Hinge Announces $1 Million Fund to Help Gen Z Build Community In-Person

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Dec 05, 2023, 08:10 ET

NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Hinge is announcing One More Hour™ — a new social impact initiative mobilizing Gen Z to add more in-person connection to their lives. The program launches with a $1M fund dedicated to tackling the loneliness epidemic by providing grants to social groups and organizations helping Gen Z find belonging and community in person.

Hinge's One More Hour™ program launches with a $1M fund dedicated to tackling the loneliness epidemic by providing grants to social groups and organizations helping Gen Z find belonging and community in person.

Compared to two decades ago, today's young adult has 1,000 fewer hours of in-person connection time each year, especially due to a lack of accessible third spaces.¹ Starting in January 2024, One More Hour will provide individual grants in amounts up to $25,000 to select social groups in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York City that provide Gen Z with fresh, affordable, and recurring in-person opportunities to connect with others.

Hinge is working with DoSomething Strategic and the Foundation for Social Connection to develop impact benchmarks for the program and identify the organizations. Additionally, One More Hour will work with a group of Gen Z judges to select the final awardees of the grants.

"Adding more time to connect in person with others is one of those things that's easy to say, but is actually a little challenging to do," said Josh Penny, Hinge's Director of Social Impact. "Social clubs and groups offer young adults the chance to plug into recurring moments of connection and to find community along the way. With One More Hour's new fund, we simply want to make these important resources more accessible."

Hinge has a committed history of tackling loneliness and facilitating meaningful in-person connections by working with its in-house experts and partners to empower people with the necessary tools, resources, and tips they need. This year, the company joined the Coalition to End Social Isolation & Loneliness, collaborating with other brands and organizations to advocate for policies and initiatives to reduce loneliness. The company also supports the Crisis Text Line in expanding its resources on loneliness so that young adults can more effectively access support. Additionally, Hinge recently collaborated with the Foundation for Social Connection to create a Distraction-Free Dating Guide and worked closely with the Surgeon General to help combat loneliness for daters during the pandemic.

To learn more about Hinge's One More Hour fund, please visit hinge.co/onemorehour.

How to apply:

Starting in January 2024, Hinge is hosting an open call to 501(c)3 or fiscally sponsored organizations in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York City to apply for grants from $10,000 to $25,000 each
Applications open on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, at hinge.co/onemorehour and close on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024
Hinge will track the number of connections made through the funded programs and conduct surveys to measure the impact on participants' well-being.

About Hinge:
The Dating App Designed To Be Deleted®: Hinge is on a mission to create a less lonely world by inspiring intimate, in-person connections. Through in-depth and personalized profiles, daters have unique conversations that get them off the app and out on great dates. And it's resonating. In 2022, Hinge was the fastest-growing dating app in the US, UK, and Canada. Hinge was acquired by Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH) in 2018.

About The Foundation for Social Connection
The Foundation for Social Connection's (F4SC) vision is for all Americans to have the opportunities and evidence-based support necessary to be socially engaged in society. F4SC engages in education, increases public awareness, promotes innovative research, and spurs the development and implementation of evidence-based models that address social isolation, loneliness, and social connection. For more information, please visit: www.social-connection.org

About DoSomething Strategic
DoSomething Strategic (DSS) is the social impact consultancy of DoSomething.org. Using data and insights derived from over 8 million young people taking action on DoSomething.org, DSS supports mission-aligned brands and organizations in developing more effective social impact strategies.

¹ According to a University of Rochester study

SOURCE Hinge Inc.