Center On Halsted Receives Grant From Born This Way Foundation
Tue. January 20, 2026 9:57 AM
Chicago, IL -
Today, Center on Halsted (COH) announced their selection as a Kindness in Community Fund grant recipient by Born This Way foundation. COH will be receiving $100,000 from the Kindness in Community Fund, a youth-driven grantmaking program that will go toward Youth Programming. This fund is supported by Pivotal, Cotton On Foundation, Sephora, Haus Labs, and others.
Center on Halsted is one of 55 youth-centered organizations across eleven countries selected to be 2026-2027 Kindness in Community Fund grant recipients. Through funding programs including direct mental health services as well as services that address housing, food, and safety, these organizations are supporting youth mental health and cultivating a necessary culture of kindness.
From nominations all the way to final selection, young people in each region were engaged at each step of the grant making process, ensuring their input and perspectives were central to the decision-making process and reflecting their genuine needs and priorities in mental health. “We are honored that one of our Youth Programming participants has nominated Center on Halsted for this grant,” said Joli Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of Center on Halsted.
“We are deeply appreciative to the foundation for creating space for LGBTQ+ youth to make decisions and reflect on the impact of organizations providing mental health services at this pivotal moment. With this partnership, Center on Halsted can expand access to compassionate care and continue meeting the evolving needs of our LGBTQ+ and allied youth.”
“It is a testament to each Kindness in Community Fund grant recipient’s work that young people themselves have selected them to receive this grant. We are thrilled to announce the 2026-2027 cohort of grant recipients that practice creative, innovative work to meet the needs of youth in their community, supporting their mental health and wellbeing,” said Rachel Martin, Chief Operating Officer of Born This Way Foundation. “With thanks to generous support from our partners, Born This Way Foundation is able to scale the important work of these grassroots organizations, ensuring they are able to help even more young people in their communities.”
Despite the crucial need for investment, the World Health Organization reports that mental health comprises only around 2% of global health funding, and just 0.5% of philanthropic health funding. The Kindness in Community Fund works to break this cycle by investing in organizations that provide unique services that bolster young people’s mental health and wellbeing and encourage them to support
themselves and each other.
For more information about the 2026-2027 Kindness in Community Fund grant recipients, please visit: channelkindness.org/2025-kindness-in-community-fund-grant-recipients
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED:
About Center on Halsted
Center on Halsted (COH) is the Midwest’s largest LGBTQ+ community center, dedicated to advancing community and securing the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ people across Chicagoland. As a comprehensive community resource, COH provides programs for a lifetime including behavioral health services, anti-violence support, cultural programming, HIV/STI testing, senior services, youth and young adult
programs, and workforce development.
About Born This Way Foundation
Born This Way Foundation, co-founded and led by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Bissett Germanotta, empowers and inspires young people to build a kinder, braver world that supports their mental health and wellbeing. Based on the scientific link between kindness and mental health and built in partnership with young people, the Foundation leverages research, programs, grantmaking, and partnerships to engage young people and connect them with accessible mental health resources. This approach comes to life through the storytelling platform Channel Kindness, the mental health training course Be There Certificate, the youth-led grantmaking program Kindness in Community Fund, and more, reaching thousands of young people around the world each year. Learn more at bornthisway.foundation.
Center on Halsted is one of 55 youth-centered organizations across eleven countries selected to be 2026-2027 Kindness in Community Fund grant recipients. Through funding programs including direct mental health services as well as services that address housing, food, and safety, these organizations are supporting youth mental health and cultivating a necessary culture of kindness.
From nominations all the way to final selection, young people in each region were engaged at each step of the grant making process, ensuring their input and perspectives were central to the decision-making process and reflecting their genuine needs and priorities in mental health. “We are honored that one of our Youth Programming participants has nominated Center on Halsted for this grant,” said Joli Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of Center on Halsted.
“We are deeply appreciative to the foundation for creating space for LGBTQ+ youth to make decisions and reflect on the impact of organizations providing mental health services at this pivotal moment. With this partnership, Center on Halsted can expand access to compassionate care and continue meeting the evolving needs of our LGBTQ+ and allied youth.”
“It is a testament to each Kindness in Community Fund grant recipient’s work that young people themselves have selected them to receive this grant. We are thrilled to announce the 2026-2027 cohort of grant recipients that practice creative, innovative work to meet the needs of youth in their community, supporting their mental health and wellbeing,” said Rachel Martin, Chief Operating Officer of Born This Way Foundation. “With thanks to generous support from our partners, Born This Way Foundation is able to scale the important work of these grassroots organizations, ensuring they are able to help even more young people in their communities.”
Despite the crucial need for investment, the World Health Organization reports that mental health comprises only around 2% of global health funding, and just 0.5% of philanthropic health funding. The Kindness in Community Fund works to break this cycle by investing in organizations that provide unique services that bolster young people’s mental health and wellbeing and encourage them to support
themselves and each other.
For more information about the 2026-2027 Kindness in Community Fund grant recipients, please visit: channelkindness.org/2025-kindness-in-community-fund-grant-recipients
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED:
About Center on Halsted
Center on Halsted (COH) is the Midwest’s largest LGBTQ+ community center, dedicated to advancing community and securing the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ people across Chicagoland. As a comprehensive community resource, COH provides programs for a lifetime including behavioral health services, anti-violence support, cultural programming, HIV/STI testing, senior services, youth and young adult
programs, and workforce development.
About Born This Way Foundation
Born This Way Foundation, co-founded and led by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Bissett Germanotta, empowers and inspires young people to build a kinder, braver world that supports their mental health and wellbeing. Based on the scientific link between kindness and mental health and built in partnership with young people, the Foundation leverages research, programs, grantmaking, and partnerships to engage young people and connect them with accessible mental health resources. This approach comes to life through the storytelling platform Channel Kindness, the mental health training course Be There Certificate, the youth-led grantmaking program Kindness in Community Fund, and more, reaching thousands of young people around the world each year. Learn more at bornthisway.foundation.