Grants
Each year, The 84 Movement offers its Chapters opportunities to apply for grants to do meaningful youth-led work in their community.
Grant Opportunities
Summary: The 84 Movement is excited to give Chapters multiple opportunities to apply for grants as they implement their programming this year. One grant option is to engage in a policy, systems, and environmental change (PSE) project focused on tobacco, vaping, and nicotine use prevention. The second grant option is to fund youth-led creative work that incorporates the theme of fighting against the tobacco, vaping, and nicotine industries. These options are available to registered Chapters of The 84 Movement.
Chapters are eligible to apply to and receive funding for one or both grant opportunities. The PSE Prevention grant and the Creative Spark grant will both occur between mid-November 2026 and May 28, 2027. We will hold a virtual information session to answer questions about these opportunities on September 15, 2026, from 4 to 5 PM. Please email The 84 team at 84team@hria.org with any questions.
Eligibility: Applicants must be a registered Chapter of The 84 Movement and have at least five youth and one adult advisor or project lead who will work on the project. Please register at https://www.the84.org/join-us. Current grant recipients of The 84 are eligible and encouraged to apply.
About Health Resources in Action (HRiA) and The 84 Movement: The 84 Movement (The 84) is a statewide youth racial justice and tobacco prevention program that promotes youth leadership to improve public health. Specifically, The 84 supports young people in middle and high school to fight the influence of the tobacco, vaping, and nicotine industries in their communities. Chapters of The 84 educate peers and adults on the deceptive marketing practices and racial inequities perpetuated by these industries. The 84 represents the 84% of Massachusetts high school youth who did NOT smoke cigarettes when the program began in 2007. In 2023, that number was 97%. Also, as of 2023, 84% of high school students did NOT vape. The 84 continues to prevent youth nicotine dependence through a positive youth development approach and builds the capacity of a statewide network of youth committed to reversing the influence of the tobacco, vaping, and nicotine industries. The 84 is comprised of over 80 school- and community-based Chapters representing over 1,000 youth, including a Statewide Leadership Team (SLT) of 20 youth from across MA. Chapters receive training and technical assistance (TA) for racial and health equity, advocacy, public speaking, and grant opportunities. They are also invited to two youth-led statewide events—the Youth Power Summit (YPS) and Ending Nicotine Use for the Future (ENUFF)—to unite youth around racial and social justice while connecting their local work to a broader statewide movement.
The 84 Movement is a program of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) managed in partnership with the Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program (MTCP) and Health Resources in Action. Funding for these grants is made possible through a partnership with DPH and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. For more information, visit The84.org.
Ready to apply?
Our application portal will allow you to apply for the PSE Prevention grant, the Creative Spark grant, or both. If you would like more information about the grants, please see below.
Here are the additional documents you may need.
Budget Template - download and submit this with your application(s) to outline how you anticipate the funds being spent
Preview of Application Questions - the portal does allow you to save your progress, but these are here in case you want to see the questions before you start the application
You can always reach out to The 84 Staff at 84Team@hria.org
If you have any questions about accessing or navigating the application portal, you can reach out to grants@hria.org for assistance and troubleshooting.
The 84 Grants Timeline
Grant application period opens
September 8
October 16 at 12pm
Grant application period CLOSES
Early November
Chapters notified if their grant application is funded
Early November
Grant contracts signed and returned to The 84
The 84 Grant Kickoff
November 17 from 4-5 pm
May 28
Grant projects are completed and final reports are submitted
Option One: PSE Prevention Grant
Funding Amount: $15,000
Project Timeline: Mid November 2026 - May 28, 2027
Summary: The 84 Movement’s PSE Prevention grant will equip The 84 Chapters with training and resources that will enhance their abilities to create lasting upstream changes in the policies, systems, and environments (PSE) of their communities as related to youth tobacco-, vaping-, and nicotine-use. To learn more about what PSE change looks like and how youth can be leaders of PSE change, watch the following video:
Using an upstream approach to their PSE Prevention project, grantees will: 1) conduct research, 2) identify key stakeholders, and 3) present their research findings to identified stakeholders at a school board, board of health, government panel, coalition meeting, town hall, or other local forum where policy decisions are made. Below are some examples of PSE projects that Chapters may complete:
Programs will be provided with:
A PSE toolkit containing training videos and worksheets;
Troubleshooting sessions and technical assistance as needed to support project implementation;
A midway event at the Youth Power Summit where young people can showcase their progress and network with others from across the state.
An opportunity to present their research findings to a Massachusetts legislator at ENUFF Day
Expectations: The 84 Movement’s PSE Prevention grants will be given to youth-serving organizations that are interested in incorporating programming that would support lasting upstream changes in the policies, systems, and environments of their communities as related to youth tobacco-, vaping-, and nicotine-use. Grantees will be required to attend the Grant Kickoff, the Youth Power Summit, and ENUFF Day. Grantees will be required to have a mid-point check in with The 84 staff and submit a final report upon completion, including a presentation to a key stakeholder.
