Selena Gomez's Rare Impact Fund Benefit Raises Nearly $3 Million for Youth Mental Health

Selena Gomez hosted the fourth annual Rare Impact Fund Benefit at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on Wednesday, 14 October 2026. Sean Hayes emceed. Billboard reports that the evening raised nearly $3 million for youth mental health, and Riviera Radio gives the same figure.

As of 16 October 2026, that is the reported total for this year's benefit. Billboard attributes the money to paddle raises and a live auction. Billboard and Riviera Radio both put the fund's total raised since its 2020 launch above $30 million.

What the Benefit Raised and Who Took Part

According to Billboard, the proceeds came from paddle raises and a live auction. Leon Bridges and Bella Kay performed, and Martin Short attended. Before the event, the August release from PR Newswire listed auction items including a basketball signed by LeBron James and a stay at Civana Wellness Resort and Spa, and said more items would be added.

The benefit also introduced the Katherine Short Legacy Award, named for Martin Short's daughter. Gomez introduced the inaugural award, and Martin Short helped present it. It recognises individuals committed to mental health and to serving their communities.

The first recipient was La Familia Counseling Center, which Billboard describes as a Sacramento nonprofit with more than five decades of community service. A California Employment Development Department page describes La Familia Center, which was founded in 1973 in South Sacramento. It says the group has expanded to two community centres and serves thousands of residents in the southern area of the Capital City.

How the Fund Directs Its Money to Mental Health Services

The Rare Impact Fund backs nonprofit organisations that expand access to youth mental health services and education. The August 2026 announcement from PR Newswire says the fund supports 30 nonprofit partners across five continents. Elyse Cohen, Chief Impact Officer at Rare Beauty, is also president of the fund.

Riviera Radio reports that those partners reach about 3.5 million young people a year through education, community programmes and access to support services. The August release cites WHO data that about 1 in 7 young people aged 10 to 19 has a mental health condition. It also says fewer than half of countries report community- or school-based child and adolescent mental health services.

The fund's website describes its first public grant programme, the Nonclinical Workforce Initiative. It allocates more than $2.5 million in total, including a $500,000 investment from the Enlight Foundation. Grants range from $250,000 to $500,000 for recruitment, training and retention in roles that support young people outside traditional clinical settings. Applications have closed.

Money comes from several streams. One percent of Rare Beauty sales goes to the fund, according to the August release, and Riviera Radio adds individual donations and corporate partnerships. The fund is a fiscally sponsored project of the Hopewell Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity.

The stated goal is $100 million for organisations that expand youth mental health services and education. Riviera Radio describes the ambition as mobilising it over ten years. The fund's website says it is mobilising $100 million.

What Was Said on the Night

Gomez said the fund was created before Rare Beauty sold a single product, and that its mission has always been the same. Billboard reports that she said the fund's work excites her more than most events she is invited to, and that she has been open about her own mental health.

Riviera Radio reports that Gomez stressed the need for safe environments where young people can talk about their difficulties. Martin Short spoke about treating mental illness as a disease and about reducing the stigma that can stop people from seeking help, according to Billboard.

Bella Kay told Billboard that supporting a cause she believes in made participating in the benefit extremely purposeful. Leon Bridges echoed the importance of making mental health a shared priority, Billboard reports.

What Comes Next

The fund's stated goal is $100 million for youth mental health, as set out in the August release and on its website. The release said last year's benefit raised over $2 million from more than 20 sponsors.