2026 Improving Youth Mental Health grant program

2026 Improving Youth Mental Health grant program is sponsored by The Cigna Group Foundation. This program by The Cigna Group Foundation aims to improve the mental health of youth (ages 5-18) and their caregivers. It supports community-based organizations delivering evidence-informed support, with a focus on social-emotional learning programs, trauma-informed services, and family-school partnerships.

The foundation has committed $9 million over three years to this initiative.

Improving Youth Mental Health | The Cigna Group Evernorth Health Services Evernorth Health Services Evernorth Health Services Evernorth Health Services Environmental, Social, and Governance Improving Health and Vitality Environmental, Social, and Governance Improving Health and Vitality Corporate Impact and Sustainability Improving Youth Mental Health Improving Youth Mental Health Our grant program addresses the critical need for solutions to support kids and teens.

The Cigna Group Foundation is committing $9 million over three years to improve the mental health of youth (ages five to 18) as it relates to post-pandemic stress and distress. This commitment includes support for their parents, caregivers, and youth service professionals like educators and therapists. We all have an important role to play in supporting youth and creating a world where they can thrive.

The more we give back, the stronger and healthier the future of our society will be–and our support is needed now more than ever. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, up to one in five children ages three to 17 reported a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder.

Even now, we continue to see the critical need for both identification and treatment of mental health conditions, which now includes the impact the pandemic may have had on many youth. 1 The work we want to do in our communities cannot be done alone.

Many great nonprofit organizations already have the reach and scale necessary to build healthier communities, so contributing to and collaborating with them will help strengthen our collective impact. Examples of impact through funded grant programs from our 2024 nonprofit partners include: A holistic, trauma-informed after-school program designed to empower teen boys and girls severely impacted by challenging life circumstances.

Building social-emotional learning skills in high-school students and educating parents, caregivers, and educators about specific mental health challenges of the students. Subsidized therapy for youth, as well as mental health training for local youth-serving organizations and schools. Explore outcomes from this cohort in our Improving Youth Mental Health 2025 Impact Report .

Examples of impact through funded grant programs from our 2025 nonprofit partners include: A virtual program led by medical students that helps youth in grades 6-12 build skills to manage their stress, develop an understanding of how to take care of their own mental health, and respond to peers experiencing suicidal thoughts.

A Students Supporting Students program that recruits and trains peers, supported by school staff, to identify signs and symptoms of mental health issues and empowers them to lead a mental health campaign in their school. Cost-free, equitable access to school-based care, within the school setting and during school hours, using personalized treatment plans.

We seek to collaborate with and support nonprofits that leverage evidence-informed programs and services to serve local youth experiencing the most need. We are focused on investing in solutions that address mental health concerns early, and strategically offer programming, intervention, and access to care in schools and related settings in underserved communities.

Nonprofit partners must align to at least one of these grant program goals: Increase reach of programming that fosters social-emotional skills and well-being. Increase the number of parents, caregivers, and youth service professionals who feel equipped to support. Increase pathways to mental health intervention and access to care.

The request for application for our 2026 Improving Youth Mental Health Grant program is now closed. Please visit The Cigna Group Foundation for updates on upcoming grant opportunities. Read our frequently asked questions .

The Cigna Group Foundation Improving Youth Mental Health 2025 Impact Report 2025 Youth Mental Health Press Release 2024 Youth Mental Health Press Release 1 Protecting Youth Mental Health, Department of Health and Human Services, 2021, https://www. hhs. gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-youth-mental-health-advisory.

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