Use the core messaging below as your foundation when talking about Fund IRL. These messages are designed to help you stay consistent while still speaking in your own voice. You don’t need to use them word-for-word—adapt them to reflect your perspective, your community, and what you’re seeing in real time.

Overview

Fund IRL is a national coalition led by Children’s Funding Project working to ensure that if social media lawsuits result in financial settlements, those resources are invested in programs and services that help young people connect, build relationships, and thrive in real life.

Across the country, lawsuits are moving forward. Decisions about how legal payout funds are used will follow.

This is a moment to shape decisions before they are made. Those decisions will be shaped by who shows up now.

This toolkit is designed to help you:

• communicate clearly and consistently
• engage decision-makers and partners
• take action quickly using shared language

Core Messaging

Young people are seeking real-world connection, belonging, and engaging experiences. Afterschool, summer, service, mentoring, outdoors, sports, arts, and mental health programs provide the kinds of environments where young people can grow and experience joy. In these spaces, they build relationships, develop skills, and feel confident and supported as they find their footing in the world.

If social media lawsuits result in settlements, those funds should support programs and services that strengthen connection, belonging, and healthy development.

Elevator Message: If settlement funds become available, they should be invested in programs and services that provide real-world connection, mentorship, and opportunity to support youth well-being.

General Use Messaging

If social media lawsuits result in financial settlements, those funds could represent a significant opportunity to invest in what young people need most.

History shows settlement funds do not automatically reach youth-serving programs without intentional planning.

The Fund IRL coalition is working to ensure these resources are directed with clear guardrails, transparency, and accountability so that they reach those most impacted by the harms of social media – young people – and are prioritized to support their well-being. Learn more and get involved: FundIRL.org. 

Boilerplate

Fund IRL is a national coalition led by Children’s Funding Project working to ensure that potential settlement funds are invested in programs and services that promote youth well-being and healthy development.

These “in real life” opportunities help young people build relationships and develop skills with support from peers and caring adults in real-world environments. They create spaces where young people experience belonging, connection, creativity and joy – a critical investment in youth well-being and community infrastructure. Learn more and get involved: FundIRL.org. 

Message Architecture

The Problem: Young people are facing rising mental health challenges, isolation, and spending more time in digital environments.

The Gap: Too many young people lack access to safe, engaging, real-world opportunities and mental health supports that provide real-world connection.

The Opportunity: Social media litigation may create a new public funding stream to support youth well-being.

The Solution: Invest in programs, services, and “in real life” opportunities that promote youth well-being and healthy development by creating connection, belonging, support, and engaging experiences that help young people grow and prepare for what comes next.

Core Framing Principles

• Focus on what young people need, not just what harms them
• Position youth development and mental health supports as a prevention infrastructure 
• Emphasize readiness, not certainty by making clear that settlement outcomes are not guaranteed, but planning now is essential so communities are prepared if funds become available
• Keep tone grounded and solution-oriented
• Lead with opportunity and investment, not blame

What to Reinforce

• “We don’t need to settle every debate about causation to act.”
• “What matters is whether young people have access to engaging “in real life” relationships and experiences with peers and caring adults that help them weather the ups and downs of life, both online and offline.”
• “This is about investing in what works. Decades of research back this need and call.”
• “This is a once in a generation opportunity to get it right – invest in play, growth, exploration, creativity, outdoors experiences like we never have.”

What to Avoid

• Do not claim social media is the sole cause of mental health challenges
• Do not predict settlements or dollar amounts
• Do not lead with adversarial or anti-tech framing
• Do not lead with litigation details

Key Supporting Messages 

Use these to vary content while staying aligned.

1. Real-World Connection

Young people thrive when they have consistent access to peers, mentors, and engaging environments where they feel they belong.

2. Access + Equity

Millions of young people cannot access afterschool and summer programs or mental health services due to cost, availability, and/or transportation barriers.

3. Funding Opportunity

Social media litigation may create a rare opportunity to invest in youth development at scale.

4. Protect the Funds

Without clear priorities and guardrails, settlement funds risk being redirected or diluted. Planning matters.

