SHAWN GIVES BACK WITH SMF

Shawn Mendes has launched his own charity. The Toronto-based 21-year-old artist founded the Shawn Mendes Foundation (SMF) with young people in mind, seeking to inspire and empower them to bring about positive change and advocate for issues they care about. SMF will encourage and support their activism, while serving as a vehicle to support multiple youth-related causes in the realms of healthcare, sustainability, mental health and wellness, human rights, anti-bullying, education and more.

The foundation’s first two campaigns will be with SickKids, a Toronto-based organization close to Mendes’ heart, and REVERB, an environmental nonprofit that engages fans to take action for people and the planet at shows and beyond, while helping artists reduce their environmental footprints and increase their positive impact on tour. SMF has already raised more than $1 million through partnerships & donations.

“For a long time, I’ve wanted to find a way to amplify the causes that my fans and I care deeply about, and to help make the voices of our generation heard,” Mendes said of his motives in creating SMF. “My goal in launching the foundation is to work alongside my fans and do everything I can to help provide them with a platform that inspires positive change and empowers young change-makers.”