Thiru Family Trust Momentum Maker Grant
Addressing health disparities to protect mental health in Arizona
The Thiru Family Trust Momentum Maker Grant (Momentum Maker) was created to inspire new paths to mental health and well-being in Arizona. Each year, we identify a specific area of mental health-related need and award a single Momentum Maker grant to address that need. Momentum Maker funding helps grantees build capacity, innovate, test proof of concept, or expand early-stage projects.
4th Trimester Arizona
2025 Grantee
For 2025, the Momentum Maker grant focused on maternal mental health. 4th Trimester Arizona, a Phoenix-based nonprofit providing expectant and new parents with resources, events, and educational opportunities, received $100,000 for their “It Takes a Village” project. 4th Trimester meets families where they are, showing up with care, compassion, and real connection.
Programming will:
- Train and certify 30 community-based doulas to support families during pregnancy and postpartum.
- Serve populations that are often underrepresented in maternal care and support systems.
- Support more than 1,800 Arizona families across five years.
This meaningful investment will impact Arizona families for generations to come, expanding access to the kind of care that creates change, and that’s exactly the kind of impact we’re proud to invest in.
Aliento Education Fund
2024 Grantee
Isolation and loneliness were the mental health area of focus for the 2024 Momentum Maker grant. The Aliento Education Fund’s Cultiva Program project was awarded $75,000 to address the unique stressors that exacerbate isolation and loneliness among immigrant youth and mixed immigration families. The project provides multiple ways to connect with others who have similar lived experiences:
- Arts & Healing Workshops for ages 7 – adult support self-reflection, community building, and use of artistic expression to heal
- Group and individual therapy allow youth and families to process trauma with culturally sensitive, licensed therapists
- Open Mic Nights give participants opportunities to build community and express emotions through performance
- Trauma-informed educational trainings for educators to improve management of trauma-induced stress and increase success in school
Cartwright Unified School District No. 83
2023 Grantee
Improving mental health in schools was the focus of the 2023 grant and Cartwright Unified School District No. 83 was our inaugural grantee! The grant package – valued at $75,000 – provided Cartwright with three dimensions of support to address the stress, anxiety, and uncertainty that the pandemic and school safety issues created for students, teachers, and staff:
- Expert guidance provided by Teen Lifeline on policies, practices, and guidance to bolster well-being and resilience
- Trainings and skill-building sessions (e.g., mindfulness, well-being promotion, etc.) provided by M2 Well-Being, experts in building teacher and staff capacity to strengthen their mental health
- Flexible dollars for Cartwright to use for mental health-related activities that best address school needs
Funding changemaking ideas. Uplifting mental health.
The Thiru Family Trust Momentum Maker Grant (Momentum Maker) was established in 2023 thanks to a generous gift from the Thiru Family Trust. Momentum Maker embodies our shared passion for inspiring new paths to mental health and well-being in Arizona.
