The Second Annual Juntanza Fund Invests $50,000 in Youth-Led Organizations Tackling Climate Justice, Health, and Gender Equity

NEW YORK, July 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Comic Relief US announced a $50,000 investment in the Juntanza Fund, a grantmaking vehicle that is directed and administered by its Youth Advisory Council. The Juntanza Fund resources youth-led organizations globally in their efforts to ignite change around the world. Now in its second cycle, the Youth Advisory Council is awarding a round of unrestricted grants up to $10,000 to seven visionary organizations working to address climate justice, health, and gender equity with an intersectional focus on youth leadership, racial equity, and disability justice.

The Youth Advisory Council is a leadership development program made up of eight global youth leaders from communities that are most impacted by poverty, systemic inequity, and injustice. The Juntanza Fund launched in 2021 and provides youth-led organizations with grant funds and technical assistance in support of efforts to implement and scale programs in their local communities and beyond.

"Comic Relief US is committed to investing in youth-led strategies. Young people are driving systemic change in their communities, and we are proud to invest in these emerging youth-led initiatives," said Alison Moore, CEO of Comic Relief US. "We're not only funding projects, we're helping to kickstart a movement, by providing access and resources to the next generation of leaders that are creating equitable solutions for long-term impact."

Comic Relief US has partnered with Moore Philanthropy, a Black-owned, women-led philanthropic advisory firm and public charity, that will provide fiscal sponsorship services to the Juntanza Fund grantee partners that are registered in their country of operation and do not have 501(c)3 status. This partnership will give grantees the opportunity to pursue vital grant funds from other US-based funding organizations to ensure their continued growth and sustainability.

"The Juntanza Fund utilizes a participatory grantmaking approach, placing decision-making power directly in the hands of proximate youth leaders who are nearest to the solutions. These funded organizations represent the incredible potential of young people to solve some of today's most pressing issues," said Ayo Roach, Senior Vice President and Head of Grant Programs at Comic Relief US. I am extremely proud of the Youth Advisory Council and their ongoing achievements and honored to witness the extraordinary impact they are making in the world through the Juntanza Fund and beyond.

Juntanza Fund grantee partners were selected from Argentina, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, the United States, and Zambia, the home countries of the Youth Advisory Council members where they are identifying and responding to some of the most urgent and pressing global challenges.

The 2024 Juntanza Fund grantee partners:                                              

Adaptive Leadership Zambia in Zambia: enhances community health systems to address the needs of adolescents and young people.

Baithak – Challenging Taboos in Pakistan: addresses the intersectional challenges faced by young girls in climate-affected areas inPakistan. 

Jóvenes por el Clima Argentina in Argentina: provides essential knowledge on climate change and pedagogical tools for environmental education.

PEKIN TO PEKIN TOK in Sierra Leone: leverages legal empowerment strategies to promote environmental safety and climate justice in Bombali and Portloko.

The Ability Youth Movement in Sierra Leone: increases awareness and access to sexual reproductive health and rights services, focusing on menstrual hygiene management and capacity-building for teachers and community health workers in Kambia District.

YandyTech Community in Nigeria: empowers young people in Gombe State to address climate change through leadership training, capacity-building workshops, mentorship, and entrepreneurship incubation.

Youth OUTright in the U.S.: provides critical harm reduction resources for LGBTQIA+ youth ages 11-24 in North Carolina, focusing on drug use safety, sexual health, and gender affirmation.

For more information on Comic Relief US and its work to create a just world free from poverty, visit www.comicrelief.org.

About Comic Relief US
Comic Relief US is a nonprofit committed to breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty. It harnesses the power of entertainment to drive positive social change. To date, the nonprofit has raised over $436 million by mobilizing donors of all ages to engage with causes through powerful content-driven campaigns and new digital platforms. Since 2015, Red Nose Day, Comic Relief US' signature campaign to end poverty, has raised over $370 million and positively impacted more than 35 million children and young people in the US and around the world. Donations are invested in grantee partners and social impact programs that ensure children are safe, healthy, educated, and empowered and that address the root causes of poverty in the most impacted communities. Comic Relief US, also known as Comic Relief US, Inc., is a registered U.S. 501(c)(3) public charity. For more information about Comic Relief US and its impact, visit www.comicrelief.org. Follow @ComicReliefUS on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook.

CONTACT:
Keita Jones, k.jones@comicrelief.org
Tiffanie Thomas, tiffanie.thomas@porternovelli.com

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SOURCE Comic Relief US