Make It Yours

The most effective messages reflect your voice, your community, and what you are seeing in real time.

Use the lines below as a starting point. Adapt them, combine them, and pair them with your own examples or perspective.

Opening Lines You Can Use

• What happens after 3pm matters more than most policy conversations acknowledge. This is the time when young people are looking for connection, creativity, belonging, entertainment, and community! We need to foster more engaging “in real life” experiences with peers and caring adults that meet those needs in healthy, supportive ways.
• We talk a lot about what’s harming young people. We talk less about what helps them thrive.
• The question isn’t just what to limit. It’s what to build. 
• Young people don’t just need less screen time. They need more engaging, high-quality opportunities and experiences with peers and caring adults that offer connection, creativity, community, belonging, and support in real life.
• “In real life” opportunities are a powerful antidote to the harms of social media because they give young people what they are often seeking online—connection, creativity, community, belonging, and opportunities to grow—in ways that are relational, engaging, and grounded in care.
• If new funding becomes available, we need to be clear about where it should go.

Short Lines and What This Looks Like

Young people need places they actually want to be.
That could mean a young person signs up for a dance class, a sports team, an outdoor club, or a service project–and can go regularly because it’s affordable, close to home, and a place where they feel welcome, have fun, and keep coming back.

Every young person deserves a place where they feel like they belong.
That might look like a program where young people are known by name, spend time with friends, try new things, and feel comfortable being themselves.

Where young people spend their time shapes who they become.
When young people have steady access to programs and activities, they can build skills, discover what they enjoy, and practice things like teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership—helping them grow in confidence and direction over time.

Too many young people still can’t access the programs we know make a difference.
In many communities, programs have waitlists, limited space, or costs that families can’t afford—leaving young people with fewer options for engaging, supportive experiences outside of school.

We know what works. The question is whether we will fund it.
If new funding becomes available, and with appropriate planning, communities can expand programs, support staff, and make sure more young people have access to consistent, high-quality opportunities where they can grow, stay engaged, and build toward what comes next.

About this Work

Fund IRL is a national coalition convened by Children’s Funding Project, bringing together youth development, mental health, education, service and advocacy organizations —now 34 members and counting.

The coalition is organizing now to help shape how potential settlement funds are used. This includes bringing partners together and engaging with decision-makers at the state and local level.

This work is grounded in a practical goal: if funds become available, they should be directed intentionally toward programs and services that young people can access in their communities.

By building coordination early, the coalition aims to ensure communities are ready to act—and that funding decisions expand access to experiences that keep young people engaged, help them build skills, and prepare for what comes next.

Call To Action Options (Use One)

• Join Fund IRL and help shape how these social media litigation resources are used – Join the Coalition: FundIRL.org. 
• Add your voice to a growing national effort – Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fund-irl/ 
• Be part of defining what investment in youth really looks like – Join the Coalition: FundIRL.org. 
• NOW is the time to help ensure these funds reach young people directly – Share your “why now” story with us! 

Use the sample captions below as a starting point for sharing Fund IRL on social media. These posts are designed to be adapted—feel free to shorten, combine, or rewrite them to match your voice, platform, and audience. Pair them with visuals, examples from your community, or a clear call to action to help bring the message to life.

Option 1: 

Across the country, parents, schools, policymakers, and the public are confronting a complex question:

What do young people actually need to thrive in a digital world?

The research is increasingly clear on one point.
Young people’s well-being is shaped not only by what they experience online, but by the relationships, opportunities, and sense of belonging they have in their daily lives.

It’s in these spaces that they build confidence, explore who they are, and experience joy.

Youth well-being and development programs provide those conditions. They are not enrichment. They are part of the prevention infrastructure that supports healthy development.

At the same time, social media litigation is advancing in multiple states. If those cases result in settlements, public leaders will face decisions about how those resources are used.

Fund IRL is a national coalition working to ensure that if social media lawsuits result in financial settlements, those resources are invested in programs, services, and “in real life” opportunities that promote youth well-being and healthy development.

This is a moment to define what meaningful investment in youth well-being looks like.

