10 men’s health initiatives your donations helped fund in 2026
A massive thank you to our global Movember Community whose fundraising year after year makes the work, we do possible.
Here are 10 men’s health initiatives your funds are supporting:
1. Inside the manosphere: what young men actually see on TikTok
Movember researchers analyzed the real TikTok viewing histories of 142 young men to build a world-first tool for mapping masculinity content online. They found harmful narratives rarely stand alone, they're woven into everyday feeds of sport, gaming and fitness, which is exactly why they resonate. Find out more.
2. Building connection and belonging for Kiwi firefighters
Fire & Emergency New Zealand's Whanaungatanga Programme is making organisational changes to boost firefighter wellbeing — built on a national survey and workshops with around 500 career firefighters and managers. Backed by Movember and the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride Veterans & First Responders Mental Health Grant Program, it's one of 15 global projects tackling mental ill-health among veterans and first responders, with another round of surveys being funded by Movember, progress will continue building. Find out more.
3. Building mental fitness in young New Zealand rugby players
After a successful 2024 pilot reached over 100 teenage rugby players across six schools, Movember and New Zealand Rugby scaled Ahead of the Game nationally through NZ Rugby's Mind. Set. Engage. initiative, rolling out across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton and Hawke's Bay in 2025. The evaluation from year one showed positive impacts being made for young men and their communities; 99% of young people reported being more confident recognising signs of anxiety and depression. Additionally, 95% of young people reported they were more confident to provide help to a friend who’s struggling.Find out more.
4. Know your testicular cancer facts
Testicular cancer is the #1 cancer among young men. But most guys don’t know it. Our annual Know Thy Nuts campaign, held during Testicular Cancer Awareness Month in April, encourages young men to know their risk, know their nuts and know what to do if something doesn’t feel quite right down there. We break down the risk factors, symptoms and treatment options, plus how to do a simple self-exam in the shower. Find out more.
5. From promise to progress: backing Indigenous-led wellbeing solutions
Last year, Movember started delivering on its landmark NZD $63.20 million commitment to Indigenous wellbeing, with NZD $6.43 million earmarked for Māori communities over seven years. Now in its second year of funding, Hawaiki Kura's Tāne te Waiora project is helping tāne Māori reconnect with their identity, heal from intergenerational trauma and build community through mātauranga Māori. Find out more.
6. What we actually know about esports and mental health
Two things can be true at once: esports offers real connection and skill-building, while also carrying real mental health risks like burnout, harassment and anxiety. Movember's largest-ever review of esports research (77% of participants men) found the evidence too fragmented for simple rules of thumb, laying the groundwork for the first mental health guidelines built specifically for esports players. Find out more.
7. A country boy in Geneva, championing young men's health
Rhys Heinrich grew up on a farm in regional South Australia — and last year, he traveled to WHO headquarters in Geneva to represent Movember's Youth Action Council alongside 400 young delegates from 60 countries. As one of ten young men shaping Movember's work as decision-makers rather than just participants, Rhys is bringing what he learned back home to champion young men's health across Australia and beyond. Find out more.
8. In Aotearoa, prostate cancer doesn't treat every man equally
The prostate cancer death rate in New Zealand is 7 per 100,000 men. But for Māori men, that rate climbs to 10.2. This year, Movember's Prostate Cancer Outcomes Registry New Zealand is using national data to expose the gaps in diagnosis and care driving that disparity, so the system can change. Every conversation started, dollar donated, and community event supports important data collection in NZ that will help us to advocate for early detection programs, and ensuring men, especially Māori men, get fair access to the care they need. Find out more.
9. Reshaping what young men see online, in order to change how they see themselves
Over 60% of young men are engaging with online masculinity influencers, and that content is shaping their views of manhood in both good and bad ways. The Young Men and Media Collective, co-led by Movember and Equimundo, is setting out to ‘learn what works’ to shift online masculinity narratives by funding nine creators and organizations to test new content through themes and formats of gaming, podcasts, poetry, journalism, sports and horror. This content will offer healthier alternatives to the "success = being relentlessly rich and ripped" ideal pushed to young men online. Find out more.
10. Confession Box: relationship advice young men actually trust
Young men are hungry for relationship guidance – but there’s a gap between where they are going for answers and finding good advice. Movember's Confession Box is a YouTube series that is a space for real, unfiltered conversations reflecting how young men actually talk about relationships and helping us better understand what truly resonates with them. After watching the series, 69% of young men said they'd already used its advice in real life. Find out more.