Support the FOURWARD Fund

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FOURWARD Fund

Create opportunity for all kids when they need you most.

Support the Next Generation

While navigating the COVID-19 crisis, we’ve uncovered an undeniable truth: our nation’s youth are hurting.

Their Mental Health is Suffering

7 out of 10 teens struggle with mental health: 55% experience anxiety, 45% stress, and 43% depression.

81% of teens say mental health is a significant issue for young people in the U.S.

The Opportunity Gap is Growing

12 million youth don’t have access to internet at home and are missing out on virtual learning and connections.

Kids who live in underserved communities with limited resources are most at risk.

The Consequences are Long-Lasting

64% of teens believe the trauma of COVID-19 will have a lasting impact on their generation’s mental health.

Summer learning loss is expected to be significant following COVID-19 spring school closings.

Support Kids Now

This is too much for kids to handle on their own. They need you. And they need 4-H more than ever.

Your support makes it possible for 4-H to continue investing in the people, programs, and resources that will make a meaningful difference. We’ve made progress – but there’s a long way to go.

DONATE

When you donate to the FOURWARD Fund, you connect youth with the social-emotional support and learning resources they desperately need.

Help us provide opportunity for all youth so they can move FOURWARD with hope. Donate today.

For additional information, please contact Cheryl Lesko at clesko@4-h.org. If you are a corporation, organization or foundation and would like to support the FOURWARD Fund, click here.

Every Dollar Makes a Difference

Your donation helps 4-H create #Opportunity4All kids through character-building programs and a caring community of friends and mentors. When you make a gift to the FOURWARD Fund, you will:

Reach kids in need.

Sending educational kits to youth who don’t have access to virtual learning opportunities like camps and academic support – engaging them through fun, hands-on activities and skill-based learning.

Support 4-H clubs.

Ensuring clubs across the U.S. continue to connect youth with their peers, mentors and opportunities for growth.

Create solutions.

Tapping national experts to develop research-based solutions to educational, mental health, and access-related challenges.

Rally support.

Inspiring others to come together to help our nation’s youth in their time of greatest need.

FOURWARD Fund Impact

FOURWARD Fund Impact Since March 2020, generous donors and corporate partners have rallied behind young people by contributing to 4-H's FOURWARD Fund -- ensuring kids have the educational resources and social-emotional support they desperately need. The FOURWARD Fund impact report features the real-life impact of these gifts -- with stories demonstrating the resiliency of youth, the dedication of 4-H educators, and the power of positive youth development.

Download the Report

See the Need and Meet It

These 4-H youth found creative and impactful ways to meet urgent needs in their communities brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Join them in taking action by making a FOURWARD Fund gift today.

4-H youth Megan Garcigna showcasing a sewing project

Megan Garciga

North Carolina 4-H

In response to COVID-19, 4-H clubs moved their efforts online and found new ways to keep learning and keep projects going from a distance. A local JOANN fabric store contacted SewWhat 4-H Club leader, Jane Tyson, to see if her, club would be interested in sewing fabric masks, the 4-H’ers didn’t hesitate to say yes.

Megan and 12 other members of the SewWhat 4-H Club sewed more than 1,100 masks for healthcare workers, police officers, and firefighters.

Garrett Sanders

Louisiana 4-H

Garrett came up with a concept to create spaces in his community where people could donate staples like food and hygiene items, and people in need could pick them up.

Garrett worked with his mom and others in his community to design pantries called "Blessing Boxes". Since COVID-19, demand has skyrocketed, and with the help of his community, Garrett plans to keep the Blessing Boxes stocked throughout the crisis.

Jordyn Maloy

Maine 4-H

Jordyn and her 4-H team created a mental health curriculum, EmpoweringMEandYou. Each lesson is relatable, relevant and teachable by and for middle through high school students.

Since COVID-19, the project has taken on new meaning and importance. Kids are facing new stresses and anxieties and grappling with the emotional effects of living through a global pandemic, making strategies for maintaining mental health more important than ever.