Join the coalition and help shape what comes next: FundIRL.org. 

Option 2:

Adolescence is a period where relationships, belonging, and identity formation are central to development. Research shows that strong peer connections and supportive adult relationships are protective factors for mental health.

But many young people are spending more time in digital environments while having fewer opportunities for meaningful, in-person engagement.

This isn’t just about screen time. It’s about access to environments that support healthy development.

Youth development programs help create those environments. They offer consistent relationships, dedicated spaces, and engaging opportunities where young people can build skills, confidence and a sense of belonging as they find their footing in the world. 

These experiences don’t happen by chance. They are intentionally built to keep young people engaged and coming back.

If new public resources become available through social media litigation, investing in these programs is a practical way to strengthen the conditions that support youth well-being.

Fund IRL is working to ensure that connection is part of the response.

Join us: FundIRL.org. 

ACCESS + EQUITY Option 3:

Across the United States, demand for positive opportunities for youth far exceeds supply.

Millions of young people would participate if a program were available in their community, but barriers such as cost, transportation, and limited capacity continue to stand in the way.

These gaps are not evenly distributed.
They are most pronounced in lower-income and rural communities, as well as in places that have historically received less public investment.

When access to supportive, in-person environments is limited, so are opportunities for connection, skill-building, and experiences that keep young people engaged and wanting to come back.

This is not just a program gap. It is an infrastructure gap—the absence of the programs, spaces, and adults that make consistent, engaging opportunities possible for young people.

Fund IRL is working to ensure that if new funding streams emerge, they are used to expand access to youth development opportunities in the communities that need them most.

If you are working at the intersection of youth, education, or community development, your voice is needed in this conversation.

Join the coalition: FundIRL.org. 

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY Option 4:

More than 2,200 lawsuits related to social media and youth well-being are moving through the courts.

If these cases result in settlements, they could generate significant public resources.

History offers a clear lesson.
In large-scale settlements, how funds are used is not predetermined. It is shaped by early decisions about allowable uses, governance, and accountability.

Without that planning, resources are often distributed across competing priorities or absorbed into general budgets.

With clear direction, they can strengthen local communities’ ability to directly support their youth through programs that build connection, skills, and a sense of purpose.

This is the window Fund IRL is focused on.

The question is not only whether resources will be created.
It is whether we are prepared to define how they should be used.

We are working with partners across sectors to ensure youth are the target beneficiary.

Be part of shaping those decisions: FundIRL.org. 

ACCOUNTABILITY + PRECEDENT Option 5:

Public health related settlements have created major funding streams before.

They have also shown how easily those resources can be redirected without clear guardrails.

Analyses of past settlements have found that funds intended to address harm were often used for unrelated budget priorities when expectations were not clearly defined.

More recent settlement efforts have introduced stronger guidance, but variation in how funds are tracked and used remains a challenge.

The implication is straightforward.

If new resources become available, early planning and accountability structures will determine whether those funds reach young people in meaningful ways.

Fund IRL is working to ensure that youth development programs are explicitly included as an eligible and prioritized use of any potential settlement funds.

This is about more than funding.
It is about whether resources are aligned with what we know supports young people—connection, belonging, skill-building, and opportunities to grow.

Help ensure that alignment happens: FundIRL.org. 

URGENCY + MOBILIZATION Option 6:

The decisions that will shape how potential settlement funds are used are not years away.

They are beginning now.

Definitions of “allowable use.”
Early policy conversations.
Coalitions forming around priorities.

These early signals often determine final outcomes.

If youth development is not clearly included at this stage, it becomes much harder to introduce later.

Fund IRL is working to bring together organizations, advocates, and leaders to ensure that investments in connection, mentorship, and opportunity are part of those early decisions.

This is a moment that requires coordination, clarity, and participation.

Join the coalition.
Use the shared messaging.
Engage leaders in your state.

What happens next will be shaped by who is part of the conversation now. Learn more: FundIRL.org. 

POLICY-FOCUSED Option 7:

If settlement funds become available, states will need to determine how those resources are protected, allocated, and tracked.

