User:Razr Nation/Born This Way Foundation

The Born This Way Foundation is a United States-based non-profit organization founded by Lady Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta and named after her 2011 album Born This Way. The mission of the organization is to encourage individuality and self-expression among young people by creating safer communities to support them. The Born This Way Foundation has 3 pillars to achieve this goal:
 * 1) Safety - creating safe places to celebrate individuality and supporting them with an online community
 * 2) Skills - teaching advocacy, the promotion of civic-engagement, and the encouragement of self-expression to empower
 * 3) Opportunity - providing the means to have an impact on local communities

History
The organization was founded in 2011 and formally launched in 2012 by artist Lady Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta, who said "challenge meanness and cruelty by inspiring young people to create a support system in their respective communities." At the inauguration media proprietor Oprah Winfrey, writer Deepak Chopra, and United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius delivered speeches.

The Foundation's original funding included $1.2 million from Lady Gaga, $500,000 from the MacArthur Foundation, and $850,000 from Barney's New York.

From 28 March to 11 April 2012 the BTWF ran a poster campaign "to inspire bravery" and encouraging supporters to submit images that answer the question "What does bravery mean to you?" with the 10 semifinalists selected by Lady Gaga and her mother and leading to a prize for the winner(s), selected by fans.

Lady Gaga announced in May 2012 that the "Born Brave Bus" would follow her on tour as a youth drop-in centre as an initiative against bullying. June 2012 saw the launch of the "Born Brave" community and school groups.

Partners
The Born This Way Foundation works in partnership with the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, the MacArthur Foundation and The California Endowment.

In Q2 2012 global media giant Viacom was announced as the lead media partner of the Born This Way Foundation for the development of events, programming and "opportunities that empower young people to build a braver, kinder world"
 * "Viacom is proud to stand with Lady Gaga and the Born This Way Foundation, and lend our global megaphone for young people to speak out in support of acceptance, tolerance and respect."