The grant will be issued in one payment upon execution of the contract. Funding may be used to pay for staff time, consultants, youth stipends, refreshments, supplies and materials, and transportation.
Required events:
The 84 Grant Kickoff on November 17, 2026
Youth Power Summit on January 30, 2027 (date subject to change)
ENUFF Day (date TBD in March or April 2027)
Grantees must present their work to date at the Youth Power Summit. This will be an opportunity to summarize research findings and receive feedback from other Chapters and The 84 staff. Examples of Youth Power Summit activities that could fulfill this requirement include:
Creating a poster or other display about the project;
Hosting an informational session;
Serving as a panel representative;
Inviting a key stakeholder to speak on a panel.
Transportation to and from the Youth Power Summit will be provided by The 84 Movement separately from grant funds. Please do not budget for this expense in your application.
Grantees must also attend ENUFF Day. This will be an opportunity to present to a key stakeholder. Transportation to and from ENUFF Day will be provided by The 84 Movement separately from grant funds. Please do not budget for this expense in your application.
Important Dates:
September 8, 2026 – Application opens
September 15, 2026 – Virtual Fall Grants Information Session
October 16, 2026 – Application closes, submit completed applications by 12 PM
Early November 2026 – Grantees are informed of awards
Early November 2026 – Grantees submit signed grant agreements
Mid November 2026 – Begin PSE Prevention grant work
November 17, 2026 – Virtual Grant Kickoff
January 30, 2027 – Participate in the Youth Power Summit
March or April 2027 (date TBD) – Participate in ENUFF Day
May 28, 2027 – Complete PSE Prevention grant work and submit final report
The application process will begin on September 8, 2026. Applications must be submitted by 12:00 PM on Friday, October 16, 2026. Applicants will be notified whether they will receive funding in early November 2026. The 84 will host a virtual information session on September 15, 2026, from 4 to 5 PM where interested applicants will be able to ask questions. Grantees will receive a calendar invitation with the important dates after receiving funding.
Option Two: Creative Spark Grant
Funding Amount: $5,000
Project Timeline: Mid November 2026 - May 28, 2027
Summary: The 84 Movement’s Creative Spark grant will provide funding to Chapters to carry out a creative project of their choosing. The creative project must address an element of The 84’s mission (i.e., addressing racism and discriminatory practices of the tobacco, vaping, and nicotine industries, uplifting youth voices, root cause factors that lead to tobacco and nicotine use, etc.) and can range from:
art murals;
podcast shows;
music videos;
photography;
planning and leading a workshop at the Youth Power Summit on a relevant topic;
another suitable creative project.
Important:
A final version of your creative project must be submitted;
A short summary description of the creative work, including title, creators, content, and intended impact;
Individual audio and visual projects must be posted on an accessible online platform;
Grantees that choose to create a youth-led workshop for the Youth Power Summit will receive support implementing their workshop at the event by The 84 staff.
You can view previous submissions by visiting The84.org/creative-spark-fund.
Expectations: The 84 Movement’s Creative Spark grants will be given to youth-serving organizations that are interested in incorporating programming that would address an element of The 84’s mission as related to youth tobacco-, vaping-, and nicotine-use prevention. Grantees will be required to attend the Grant Kickoff and the Youth Power Summit. Grantees will be required to have a mid-point check-in with The 84 staff and submit a final report upon completion, including a final version of their creative project.
The grant will be issued in one payment upon execution of the contract. Funding may be used to pay for staff time, consultants, youth stipends, refreshments, supplies and materials, and transportation.
Required events:
The 84 Grant Kickoff on November 17, 2026
Youth Power Summit on January 30, 2027 (date subject to change)
Grantees must present about their creative process or a version of their creative work at the Youth Power Summit. Examples of Youth Power Summit activities that could fulfill this requirement include:
Creating a poster or other display about the project;
Hosting an informational session;
Serving as a panel representative;
Showcasing an exhibition for their creative project;
Leading a workshop (only applicable for grantees who choose this as their project).
Transportation to and from the Youth Power Summit will be provided by The 84 Movement separately from grant funds. Please do not budget for this expense in your application.
Important Dates:
September 8, 2026 – Application opens
September 15, 2026 – Virtual Fall Grant Information Session
October 16, 2026 – Application closes, submit completed applications by 12 PM
Early November 2026 – Grantees are informed of awards
Early November 2026 – Grantees submit signed grant agreements
Mid November 2026 – Begin Creative Spark grant work
November 17, 2026 – Virtual Grant Kickoff
January 30, 2027 – Participate in the Youth Power Summit
May 28, 2027 – Complete Creative Spark grant work and submit final report
The application process will begin on September 8, 2026. Applications must be submitted by 12:00 PM on Friday, October 16, 2026. Applicants will be notified whether they will receive funding by early November 2026. The 84 will host a virtual information session on September 15, 2026, from 4 to 5 PM where interested applicants will be able to ask questions. Grantees will receive a calendar invitation with the important dates after receiving funding.
Additional Funding Opportunities
If your Chapter would like to work on a special project but does not have capacity for a grant, we periodically offer additional smaller opportunities throughout the year.