That process will shape whether funds:

• address underlying drivers of youth well-being
• reach communities directly
• support prevention alongside treatment

Youth development programs and community-based prevention offer a practical, evidence-informed investment aligned with these goals.

They operate in communities.
They build relationships.
They strengthen the conditions that support healthy development, connection, and long-term success.

Fund IRL is working with leaders across sectors to ensure these programs are included as an eligible and prioritized use of any potential settlement funds.

We encourage policymakers and partners to begin planning now. Learn more and engage: FundIRL.org. 

Use the audience-specific versions below to tailor your outreach. Each option is designed to align with the priorities, language, and decision-making role of a specific group.

POLICYMAKERS (ATTORNEYS GENERAL, LEGISLATORS, STATE LEADERS)

Use this version when engaging state-level decision-makers or policy influencers. It emphasizes planning, governance, and accountability, while positioning youth development as a practical, evidence-informed investment. Best for direct outreach, briefings, or sharing with policy staff and advisors.

Email Subject:

A Planning Moment: How Settlement Funds Can Reach Young People

Newsletter Copy:

Across the country, litigation related to social media and youth well-being is moving forward.

If these cases result in settlements, states will face an immediate and consequential question: how should those resources be used?

Experience from past public settlements is clear. Funding outcomes are not automatic. Without early direction, resources are often absorbed into broader budgets or distributed across competing priorities.

With clear planning, they can be used to strengthen systems that directly support young people.

At the same time, the research base points to a consistent need. Young people benefit from access to supportive relationships, engaging, in-person environments, and opportunities to build connection, belonging, and the skills they need for what comes next. Prevention and community-based supports, like afterschool and youth development programs, provide these conditions every day.

Fund IRL is a national coalition working to ensure that, if settlement funds become available, youth development programs are prioritized.

This is a planning moment.

We encourage state leaders to begin now:

• Define allowable uses of funds, including youth development
• Establish clear reporting and accountability expectations
• Prioritize communities with the greatest access gaps
• Invest in capacity so programs can scale and reach more young people

Decisions made early will shape where funds ultimately go.

If you are exploring this issue, we welcome the opportunity to connect and share additional information.

[Learn More]
Join the Coalition: FundIRL.org. 

NATIONAL PARTNERS, ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS, COALITION MEMBERS

Use this version to mobilize aligned organizations and networks. It focuses on urgency, coordination, and the importance of early engagement to shape outcomes. Best for coalition outreach, partner newsletters, and encouraging consistent, shared messaging across organizations.

Email Subject:

This Work Moves Now: Align Early, Act Early

Newsletter Copy:

Across the country, litigation related to social media and youth well-being is advancing.

If settlement funds become available, how they are used will be shaped early—before most people are paying attention.

We have seen this pattern before. Without coordination and clear priorities, funding intended to address harm can be redirected or diluted.

There is still time to shape a different outcome.

Millions of young people do not have access to afterschool and summer programs or mental health supports, even when families want them. These programs provide the relationships, engaging experiences, and sense of belonging that support healthy development and keep young people coming back.

Fund IRL is working to ensure that if new resources emerge, they are directed toward these kinds of opportunities.

This effort depends on coordinated action.

Here is where you come in:

Join
Be part of a growing coalition aligned around a clear, shared strategy.

Use the toolkit
Communicate consistently about why youth development and community-based prevention matters and how funding should be used.

Engage leaders
Reach out to policymakers and begin the conversation now, before decisions are set.

Share what you see
Your programs and partnerships show what this looks like in practice.

This is a moment where alignment matters. The organizations that engage now will shape what happens later.

Join the Coalition: FundIRL.org. 

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT FIELD (PROGRAMS, COMMUNITY PROVIDERS)

Use this version to engage practitioners and community-based organizations. It centers their lived experience and highlights the role their voice can play in shaping how future funding is used. Best for field communications, association newsletters, and direct outreach to programs and providers.

Email Subject:

You See the Impact Every Day. Now Others Need to See It Too.

Newsletter Copy:

You see what young people need.

You see the difference a safe place, a consistent adult, or a strong peer group can make. You also see what happens when those opportunities are not available.

