THE REAL Mental Health Fund | The REAL Foundation

THE REAL PHILANTHROPIC MENTAL HEALTH FUND (Launching October 22, 2026)

Investing in new solutions.
Changing lives at scale.

Mental health touches us all. Many of us have been there ourselves, and we know that we are not alone in that.

What we've also seen is how often the solutions that exist often don't reach the people who need them. Not because they aren't good enough, but because funding stands in the way.

THE REAL Philanthropic Mental Health Fund exists to help change that, by supporting the innovations and infrastructure that can make mental healthcare more effective and more accessible at scale.

Our mission is to reach 10 million men and beyond. The Fund is one way we get there, but we need your help.

Together, we'll ensure those solutions reach more people, faster. Join us in building the future of mental health, because we can't do it alone.

$1 trillion

in annual productivity losses

$200-$350B

yearly funding gap

in mental health

79%

of suicides are male, over 36,000 annually in the US

9%

of people with depression receive adequate treatment

Over a billion people are living with a mental health condition, and services require urgent scale-up.

The cost of Inaction

Widespread. Undertreated.
Under-resourced.

Sources: WHO; McKinsey Health Institute; CDC; The Lancet Psychiatry

Three ways the Fund drives impact.

CLOSE THE
ACCESS GAP

By investing in solutions that remove barriers to mental healthcare, we can expand access for millions of people who need support.

DEPLOY INTO SCALABLE SOLUTIONS

By deploying capital into scalable mental health innovation, we can accelerate solutions that improve care, expand access and create lasting impact.

SUSTAIN
THE MODEL

By recycling any investment returns back into the Fund, every dollar has the potential to fuel future innovation, creating a sustainable cycle of long-term growth and impact.

The Fund was born from the conviction that the mental health crisis demands more than awareness - it demands investment to scale bold solutions.

Founder Shawn Lesser brings over 30 years in finance. But the Fund isn't just the product of a career in capital markets - it's the product of a personal reckoning with mental health that turned professional expertise into personal mission.

That combination - deep knowledge of how capital moves, and a genuine understanding of why mental health matters - shaped a Fund built to do things differently. Sitting at the center of THE REAL's ecosystem, the Fund draws on its expert global community and charitable gifts to deploy capital where it matters most.
Most mental health funding falls into narrow lanes - charity, profit, or government support, each with its own constraints. We believe the most transformative solutions don't have to choose.

As an open-ended philanthropic fund, we're not locked into a fixed mandate or timeline. We accept charitable gifts on an ongoing basis, grow alongside the sector, and move into areas of greatest need as they emerge - partnering with fund managers and co-investing directly into companies to expand what they can do and who they can reach.

Any returns are recycled back into the Fund, deepening our capacity to invest over time. We back organizations that show financial strength and real impact go hand in hand.
THE REAL's mission is to mobilize $10 billion into mental health by 2035 through conversation, community, and capital. The REAL Philanthropic Mental Health Fund is one of the primary ways we're bringing that mission to life, with the goal of directing $100 million of philanthropic capital into the mental health ecosystem.

The Fund is the capital arm of that mission - bringing together the relationships, experience, and expertise of THE REAL's global community to help address the mental health crisis.
The Fund is established as a donor-advised fund.

It is supported by:

Charitable gifts from individuals, families, foundations and donor-advised funds

Grassroots giving through THE REAL's events, gatherings and community initiatives, and from supporters around the world

A portion of the revenue generated by THE REAL Mental Health Company, LLC

The Fund expects to grant about 10% a year to THE REAL Mental Health Foundation to support its community programs. The Fund is evergreen: any investment returns are reinvested, not returned to donors. All gifts are irrevocable contributions to the Fund's donor-advised fund sponsor, which has final approval over all grants and investments.
Mental health solutions need different types of capital.

Some solutions are best supported by charitable grants. Others require investment capital to grow, scale, and reach more people.

We believe philanthropic investment capital plays a unique role by expanding the capital available to the people and organizations developing promising mental health solutions while complementing traditional philanthropy and private investment. Any investment returns generated by the Fund help support this long-term approach.
Mental healthcare must become more accessible, more effective, and more readily available to the millions of people who are underserved today. We invest in opportunities with the potential to close gaps in access, improve treatment outcomes, and strengthen the systems and infrastructure that mental healthcare depends on.

The Fund primarily invests alongside specialized mental health fund managers and, in select cases, directly into companies advancing these solutions.

Examples include AI-enabled healthcare, digital therapeutics, neuroscience, psychedelic-assisted therapeutics, healthcare infrastructure, and other emerging approaches with the potential to transform mental healthcare.
There are many ways to become part of the movement.

You can join THE REAL’s community of Ambassadors and Allies, make a charitable donation to THE REAL Philanthropic Mental Health Fund, recommend a grant through your donor-advised fund, explore a larger philanthropic commitment, or introduce us to people and organizations who share our mission.

Every contribution helps move more investment into mental health.

To learn more, we’d love to start a conversation.

Learn more about the Fund.

Amy J Bennett

Head

THE REAL Philanthropic Mental Health Fund

Amy brings more than 20 years of experience spanning global financial services, impact investing, and international development. She has held senior leadership positions with BlackRock's iShares, Guggenheim Investments, Altegris, and ImpactAssets, where she served as Chief Marketing Officer. An active angel investor with experience in investment due diligence, governance, and strategic partnerships, Amy leads the Fund's strategy, development, and growth.

Shawn Lesser

Founder

THE REAL Mental Health Foundation

Shawn brings more than 30 years of experience in entrepreneurship, finance, and capital formation. Through his work in impact investing, he has represented more than 200 impact and sustainable private capital funds, built one of the industry's largest impact investor communities, and convened more than 5,000 investors through over 60 investor events. These relationships and experience shape the Fund's vision and connect its mission with investors, fund managers, and strategic partners committed to advancing mental health.

Amy J Bennett

Head

THE REAL Philanthropic Mental Health Fund

Amy Bennett brings more than 20 years of experience spanning global financial services, impact investing, and international development. She has held senior leadership positions with BlackRock's iShares, Guggenheim Investments, Altegris, and ImpactAssets, where she served as Chief Marketing Officer. An active angel investor with experience in investment due diligence, governance, and strategic partnerships, Amy leads the Fund's strategy, development, and growth.