ICONIQ Impact Launches Boys & Men Co-Lab to Mobilize $30 Million

NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- ICONIQ Impact, a platform for collaborative philanthropy, has launched the Boys & Men Co-Lab, a fund aimed at mobilizing $30 million to support 18 organizations across the United States. The initiative seeks to address the challenges faced by boys and men, including high suicide rates, loneliness, and educational disparities.

The Co-Lab, which includes founding donors such as Chris Larsen, Lyna Lam, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the Vlock Family Foundation, among others, reflects a shared conviction that dedicated, evidence-based investment is necessary to support the well-being of boys and men. The fund will support organizations working in three key areas: community, fatherhood, and education and skills.

In the realm of community, the Co-Lab supports organizations that strengthen friendships and civic engagement. For instance, Fishing the Good Fight and the National Compadres Network are among the grantees working to build connections through shared activities and gathering spaces. At Young Man with a Plan, a Boston-based mentoring program, the sense of belonging is fostered in a 6,720-square-foot "home" where members can study, exercise, and engage with mentors and peers. According to the release, 100% of participants in a recent survey reported feeling more hopeful about the future, and 80% said they had improved their ability to set goals and express emotions.

The fatherhood pillar of the Co-Lab focuses on education and peer support, as well as removing structural barriers to engaged fatherhood. Organizations like Fathers' UpLift and Dad Guild are part of this effort. In Vermont, Dad Guild has grown from a single group of new dads into a statewide movement, with 67% of fathers who attended three or more events reporting new friendships. In Chicago, Fathers, Families & Healthy Communities, led by Dr. Clinton Boyd Jr., is building on over a decade of work with Black fathers through the Fathers United program. In its first year, the program helped 80 fathers strengthen their relationships with their children.

The education and skills pillar aims to improve belonging and supportive relationships in schools and make educational environments more responsive to how boys learn and succeed. Organizations such as 100 Black Men of America and Boys to Men Mentoring Network are part of this initiative. In North Carolina, Journeymen brings boys from different backgrounds together in peer-led mentoring circles and rites-of-passage weekends. According to the release, 100% of participants reported feeling more hopeful about the future, and 80% said they had improved their ability to set goals and express emotions.

ICONIQ Impact, which has directed over $1 billion toward the world's most pressing challenges through its Co-Labs, will lead the Boys & Men Co-Lab's ongoing grantee engagement and impact measurement. The fund is inviting additional philanthropists to join the founding donors in supporting this work. The Co-Lab's launch underscores the urgent need for targeted investment in the well-being of boys and men, addressing challenges that have long been overlooked in the philanthropic landscape.