Grief Alchemy™: Turning Grief Into Empowered Activism for College Students

Rewards for Your Generosity

To show our gratitude, we’ve created a tiered rewards system for our supporters:

Sponsorship for a Full Scholarship – $13,000: You will receive: 1) a half-day workshop on Grief-informed Anti-racism for up to 15 participants in your organization, fostering understanding and actionable change, 2) individual access for up to 15 people to Healing White Grief: An Anti-racist Allyship Program, which comes with 8+ hours of on-demand transformative content, workbooks, and certification, 3) priority acknowledgment on all program materials, newsletters, and websites, and 4) newsletter updates on student progress.

Sponsorship for a Full Scholarship for a Student from an HBCU – $10,000: You will receive: 1) a half-day workshop on Grief-informed Anti-racism for up to 15 participants in your organization, fostering understanding and actionable change, 2) individual access for up to 15 people to Healing White Grief: An Anti-racist Allyship Program, which comes with 8+ hours of on-demand transformative content, workbooks, and certification, 3) priority acknowledgment on all program materials, newsletters, and websites, and 4) newsletter updates on student progress.

Platinum: Sponsorship for Partial Scholarships– $5,000 to $10,000: You will receive: 1) a two-hour workshop on Grief-informed Anti-racism for up to 10 participants in your organization, fostering understanding and actionable change, 2) individual access for up to 10 people to Healing White Grief: An Anti-racist Allyship Program, which comes with 8+ hours of on-demand transformative content, workbooks, and certification, c) tiered acknowledgment on all program materials, newsletters, and websites.

Gold: Sponsorship for Partial Scholarships – $4,000 to $6,000: You will receive: 1) a two-hour workshop on Grief-informed Anti-racism for up to 8 participants in your organization, fostering understanding and actionable change, 2) tiered acknowledgment on all program materials, newsletters, and websites, and 3) newsletter updates on student progress.

Silver: Sponsorship for Partial Scholarships– $1,000 to $3,000: You will receive: 1) access to Healing White Grief: An Anti-racist Allyship Program, which comes with 8+ hours of on-demand transformative content, workbooks, and certification, and 2) newsletter updates on student progress.

Bronze: Recognition - $100 - $1,000: You will receive: 1) social media acknowledgment based on your donation level, and 2) newsletter updates on student progress.

Our Story

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, college students across the country faced more than just academic challenges. They experienced a collective grief that shook their sense of security, purpose, and connection. From pandemic-related deaths to racial injustice, today’s students are burdened with immense loss and suffering. Yet, alongside this grief, many have felt an undeniable call to action—a deep desire to fight for justice, even as they wrestle with their personal pain.

Grief Alchemy™ was born from this profound need. We recognized that, while students are passionate about creating social change, they often lack the tools to sustain their efforts in the face of emotional exhaustion. Without proper support, many risk burnout and disconnection, not only from activism but also from their own well-being.

Our Mission

However, activism isn’t only about addressing past or present injustices; it’s about preventing future harm. Whether it’s preventing lives lost due to inequitable healthcare, defending freedom from legal injustice, or safeguarding privacy against data misuse, participants learn to protect against future losses.

Grief Alchemy’s™ unique two-part program blends personal transformation with actionable tools for activism, helping students sustain their efforts without burning out.

By understanding how grief shapes activism, students become informed by it rather than driven by it. Through transforming their relationship to grief and trauma, they grow into resilient, empathy-driven advocates for social change.

Upon completing the program, students are certified as Grief Alchemists™, empowering them to teach others this compassionate, transformative approach.

Unexplored Grief in Activism

Many student activists fight for causes that reflect their passion for justice, but underneath their drive lies unresolved grief—grief that has never been fully acknowledged or processed. Grief Alchemy™ aims to help students recognize and explore this grief, empowering them to heal while channeling their emotions toward creating change. By facing their pain head-on, students can gain a clearer sense of purpose and resilience, ensuring their activism is sustainable and not fueled solely by unprocessed emotions.

