CIGNA Group Foundation Opens Third Year of $9 Million Youth Mental Health Grant Progam
/The Cigna Group Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Cigna Group, has opened its 2026 Improving Youth Mental Health grant program, part of The Cigna Group Foundation’s $9 million, three-year commitment to improve youth mental health.
With youth mental health challenges rising nationwide, The Cigna Group Foundation seeks to partner with community-based organizations that can deliver meaningful, evidence-informed support to young people (ages 5–18) and the adults who care for them, such as parents, caregivers, teachers and coaches.
Nonprofit organizations are invited to apply now through March 12 at 5:00 pm ET.
“Young people across the country continue to face mental health challenges at levels we’ve never experienced before, and we view this as a moment to respond with urgency and compassion,”
said Ellie Polack, President, The Cigna Group Foundation. “By investing in community organizations that specialize in social-emotional learning, trauma-informed care, and family–school partnerships, we can help ensure more kids get the support they need, when they need it.”
This year, all grant requests must total $150,000, reflecting the Foundation’s commitment to deeper, more concentrated impact. The Foundation is especially interested in applications that strengthen:
Social-emotional learning (SEL) programs in schools and afterschool settings
Trauma-informed services, ensuring kids receive support tailored to their life experiences
Family–school partnerships that help adults and children work together toward healthier outcomes
Eligible organizations must provide services in at least one of the Foundation’s ten priority states: Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas.
This program has already committed more than $7 million to 53 nonprofit organizations across two grant cycles. In the first grant term alone, nonprofits reported reaching over 34,000 youth, families, and professionals in underserved communities with the additional support from The Cigna Group.
According to an analysis by The Cigna Group's Evernorth Research Institute, the number of young people with mental health conditions has increased 28% since 2018, and the number of youth with at least two mental health diagnoses has risen 48% over the same period.
More than two out of three young people will experience trauma by age 16, and inadequate levels of social and emotional functioning are being increasingly recognized as central to many public health problems.
Organizations serving youth in diverse communities are especially encouraged to apply. Interested nonprofits can visit The Cigna Group Foundation’s website to review program requirements and the application. To learn more, visit www.thecignagroup.com/community.
The Cigna Group Foundation is a private foundation funded by contributions from The Cigna Group (and its subsidiaries. The Cigna Group Foundation aims to support, collaborate, and convene with nonprofit organizations addressing society's greatest health challenges. In addition to increasing access to programs and care in geographies demonstrating significant need, the Foundation responds with humanitarian aid relief during critical times and strengthens colleagues' support of causes through matching donations and volunteer rewards. Past Connecticut recipients of the youth mental health grants include The Village for Families and Children, Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut.
The CIGNA Group website notes that the “destigmatization of mental health issues over the last few years are signs of opportunity, and the business community plays an important role in addressing the mental health crisis, David Cordani, chairman and CEO of The Cigna Group, said during the 2025 Workforce Mental Health Summit in San Francisco.”
Among the featured speakers at the Summit was Olympic champion gymnast Simone Biles, who talked about ways she prioritizes her mental health and what business and community leaders can do to address the mental health crisis. The event last April was part of the Business Roundtable Mental Health Initiative, a CEO-led effort to promote and support employee mental health, championed by David Cordani, Chairman and CEO of The Cigna Group.
In Connecticut, CIGNA offices are located in Bloomfield (corporate headquarters) and Milford. The Cigna Group maintains sales capabilities in more than 30 countries and jurisdictions and has more than 187 million customer relationships around the world.
