Grants
Each year, The 84 Movement offers its Chapters opportunities to apply for grants to do meaningful youth-led work in their community.
Spring Grant Opportunity
Summary: The 84 Movement is excited to give Chapters and other youth groups a grant opportunity this spring called the Creative Spark Fund. This grant will fund youth-led creative work that incorporates the theme of fighting against the tobacco and vaping industries. This grant is available to registered Chapters of The 84 Movement, as well as groups not involved in The 84 Movement.
Eligibility: Applicants must be nonprofit organizations (501c3) or have the fiscal sponsorship of a nonprofit and have at least five youth and one adult advisor or project lead who will work on the project. Registered Chapters of The 84 Movement, including current grant and stipend recipients, are eligible and encouraged to apply for the Creative Spark grant opportunity. Groups not involved in The 84 Movement are also eligible and encouraged to apply. If your group is interested in becoming a Chapter of The 84 Movement, please register at https://www.the84.org/join-us.
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 and vaping 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 use through a positive youth development approach and builds the capacity of a statewide network of youth committed to reversing the influence of the tobacco and vaping industries. The 84 is comprised of over 70 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 equity, PSE, and creative grant opportunities. They are also invited to two youth-led statewide events - Youth Power Summit (YPS) and Ending Nicotine Use for the Future (ENUFF) - to unite and train youth on racial and social justice and connect 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 Creative Spark Fund. If you would like more information about the Creative Spark Fund, please see below.
Here are the additional documents you may need.
Budget Template - download and submit this with your application 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 (please note that the spring PSE grant application has closed)
You can always reach out to 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.
Spring Creative Spark Fund Grant Timeline
Grant application period opens
January 31
March 27 at 12pm
April 9
Grant application period CLOSES
Chapters notified if their grant application is funded
April 13
Grant contracts signed and returned to The 84
May 29
Spring Grants Projects are completed
June 12
Spring Grant Final Reports are due
The Creative Spark Fund
Funding Amount: up to $4,000
Project Timeline: March 16, 2026 - June 12, 2026
Summary: The 84 Movement Creative Spark Fund 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 and vaping industries, uplifting youth voices, root cause factors that lead to tobacco and nicotine use, etc.) and can range from:
art murals;
interactive displays;
podcast shows;
music videos;
photography;
other suitable creative project.
Important:
A final version of your creative project must be submitted; including 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;
You can view previous submissions by visiting The84.org/creative-spark-fund.
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 event:
One midpoint check-in with The 84 staff to provide support and answer questions.
Grantees might be asked to present their work at The 84 Movement’s Kickoff in September 2026. This will be a virtual event where you can summarize and share their work with other 84 Chapters.
Applications must be submitted by 12:00 PM on Friday, March 27, 2026. Applicants will be notified whether they will receive funding by April 9, 2026. Please note that if your group is applying by March 27 instead of the original deadline of February 27, there will be less time to complete the project.
Additional Funding Opportunities
If your Chapter would like to work on a special project but does not have capacity for a mini-grant, we periodically offer additional smaller opportunities throughout the year.