Childhood Bereavement Changemakers

2025 RFP & Application | Meet the Changemakers | Changemaker Alumni | Stories

Judi’s House/JAG Institute (JH/JAG) launched the Childhood Bereavement Changemaker initiative in 2019 to empower bereavement partners to use data to inform decision making and enhance impact. With philanthropic support provided by the New York Life Foundation and in collaboration with the National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG), we are pleased to expand the Changemaker initiative to additional partner organizations.

Through a series of training workshops and custom technical assistance, a cohort of Changemakers will grow their capacity for data collection and program evaluation through a 12-month process designed to address data and evaluation needs big and small.

Participating organizations will gain access to the knowledge and resources necessary to create efficient data processes to tell their story, identify service gaps and target funding opportunities. These new Changemakers will become part of an extended alumni network aimed at instilling a robust learning community to elevate data discussion in the childhood bereavement field.

2025 Childhood Bereavement Changemaker RFP & Application

The Childhood Bereavement Changemaker (CBC) initiative is an evaluation capacity building program developed by Judi’s House/JAG Institute to support agencies in understanding and using data to strengthen services for bereaved children and families. Thanks to the philanthropic support of the New York Life Foundation, participation in this 12-month program, valued at $60,000, is offered free of charge to all accepted Changemakers. 

There are two options for participation in our 2025 CBC initiative cohort:

• Changemaker-Only: Apply through our standard Judi’s House/JAG Institute Childhood Bereavement Changemaker application. Organizations chosen through the Changemaker-only application will not receive additional funding to participate in the initiative.
• Changemaker/Grief Reach: The 2025 CBC initiative includes a unique partnership with the National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG) Grief Reach grant program. Funded by the New York Life Foundation, Grief Reach grants provide 3-year grants to bereavement organizations seeking to expand their impact for grieving children and youth in their communities. 2025 Grief Reach grantees will participate in the CBC initiative in the first year of the grant cycle. See if this opportunity is right for you.

Selected Changemaker organizations should be prepared to commit to 8-12 hours each month of the 12-month program.

Benefits for Changemakers

Learn More: 2025 Changemaker Application Webinars

Get more information and the opportunity to ask questions about the initiative and application with these live webinars before submitting your application.

Have questions about the program, RFP, or application? Please contact Maria Bartini (MariaB@judishouse.org) or Maddy Saunders (MaddyS@judishouse.org).

Meet the Changemakers

2024 Cohort

Because Kids Grieve – Twin Falls, ID
Brooke’s Place – Indianapolis, IN
Calm Waters Center for Children and Families – Oklahoma City, OK
ChrisitanWorks for Children, GriefWorks – Dallas, TX
Dustin’s Place – Plymouth, IN
Friends of Aine – Manchester, NH
Gabby’s Grief Center – Monroe, MI
HopeWest – Grand Junction, CO
Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss – Mountainside, NJ
New Hope for Kids – Maitland, FL
Roberta’s House – Baltimore, MD

Changemaker Alumni

2022 – 2023

Cohort One

FRIENDS WAY – Warwick, RI
Good Grief of Northwest Ohio – Toledo, OH
Jessica’s House – Turlock, CA
Journey of Hope Grief Support Center – Plano, TX
Mourning Hope Grief Center – Lincoln, NE
New Hope Grief Support Community – Long Beach, CA
Peter’s Place – Radnor, PA
The Good Grief Program at Boston Medical Center – Mattapan, MA
The Grief Center of Southwest Colorado – Durango, CO
The Tristesse Grief Center – Tulsa, OK

Cohort Two

Center for Grieving Children – a program of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fox Valley – Menasha, WI
Erin’s House for Grieving Children – Fort Wayne, IN
Healing House – Lafayette, LA
Heartlinks Grief Center at Family Hospice – Belleville, IL
Michael’s Place – Traverse City, MI
Park Nicollet Foundation – St. Louis Park, MN
Pillars Community Health (Buddy’s Place)– La Grange, IL
The Center for Loss and Bereavement – Skippack, PA
The Kentucky Center for Grieving Children – Lexington, KY
Transitions Kids – Raleigh, NC

Cohort Three

Bo’s Place – Houston, TX
Bridges of Hope – North Charleston, SC
CaringMatters, Inc. – Gaithersburg, MD
Experience Camps – Westport, CT
Fernside: A Center for Grieving Children – Cincinnati, OH
Kate’s Club – Atlanta, GA
Rainbow Kidz of Hospice and Palliative Care of Iredell County – Statesville, NC
The Center for Grieving Children – Portland, ME
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) – Arlington, VA

2019 – Pilot Initiative

In 2019, 10 passionate Changemakers from across the country were selected to pilot the CBC initiative. For two years, we worked closely with each Changemaker and developed tailored reports that helped inform planning, influence change, increase funding, and enhance their overall impact on bereaved children and families.

The Dougy Center – Portland, OR
OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center – Los Angeles, CA
The Grief Center of Southwest Colorado – Durango, CO
Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas – San Antonio, TX
Alive Hospice – Nashville, TN

Greater Philadelphia Grief Collaborative:
A Haven – Exton, PA
Abington-Jefferson Safe Harbor Program – Philadelphia, PA
The Center for Loss and Bereavement – Skippack, PA
Peter’s Place – Radnor, PA
Uplift Center for Grieving Children – Philadelphia, PA

Changemaker Stories

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Judi’s House/JAG Institute partnered with the New York Life Foundation to help support grieving children and families by creating the Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model.