A Little Hope
OVERVIEW: A Little Hope seeks to “provide bereavement support services and grief counseling for children, teens, and young adults who have experienced the loss of a parent, sibling, or a loved one, regardless of the circumstances of the death.”
IP TAKE: A Little Hope mainly supports organizations providing bereavement support to children and young adults in the form of peer support groups. Recent funding has also involved art, storytelling, writing and imaginative play programs. New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida appear to be geographic priorities. This funder accepts brief grant inquiries via email at any time. Grants range from $10,000 to $60,000.
PROFILE: Established in 2002 as “a personal response to the World Trade Center tragedy,” A Little Hope was founded by Whitney and Evan Michaels. It seeks to “help provide bereavement support services and grief counseling for children, teens and young adults who have experienced the loss of a parent, sibling, or a loved one, regardless of the circumstances of the death.” Members of the the nonprofit’s Board of Directors and Board of Advisors have expertise in children’s bereavement and strategic planning and are responsible for selecting grant recipients. Grantmaking tends to support organizations in the organization’s home state of New York, as well as New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida.
A Little Hope’s grantmaking supports organizations that “utilize the peer support group model to facilitate children’s expression of painful and conflicted thoughts and feelings about the death of a loved one, without judgment.” Grants have supported programs that utilize storytelling, writing, imaginative play, art and music as means of therapy. This is accomplished as children tell the story of what happened and/or through physical play, art projects, music and journal writing.” The focus area of A Little Hope’s giving is narrow, but it has funded 92 different organizations in 38 states that have provided mental health support services to more than 250,000 children, youth, and young adults. Recent grantees include Virginia’s Comfort Zone Camp, the National Alliance for Grieving Children and the Shore Grief Center in North Carolina.
Grants range from about $10,000 to $60,000, with an average grant size of about $25,000. This funder tends to provide ongoing support to organizations working in its very specific areas of interest. For information about past grantmaking, see the organization’s recent tax filings.
This funder accepts grant inquiries at any time via email. Email inquiries must contain the organization’s name, location, website and leadership. Grant seekers should note that this is funder expects regular program assessment check-ins as well as interim and year-end reports from its grantees, and that its grantees generally adhere to the peer support group methodologies of bereavement support. General inquiries may also be emailed to the foundation staff.
Though grant applications are by invite only, A Little Hope accepts brief letters of inquiry.
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