Right now, there is a growing national conversation about youth well-being and how to support young people more effectively.

Across the country, lawsuits related to social media and youth mental health are moving forward. If those cases result in settlements, they could create new funding opportunities.

But those funds will not automatically reach youth programs.

How they are used will depend on what policymakers understand about what works.

That is where your voice matters.

Fund IRL is a national coalition working to ensure that youth development programs are central to that conversation from the start.

Here are simple ways to engage:

Share your experience
Help decision-makers understand what connection, mentorship, and belonging look like in real life.

Use shared messaging
Stay aligned so the message is clear across communities and states.

Invite leaders in
Site visits and direct engagement make this real in a way data alone cannot.

Stay connected
Join the coalition to receive tools and updates.

This is a moment where what you do every day can influence how resources are used in the future.

Join the Coalition: FundIRL.org. 

PHILANTHROPY & FUNDERS 

Use this version when reaching funders and philanthropic partners. It frames this moment as a high-leverage opportunity to influence how public funding is structured and deployed at scale. Best for funder briefings, donor communications, and outreach focused on early investment and strategy alignment.

Email Subject:

A High-Leverage Moment to Shape Public Investment in Youth

Newsletter Copy:

A new funding stream may be emerging.

Across the country, litigation related to social media and youth well-being is progressing. If these cases result in settlements, they could generate significant public resources.

What happens next is not predetermined.

Past settlements show that without early coordination, funding is often fragmented, redirected, or disconnected from long-term impact.

With early investment and alignment, the opposite is possible.

This is a rare opportunity to influence how public dollars are defined and deployed at scale.

Fund IRL is working to ensure that youth development programs—afterschool, summer, mentoring, and community-based opportunities— along with mental health supports are prioritized in any potential settlement funds.

These programs provide the relationships, engaging environments, and opportunities that support young people’s well-being, skill-building, and preparation for what comes next. Demand for them already exceeds supply in many communities. Expanding access will require investment not just in programs, but in the people, spaces, and systems that sustain them.

Philanthropy has a distinct role to play at this stage:

• Support coalition coordination and shared strategy
• Fund communications that shape early policy conversations
• Invest in state-level readiness and engagement
• Help build the infrastructure needed to responsibly deploy future funds

Early philanthropic investment can shape much larger public investment later.

This is a moment where relatively modest resources can influence how a significant funding stream is structured and used.

We would welcome the opportunity to connect and explore how this work aligns with your priorities.

[Learn More] Join the Coalition: FundIRL.org. 

Use this copy as a starting point for a blog post, website update, or announcement about your involvement with Fund IRL. It’s designed to be adapted—add your organization’s perspective, what you’re seeing in your community, and why this moment matters to your work. Keep the focus on what young people need and how this opportunity can help expand access to real-world supports.

Title: Holding Social Media Accountable and Investing in What Young People Need

[ORG NAME] Joins Fund IRL to Support Youth in Real Life

Young people don’t just need less screen time. They need more opportunities to connect in real life.

Community-based supports, like afterschool and youth development programs, help create environments where young people build relationships, develop confidence, and feel a sense of belonging as they find their footing in the world. 

But too many young people still don’t have access to these kinds of opportunities.

Cost, transportation, and limited availability continue to create barriers, especially in underserved communities.

At the same time, social media lawsuits are moving forward across the country. If these cases result in settlements, they could create a significant opportunity to invest in youth development programs at scale.

What matters now is how those funds are used–and whether they reach programs that support young people directly.

That’s why [ORG NAME] is part of the Fund IRL coalition.

[INSERT 1–2 SENTENCES: Why your organization is involved.
Example: what you see in your community, what young people need, or what more funding would make possible.]

We have seen this before. Without clear planning, large settlement funds can be redirected or diluted.

Fund IRL is working to ensure that any potential funding is invested in programs that provide real-world connection, mentorship, and opportunity for young people.

This is a moment to act early and shape what comes next.

Join the Coalition: FundIRL.org.