Reactive Resistance, Lost Vision

Students often channel their grief into destructive anger, lashing out without a clear vision of how to rebuild what has been broken. They resist change in ways that can harm their well-being and their communities. Grief Alchemy™ offers the tools to help students develop emotional regulation, allowing them to re-imagine their power for change in healthier ways. Through guided transformation, we help students learn to build new structures for justice while finding healing within themselves.

Unreasonable Expectations Lead to Burnout

The pressures of social and academic life push many students toward perfectionism, leaving them feeling inadequate or burnt out when they can’t meet unrealistic expectations. This often forces them to disconnect from their activism and personal values. Grief Alchemy™ helps students redefine success and failure, encouraging them to set realistic expectations that align with their core values, instead of succumbing to the perfectionism that leads to exhaustion. We support students in understanding that healing and growth come from embracing imperfection.

Trapped in Ideological Purity

In today’s polarized climate, many students get stuck in ideological purity, afraid to acknowledge their grief or personal limitations. They believe they must have all the answers, leading to rigidity in their activism and further emotional exhaustion. Grief Alchemy™ encourages students to move beyond theory and embrace compassion, both for themselves and others. By fostering flexible thinking and empathy, we guide students away from the isolation that can come from holding themselves to impossible standards and toward a more inclusive, compassionate practice of social change.

Why It Matters

Grief, when left unaddressed, can become an overwhelming weight. For many students, their pain fuels their desire to make a difference, but without the right guidance, that same pain can lead to emotional exhaustion and disillusionment. Our program bridges this gap by offering a grief-informed approach to activism.

Students who participate in Grief Alchemy™ gain tools not only to process their own grief but also to create meaningful, lasting change in their communities. They learn how to sustain their activism, avoid burnout, and lead with resilience, empathy, and purpose.

Our Approach

Grief Alchemy™ is structured to be both accessible and impactful. Our hybrid model combines online learning with in-person retreats, ensuring that students from all backgrounds and regions can participate. Through a small cohort model and individualized support, each participant’s unique journey is respected and nurtured.

Online Learning: Students can engage with the program remotely, accessing tools, resources, and virtual support.
In-Person Retreats: These gatherings allow for deep reflection, healing, and community building, offering a safe space for students to process their grief together.
Personalized Support: With small cohort sizes, every student receives the attention and guidance they need to thrive, ensuring no one is left behind in their journey.

How You Can Help

To make Grief Alchemy™ accessible to students from all backgrounds, we need your help. Your contributions will directly support the program by funding:

Student tuition, travel, room, and board: Ensuring that students from diverse backgrounds can fully participate, regardless of financial means.
Course facilitators: Paying the dedicated professionals who guide students through this transformative process.
Licensing and technology: Providing access to the tools necessary for hybrid learning, including software, platforms, and resources.
Instructor fees: Supporting the educators who deliver high-quality content and mentorship to the students.
Learning and development materials: Offering students workbooks, resources, and essential tools to enhance their growth.

Our Goal

We aim to raise $60,000 to help fund the first year of Grief Alchemy. This will allow us to partially cover operational costs, support a cohort of passionate students, and ensure the program reaches those who need it most.

Why Your Support Matters

By donating to Grief Alchemy™, you’re not just supporting an educational program—you’re helping create the leaders of tomorrow. You’re empowering students to turn their grief into purpose, to lead with empathy, and to make a lasting impact on the world.

Together, we can ensure that today’s students are equipped not only to cope with their grief but to transform it into meaningful, sustainable activism.

Join Us on This Journey

With your help, we can make Grief Alchemy a reality for students across the country. Together, we can ensure that students emerge from their grief not broken, but empowered—ready to lead with resilience, compassion, and a deep sense of purpose.

Thank you for being part of this transformative journey.

We are proud to be a fiscally sponsored program of the Nonprofit Organization for Philanthropic Initiatives, a program of NOPI INC, a Massachusetts nonprofit corporation and 501(c)(3) organization, EIN 81-5089505. Learn more at https://thenopi.org. This account has been reviewed by Givebutter's Trust & Safety team to verify its status with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable under the law.

Grief Alchemy™: Transforming Grief into Empowerment for College Students

By Grief Alchemy

Grief Alchemy™: Transforming Grief into Empowerment for College Students

Empowering the next generation of leaders through healing, resilience, and social change.