New Bedford youth will choose who gets $355,000 in health grants

NEW BEDFORD A health foundation will put up to $355,000 behind youth leadership work in New Bedford, and a council of young people from the city will decide which organizations get the money. The Atrius Health Equity Foundation's call for proposals, titled Youth Creating a Healthier New Bedford, opened Sept. 28 and closes Wednesday, Oct. 28, at noon, according to the foundation's funding page.

Grants will go to organizations that advance youth leadership development, youth civic engagement and youth organizing among young people ages 14 to 22 in New Bedford, the page says. The work has to connect to at least one of six health priorities that city young people identified themselves: substance use, transportation, mental health, community violence, youth jobs and economic security, and housing.

Youth make the call

Foundation staff will first screen each application for eligibility, completeness and fit, and run a financial and administrative review, before the ones that pass go to the council, according to the call for proposals. "Grantees will be selected and funds will be allocated by a Youth Investment Council comprised of New Bedford youth, and convened and facilitated by the Women's Fund South Coast," the funding page says. The council will determine the awardees, including how many there are and how much each one gets.

The Women's Fund SouthCoast says it will bring together about 12 young people across genders and races, including boys and young men, for the council. Members will study how gender, race and economic circumstances shape young people's health and opportunities, develop the scoring criteria, review the applications and then select the organizations and award amounts. "That's youth participatory philanthropy: young people putting their experiences, ideas, and leadership to work through real funding decisions," the organization said on its council page.

The group said young people have been asking for more chances to lead. Its separate Young Women's Advisory Council drew more than 50 applicants for 20 spots before applications closed, and the council page asks families, educators and community partners to share the new opportunity with young people.

The money and the rules

Between one and seven organizations will be funded, with awards from $50,000 to $355,000 depending on how many are chosen, the foundation says. The money is flexible and may be used over one to two years. No budget is required with the application, though one may be requested during interviews or the final award process. The amount requested per year may not exceed 50% of an organization's total annual operating budget, and grant funds may not be used for lobbying or political activities.

Eligible organizations must be 501(c)(3) public charities, or be fiscally sponsored by one, be headquartered in Eastern Massachusetts and have a physical presence in New Bedford. The call for proposals counts Bristol and Plymouth counties as part of Eastern Massachusetts. Groups that only provide youth services or youth development would not be considered responsive, it says, so applicants have to show they support youth leadership development, civic engagement or organizing.

The application asks each organization to name up to three partners it would work with if selected. Partners are encouraged to apply too, and each organization has to submit its own application to be considered.

How the priorities were set

Since 2025 the foundation has funded work to let New Bedford youth set the agenda, including a survey of young people conducted by young people and youth focus groups, and this grant round builds on it, the funding page says. The call for proposals says that survey and those focus groups took place in the spring and summer of 2026. The foundation received its funding in June 2022, when Atrius Health converted into a for-profit corporation, and now operates independently of Atrius Health, according to its website, which says its goal is to close the gap in life expectancy in Eastern Massachusetts.

Key dates

• Already past: the Sept. 28 opening, the Oct. 6 informational webinar, the Oct. 13 office hours and the Oct. 20 deadline for questions. The webinar slides and the answers to common questions are posted with the call for proposals.
• Thursday, Oct. 22: the foundation's final update to its answers on common questions, the last one listed before applications close.
• Wednesday, Oct. 28, at noon: applications due through the foundation's grant portal, with questions to grants@atriusfoundation.org.
• Jan. 12, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.: possible finalist interviews with the council, a date applicants are asked to hold.
• End of February 2027: winners are expected to be notified, according to the estimate in the foundation's key dates.

Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.