Focus Topic: Purpose & Meaning

Check out highlights from the August 2025 trip to Washington, D.C. with this year's cohort of DifferenceMakers®.

How can we build cities where young people thrive? This Q&A with the German Marshall Fund explores a bold new model of youth-led civic co-creation in Charlotte.

When I boarded my flight to the U.S. from Edinburgh, I was not sure what to expect from The Gambrell Foundation partners convening. The agenda excited me, because it promised the opportunity to engage with so many different people. At the same time, it was so unconventional that it was hard to guess what sort […]

We are in the midst of a profound crisis in men’s mental health — and it is one many of us are too uncomfortable to acknowledge. Men account for nearly three out of four “deaths of despair” in the United States — suicides, drug overdoses, and alcohol-related fatalities​. That is not a statistic that can […]

The Gambrell Foundation is deeply invested in supporting our young people and our communities. Our partnership with the American Institute for Boys and Men supports shifting policy and public conversation that will ultimately enhance the wellbeing of boys and men, and therefore enhance the resilience of all our communities.

This research brief from our grantee, American Institute for Boys & Men explores the characteristics and trends of young people who are classified as disconnected youth or NEET—not in education, employment, or training.

Research from our grantee, American Institute for Boys & Men: "Male representation in HEAL professions, at 22%, is a little lower than female representation in STEM, at 24%. But while the share of STEM jobs held by women is rising rapidly, the share of men in HEAL is declining. This means missed job opportunities for men as well as a damaging lack of men in some vitally important roles.

I’ve spent my entire adult life working on issues of economic disparity. Guided by a passion for social justice coupled with an affinity for law, I began my career as a Legal Aid lawyer representing very low-income families on issues spanning from racial discrimination and housing evictions to the right to education and health care. […]

Geared to youth ages 15-21, #HalfTheStory's Digital Civics Academy application is open until May 15th.

Purpose. A word that sparks reaction and emotion, opinions and theories, and hope as well as dread. Lately, I’ve been having a lot of conversations about purpose with high school students, college students, mentors, executive directors of youth programs, staff of youth programs, researchers, funders, parents, my grandmother, and so many more. Purpose has been […]