Born This Way Foundation

Lady Gaga (born Stefani Germanotta in 1986) took pop music by storm in 2008 with her debut album, The Fame. Notorious for her outlandish fashion and provocative lyrics, the performer became a global icon with her second album, Born This Way. The title song – a defiant proclamation of individual identity and self-acceptance – became an unofficial anthem for LGBTQ fans and anyone who feels like an outsider in mainstream society.

In her effort to confront stigma, Gaga has also spoken publicly about feeling “like a freak” and being bullied as a teen, as well as her struggles with anxiety and depression. These personal experiences, along with feedback from fans who have endured similar pain, have been the impetus for Gaga’s philanthropy.

Born This Way Foundation was founded in 2012 with 1.2 million USD from Gaga herself and another 1.3 million USD from the MacArthur Foundation and the Barneys New York retail chain. From its inception BTWF has embraced an “open tent” approach, forging partnerships with academic institutions and established philanthropies that have informed and lent legitimacy to its work.

At the same time, the MacArthur Foundation, the California Endowment and other mission-aligned organizations have cited the strategic benefits of partnering with Gaga, whose enormous social media platform represents a direct channel to millions of young people. As MacArthur’s Connie Yowell told The Chronicle of Philanthropy, “Born This Way adds something that we simply don’t have, and that is reach.”

BTWF’s work is shaped by its diverse Youth Advisory Board and extensive ongoing efforts to understand how today’s young people interact with each other, how they identify and seek out social support and how they view and relate to the concepts of kindness and bravery. The foundation’s programs include the Be There Certificate, a free online mental health literacy course that empowers young people to support struggling peers; #BeKind365, a digital platform that encourages participants to practice daily acts of kindness; and Channel Kindness, a global, interactive platform that provides resources for educators and a storytelling forum for young people to share uplifting personal experiences and gain confidence expressing themselves. BTWF has also established the Kindness in Community Fund to support organizations that provide free and accessible services that support youth wellbeing.

With net assets of 5.8 million USD in 2022, BTWF is a relatively small philanthropy. Yet the real significance of its impact lies in its unique ability to engage with and mobilize millions of young people who identify with Lady Gaga and her belief in the power of kindness to build self-esteem, inclusivity and collective mental well-being.

Contributor: Erin Brown