You can donate online by clicking here. We also accept checks made out to Riley’s Way Foundation and mailed to 30 Third Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11227.

If you’d like to donate by other means (wire, stock donations, etc), please contact us via our contact page and we will be in touch.

Click here to contact us.

Visit CallForKindness.org for more information! Applications open January 18, 2023 and close April 2, 2023.

Click here to learn more about the Youth Leadership Retreat.

If you are interested in more information or attending, please contact Laura Kikuchi at lkikuchi@rileysandler.org

Contact Lauren Shenkman at lshenkman@rileysandler.org to learn more.

Yes! Please contact us via our contact page and we will be in touch.

Click Here For Contact Page

Yes! You can click here to watch the recording of our 2022 info session, where we talked about the Call For Kindness program and application, and shared tips and recommendations from Riley’s Way staff and current Call For Kindness Fellows.

Info sessions for the 2023 Call For Kindness will happen in February, 2023. Stay tuned for dates and information.

Click here to start your application. You’ll be able to see all of the questions once you sign up, and can save your progress, review, and edit before submitting.

You can submit any project that is youth-led and inspired by kindness, drives change in your community, and builds connections. Past projects have ranged from social justice projects to clubs at school, and anything in-between. This year, our special topic is environmental justice, but we are also accepting application in the general category and for the Yuriko Kikuchi Arigato Award, which supports one award in a special dance and performing arts category. Click here to learn more about the Fellows from the 2022 cohort.

Any US citizen or DACA recipient between the ages of 13-22 can apply. Applicants must reside in the United States.

No. You can choose to submit a new project idea, or if you have a project you are already working on, you can apply to improve or expand your existing project.

Yes! You can apply as an individual or as a group. If you are applying as a group, you only need to submit one application. Please note that you can only be listed as an applicant for one project (but you are welcome to assist on any project). All members of your group will be included in the leadership development program (see other questions for details).

Through this link, you will be able to submit a written or video application describing your project. Submissions to the Call For Kindness close on April 2, 2023 at 11:59pm EST, and we will announce winners on May 6, 2023.

Yes! We ask that you submit a budget for the amount you are requesting during the application process. Here is a sample budget you can use to get started.

For legal and tax purposes, we cannot provide the grant money directly to individuals. We hope that you are able to partner with a registered 501(c)(3) organization, which could be your school or a nonprofit organization, which will be your fiscal sponsor. The grant money will be awarded directly to your partner organization who will administer the funds to you.

We will ask for contact information for someone at your partner organization and a letter or email of support from your partner organization confirming that they will support your project (including fund distribution).

If you do not currently have a partner organization, this will not exclude you from eligibility. Riley’s Way will work with you to secure a partner through the Fellowship process.

If your project is already a registered 501(c)(3), you are exempt from requiring a project partner and you will receive the grant money directly.

At Riley’s Way, mentorship is important! Having an adult or peer who is local to your work and project can be helpful. This person can help and guide you with your project and will be in touch with Riley’s Way staff as needed.

If you already have a mentor, we’d like to know about them during the application process. If you do not currently have a mentor, Riley’s Way will be connecting you to new/additional mentors during the Call For Kindness Fellowship.

The prize money can go towards expenses needed to implement or expand your project. You can spend the prize money in a variety of ways, such as: buying supplies to complete your project (i.e. food, books, or other materials), creating a website or designing an app, or hosting an event. However, you cannot spend the money to pay people for their time spent working on the project.

Winners will get notified May 6th via a virtual event! There will be a kick-off meeting on May 11 where all projects will come together to learn about the leadership development plan and what to expect over the next year. Partner organizations will be eligible to receive funds as soon as the program starts. Throughout the duration of Call For Kindness, winners will be able to meet with Riley’s Way staff for program support and attend monthly leadership development training.

As a recipient of the Call For Kindness grant, there are a few expectations. The Call For Kindness program is more than the grant. By becoming a Call For Kindness Fellow, you will be a part of a Leadership Development Fellowship. During the year, you will learn from experts, peers, and mentors about a variety of topics, and become a part of a cohort of like-minded peers. You will also have access to other opportunities, including press interviews, invitations to speak at workshops or on panels, and networking events.

The expectations of participating in the Call For Kindness Leadership Development Fellowship include:

• Attending a monthly 60-minute virtual meeting, scheduled to occur on the second Thursday of each month, starting on May 11, 2023 (subject to change)
• Attend the in-person Call For Kindness Retreat over a weekend in February, 2024. Transportation and lodging are provided by Riley’s Way for this leadership Retreat (date & location TBD). The 2022 cohort group’s Retreat is being held in Washington, D.C.
• Attend quarterly meetings with Riley’s Way staff and/or your assigned mentor.
• Submit three grant reports (brief updates) to Riley’s Way throughout the Fellowship.

Have fun! This Fellowship experience is designed to help you grow as leaders, but to also connect you to other amazing changemakers from across the country to build lifelong friendships and career networks. We want to make this experience as useful to you as possible, which is why each year we design the workshops and professional development opportunities based on what you want to learn. We also build in lots of room for fun and networking along the way with your cohort group.

Putting funding aside, Riley’s Way staff will also provide individual support to your programs and projects, connect you to outside supports, provide media and networking opportunities and much more! We will also provide monthly workshops covering different professional topics through the leadership development program.

Contact us at  callforkindness@rileysandler.org and we’re happy to help!