Hawaiʻi nonprofit among 35 nationwide to receive major youth mental health grant

Hale Kipa has been selected as one of 35 organizations nationwide to receive a grant from the Decolonizing Wealth Project’s inaugural Youth Mental Health Fund, which supports culturally grounded mental health services for young people and families.

According to the Decolonizing Wealth Project, its Youth Mental Health Fund received 1,551 applications requesting more than $206 million in funding. A total of $5.07 million was awarded to 35 organizations selected through the competitive national process.

“We are elated to grant the inaugural round of our Youth Mental Health Fund,” said Edgar Villanueva, founder and CEO of the Decolonizing Wealth Project. “The need for culturally responsive mental health support is profound, and this fund will help improve the lives of young people across the country. Our commitment to culturally grounded care has never been more urgent.”

Hale Kipa leaders said the grant will support services for youth and families across Hawaiʻi who are navigating trauma, systemic inequities and mental health challenges. The funding will also help expand programs rooted in safety, healing and cultural connection.

“This funding is an investment in Hawaiʻi’s young people and their futures,” said Venus Kauʻiokawēkiu Rosete-Medeiros, president and CEO of Hale Kipa. “It will allow us to expand culturally grounded, nurturing care that supports healing, builds resilience and empowers youth to discover their strengths and leadership potential.”

Rich Havard, director of the Youth Mental Health Fund at the Decolonizing Wealth Project, said the selected organizations reflect the role community-based groups play in addressing youth mental health needs.

“This inaugural group of grantees reflects the creativity, cultural grounding, and care that true youth mental health work requires,” Havard said. “These organizations meet young people where they are, honoring both their struggles and their strengths.”

According to its website, the mission of the Decolonizing Wealth Project is to transform wealth into collective wellbeing through reparative giving, storytelling and sector transformation. The organization, founded in 2018, has helped facilitate the distribution of nearly $1 billion for social justice efforts and has granted over $23 million through its Liberated Capital fund to initiatives primarily led by Black and Indigenous communities.

To learn more about these two organizations, visit www.halekipa.org and  www.decolonizingwealth.com.