JOIN the MOVEMENT:
Fundraise for Mental Health

Fundraising is an essential part of mental health advocacy

At Active Minds we see the importance of community and connecting with peers to change the conversation around mental health. By signing up to fundraise for Active Minds, you are joining us as a committed mental health advocate and spreading this message of hope with your community.​​​​ Our fundraisers make a difference in the way we talk about, care for, and respond to mental health.

Help us create a world with more mental health support and care. Show up & support our mission to change the conversation about mental health for young adults nationwide and start a fundraiser today:

Setting up your fundraising page

  1. Choose the type of fundraising campaign from the options above or design your own event.
  2. Create an account login to make changes and track your progress. You will then be guided through the setup process to create your custom page, including a personalized fundraising link and a goal. All of these items can also be edited from your account afterwards.
  3. Upload a personal photograph and share your “why” in the about section as you join the mental health movement!

Not seeing your style of event or want to talk through opportunities before setting up your page?
See our FAQs below or use the contact information at the bottom of this page to reach out to our team directly for more help!

Facebook Fundraisers

We encourage you to create a personal fundraising page FIRST.

Once you have created a page from the options above, you can duplicate it to Facebook from your account to boost your reach and help provide an even bigger impact. By following this process, you can automatically bring the information from your personal page into your fundraiser. You also will keep your donation totals synced – any donations made on Facebook will show on your personal page!

If you are only interested in creating a Facebook Fundraiser natively on Facebook, without creating a personal fundraising page,
you can do so here!

Get creative with your efforts

However you choose to fundraise, you’re spreading awareness and a message of hope to your community. Once you’ve registered, you’ll have a custom fundraising link to share with your network and online. Our team will also share tools and templates to help you get started, sample messages and social media tools to reach out to your network, as well as more mental health facts and support throughout your fundraising efforts. We are here to help you reach and exceed your goals AND bring the conversation of mental health to your entire community.

To help give you some ideas of how others are making a difference, below are some of our favorite fundraisers from supporters prioritizing mental health in their community. Their commitment provides inspiration for rallying your friends and family. We cannot wait to see how you join the mental health movement!

A photo from the second “Taking Steps Toward Open Minds” benefit run from March of 2003 on the University of Pennsylvania Campus.

Growing the mental health movement

When you fundraise, you are amplifying our message of hope and sharing that you want to change the conversation about mental health. This message, that we must change how mental health is viewed and prioritized, has been at the center of Active Minds and our work since day one.

Pictured here is the second “Taking Steps Toward Open Minds” benefit run from March of 2003 on the University of Pennsylvania Campus – the first-ever chapter of Active Minds!

Help Us Celebrate YOU!

Active Minds wants to recognize and celebrate you! There is no better time to do that than your birthday. If you could share your birthday month with us through this form, we will send you a note and token of our appreciation for you when that special time of year comes around.

Frequently Asked Questions

Fundraise for Active Minds

Yes! Once you’ve registered and set up your fundraising page, you’ll have a custom link to share with your network and online. We will also share tools and templates to help you get started, as well as more mental health facts and resources throughout your fundraising efforts. We also have a dedicated community fundraising team that can consult and assist you – someone from Active Minds will reach out once you’ve created your page!

Once you’ve registered, you will receive our Active Minds Fundraising Kit with templates, social media graphics, sample email messages and text messages, and more!

Yes, as long as the logo is used in accordance with our Community Fundraising Terms and Conditions. The logos included on your fundraising page are already approved. Active Minds staff can provide you a color logo or black and white versions. Any additional materials bearing an Active Minds logo must be submitted to fundraise@activeminds.org for review and approval before being made public.

While we would love to attend all events, we cannot guarantee that staff members will be available due to additional commitments and the important mental health work we are doing nationwide. If you’d like to request attendance, please do ask, but we like to be upfront that it is unlikely that we can attend.

Yes! Since Active Minds is a registered 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization, donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. All donations made through your fundraising page will include an official donation receipt. We’ll send it to the donor directly upon successful completion of their donation.

Active Minds cannot provide direct funding or reimbursement for expenses related to community fundraising events. Event organizers are responsible for the organization, operation, and control of the event, including all costs incurred. As you plan your event, you may want to develop a budget that accounts for these costs and collect some funds that help pay for these expenses. There are also many ways to limit event-related costs, such as securing in-kind donations or support from local businesses. The Active Minds team would be happy to discuss further.

We do not recommend you do this. Whenever possible ask your donors to give online via your fundraising page or to give you a check payable to Active Minds. Otherwise, we cannot issue them a tax receipt.

There are some services we are unable to provide our fundraisers, including:

  • Our sales tax exemption number
  • Insurance or liability coverage
  • Mailing list of donors and/or vendors
  • Funding or reimbursement of your expenses
  • Solicit sponsorship revenue for your fundraiser
  • Guaranteed Publicity (e.g. newspaper, radio, television)
  • Guaranteed attendance of staff or members of an Active Minds Chapter at your Event

One of the easiest ways to boost your fundraising is through employer matching gifts. Many companies offer employees a matching gift benefit that doubles or sometimes triples your gift. Contact your company’s Human Resources or Finance department to see if they match charitable donations. Your coworkers and colleagues may also be a fabulous resource for supporting your efforts, amplifying your campaign, and sharing with an even wider audience the message that mental health matters!

Please see our contact information below!

Additional ways to get involved

Want to design your own event to support Active Minds? Not seeing how you’d like to fundraise? Looking for workplace giving opportunities, employee engagement events, giveback campaigns, or other ways to support mental health? Email fundraise@activeminds.org to get involved.

Need Assistance? Contact Us!

Brett Curtis

Click for contact info

Brett Curtis

Director, Community Fundraising

Brett Curtis

Brett Curtis

Director, Community Fundraising

brett@activeminds.org | 202.332.9595 ext. 104

Sam Pireneo

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Sam Pireneo

Sr. Development Associate, Community Fundraising

Sam Pireneo

Sam Pireneo

Sr. Development Associate, Community Fundraising

sam@activeminds.org   |   202.332.9595 ext. 102

Thank you for choosing to fundraise on behalf of Active Minds