The 2024 15 Forever cohort raises $41,000 to support youth mental health in Boulder County
BOULDER, Colo., June 20, 2024 — Community Foundation Boulder County today announced the grantees
selected by the 2024 15 Forever cohort. Established in 2006 to promote civic engagement and leadership
among Boulder County youth, 15 Forever brings high school students together to engage with
philanthropy and support the needs of their peers. Each year, a new cohort of students from across the
county convenes to identify the most pressing needs of Boulder County youth, raise funds to support
those needs and make grants to youth-focused organizations. Since the program’s inception, 15 Forever
has granted over $250,000.
“I was drawn in by the promise of actual local impact,” said 15 Forever participant Mila Korah on what
inspired her to take part in the program. “I had not come across any programs like it that allowed youth
boards to actually run a program together where we could decide what we want to change — and it was
entirely up to us to make that happen.” Her fellow participant, Miralisa Trivedi, agreed, saying, “15 Forever
being philanthropy-based was what sparked most of my interest, as money has the power to change
volumes in our community and is where a lot of decision-making power comes from… not a lot of
experiences allow youth to have that kind of power.”
In 2024, facilitated by YouthRoots, the 15 Forever cohort conducted a Community Needs Assessment, and
after thorough research, decided to focus their efforts on supporting youth mental health in Boulder
County through mitigating negative impacts of social media, combating substance abuse and amplifying
efforts towards suicide prevention. The cohort, consisting of 13 members from schools across Boulder
County, raised a record breaking $41,100 for the program through donor outreach and fundraising. After a
thorough grant review process with 28 total applicants, the cohort selected six grantees to receive grant
funding including Al-Naas Civic and Cultural Foundation, Colie’s Closet, Creativity Alive, Impact on
Education, Medicine Horse and restART.
“I have really enjoyed getting to build a project from the ground up,” said Mila. “Being able to research and
figure out how to best address community need opened my eyes to a totally new world.” Miralisa’s biggest
takeaways have been the connections, relationships and the opportunity to get an inside look at the world
of philanthropy. “Above all else,” Miralisa said, “I hope that the work my board is doing brings awareness to
the often silenced and secret pandemic of teen mental health issues and brings attention to how
passionate youth in Boulder County are about being active in our community.”
2024 15 Forever Grantees:
- Al-Naas Civic and Cultural Foundation – $15,000
- Colie’s Closet – $3,325
- Creativity Alive – $5,000
- Impact on Education – $5,000
- Medicine Horse – $2,750
- restART – $10,000
About Community Foundation Boulder County
Vision:
Community Foundation Boulder County envisions a thriving, equitable and inclusive community that
collaborates to ensure everyone in Boulder County experiences a life of opportunity and fulfillment.
Mission:
Community Foundation Boulder County nurtures and activates the ideas, generosity and leadership of the
community to galvanize resources and support equitable solutions for all who live or work in Boulder
County.
History:
Since 1991, Community Foundation Boulder County has addressed the evolving and growing needs of the
Boulder County community, granting more than $150 million.
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