290 Grant Awards
53 California Counties
205.992 Million Dollars
Youth activism, mentoring and peer support to prevent youth substance disorder
Elevating leaders in underserved communities of color and LGBTQ+ youth who seek change for their peers, their community and themselves.
Rising Together for Change
Elevate Youth California
This statewide program prioritizes youth leadership in under-resourced communities harmed by the War on Drugs. Communities of color endure the consequences of systemic racism in all aspects of their lives, including punitive physical, emotional and economic impacts.
It’s time to invest in healing. It’s time to invest in change. Through the Department of Health Care Services, $205.992 million has been invested to date for funding and technical assistance from 2020-2025. Funding supports partners working with youth advocates to build their power and leadership skills. We are committed to a movement that elevates our youths’ future.

Resources
- Technical Assistance
- TA resources and an archive of training webinars
- Communications
- Publications and branding
- Web Sites
- Links to resources from the field
- Tools
- Links to tools and toolkits
New Elevate Youth California Capacity Building cohort joins statewide network
Congratulations to 44 Elevate Youth California community partners joining the program’s Capacity Building Cohort 3! With grants up to $400,000, the awarded grassroots organizations will implement community-driven projects for substance use disorder prevention for youth ages 12 to 26. The partners will focus on youth social justice, peer support and mentoring in low-income communities of color, including Tribal communities and LGBTQ communities. Cohort 3 funding totals $16.69 million, bringing the Elevate Youth California investment to almost $206 million for 246 community partners in 53 counties. Learn about the funded organizations on the Program Impact page.