Use these carousel templates to bring Fund IRL messaging to life in a visual, engaging format. You can use the slides as written or adapt them to reflect your organization’s voice, examples, or local context. Keep the flow simple and clear, and focus on helping your audience understand the opportunity and why it matters now.

CUSTOMIZABLE CAROUSEL

>> Use the Canva Graphic Carousel Template: https://canva.link/bofvqqpzqrpg9dj 

INTRO CAROUSEL

> To use the below graphics, download the: LinkedIn Intro Carousel – Zip File

Create Your Own

CAROUSEL 1 – SET OF GRAPHICS 

Slide 1 — Context + Hook

Across the country, leaders are asking how to respond to rising youth mental health challenges.

The answer will shape how resources are invested—and whether young people have access to what they need to thrive.

Slide 2 — What the Evidence Shows

Youth well-being is shaped by more than what happens online.

Research consistently finds that strong relationships, a sense of belonging, and engaging environments are core protective factors during adolescence.

Slide 3 — What’s Missing

At the same time, access to these environments is limited.

National data shows that tens of millions of young people would participate in afterschool programs if one were available to them.

This is a gap in infrastructure, not interest.

Slide 4 — The Emerging Opportunity

More than 2,000 lawsuits related to social media and youth well-being are moving through the courts.

If settlements occur, they could create significant public funding streams.

These funds will not be automatically directed—they will be defined.

Slide 5 — The Role of Fund IRL

Fund IRL is a national coalition working to ensure that youth development programs are included as a priority investment.

Afterschool, mentoring, and community-based programs provide consistent adult relationships, engaging environments, and opportunities for connection—the conditions that support healthy development.

Slide 6 — Call to Action

This is a moment to define what meaningful investment in youth well-being looks like.

Join Fund IRL.
Help shape how resources are used.

🔗 fundirl.org 

CAROUSEL 2: WHY THIS MOMENT MATTERS (TIMING + POLICY + PRECEDENT)

Slide 1 — Context + Urgency

A major funding decision is approaching.

Most of the public conversation has not started yet.

Slide 2 — What’s Happening

More than 2,000 lawsuits are advancing across states and school districts.

These cases focus on youth well-being in digital environments.

If settlements occur, they could generate substantial public resources.

Slide 3 — What Research Clarifies

The evidence on social media is complex.

What is clear:
Outcomes are shaped by what social media displaces—including sleep, physical activity, and in-person interaction.

This points to a practical response: strengthen real-world environments.

Slide 4 — What History Shows

In previous settlements (tobacco, opioids):

Funds were often:

• redirected to unrelated uses
• spread across competing priorities
• inconsistently tracked

Without early planning, impact is diluted.

Slide 5 — Where Decisions Happen

The most important decisions happen early:

• What counts as “remediation”
• Which uses are eligible
• How funds are governed and reported

Those conversations are already beginning.

Slide 6 — Call to Action

If youth development is not included now, it may not be included later.

Engage early.
Align your message.
Join Fund IRL.

🔗 fundirl.org

CAROUSEL 3: YOUTH + PROGRAMS (DEVELOPMENTAL + HUMAN + SYSTEMS)

Slide 1 — Context + Human Entry

What supports young people is not abstract.

It shows up in everyday experiences:
a trusted adult
a consistent place to go
a sense of belonging

Slide 2 — What Developmental Science Shows

Adolescence is a period where social connection, identity, and peer relationships are central to development.

Supportive environments during this stage are strongly linked to long-term well-being.

Slide 3 — What Programs Provide

Youth development programs create these environments.

They offer:

• mentoring relationships
• engaging, supervised time
• opportunities for skill-building and identity development

These are core conditions for healthy development.

Slide 4 — The Access Gap

Yet access remains limited.

Millions of young people are not enrolled in afterschool programs, even when families want them.

Barriers include:

• Cost
• Transportation
• Limited program availability

Slide 5 — Why This Matters Now

If new funding becomes available, it can expand access to these programs.

But policymakers need to understand:
what works
what exists
what is scalable

That understanding comes from the field.

Slide 6 — Call to Action

Show what this looks like in practice.

Share your program.
Engage local leaders.
Join Fund IRL.

🔗 fundirl.org