations to receive a combined total of $10 million in grants over three years. The funding is focused on expanding access to the care and support for mental health and well-being that youth need to thrive.
Amid rising rates of mental health challenges among young people and reports of difficulty accessing support and care, the Foundation has committed to investing in organizations driving innovative ideas and solutions to the crisis.
“We designed the 2025 Innovation Fund to advance new solutions to unmet mental health challenges faced by young people,” said Frank Tow, chair of the Innovation Fund Committee and board member of The Tow Foundation. “These ten organizations stood out for their creativity, credibility, and commitment to young people.”
“Congratulations to the 2025 Innovation Fund awardees. We are proud to partner with ten organizations that are imagining, creating, and expanding access to services that promote well-being,” said Emily Tow, President of The Tow Foundation.
2025 Innovation Fund Grantees
To be eligible, applicant organizations must serve youth in one or more of the following six states, even if they are not headquartered in that state: California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New York, or Pennsylvania. Organizations were required to be 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations or have a fiscal sponsor; demonstrate a track record of working to advance youth mental health and well-being; be exploring innovative solutions; and support communities or populations facing barriers to accessing support for mental health and well-being.
The 2025 Innovation Fund grantees are:
- Church World Service Greensboro (NC) – Legal and wraparound services to support well-being for immigrant youth
- Communities for Just Schools Fund (Washington, D.C.) – Youth leadership and trauma recovery in schools
- Homeboy Industries (CA) – Community based mental health and substance-use care for formerly incarcerated or gang-involved youth
- Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project (CA) – Rural Indigenous youth organizing for healing and policy change
- Mount Sinai Morningside (NY) – Care for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders across clinical, school and community settings
- Now Matters Now (WA) – Online peer-to-peer suicide-prevention community
- Nunchi Health (CA) – Free, peer-led mental-health programs that center cultural identity and community to support immigrant and minority youth
- Our Children’s Trust (OR) – Youth climate advocacy as a mechanism for combating climate anxiety and promoting well-being
- Tapestry Family Services (CA) – Mobile, culturally responsive community-based mental health support in rural areas
- Wellness Workforce Collaborative (NY) – Building rural mental health workforce pipelines
The Innovation Fund launched in 2022 with the goal of funding creative approaches to addressing issues affecting children and their families. The second iteration in 2025 focused on expanding access to the care and support that youth need to thrive. Through multi-year grants, the Innovation Fund supports organizations advancing youth mental health and well-being, strengthening access for young people and their families, and delivering solutions grounded in trust, safety, community, and culturally informed support.
