Selena Gomez’s Rare Impact Fund Benefit Raises Nearly $3 Million, Honors Martin Short’s Late Daughter: ‘This Has Always Been Our Mission’

Selena Gomez ‘s fourth annual Rare Impact Fund Benefit was a night of music, philanthropy and powerful reminders of why mental health advocacy matters.

Held Wednesday night (Oct.

14) at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Palladium, the event raised nearly $3 million for youth mental health initiatives and introduced a new award honoring the legacy of Martin Short’s late daughter, Katherine Short.

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“I honestly get more excited about this than most events I’m invited to, and I think that’s because of what I’ve witnessed the Impact Fund has truly done,” Gomez told Billboard on the red carpet ahead of the event.

“We created this fund before we even sold a single product, so this has always been our mission.” The singer, who has been candid about her own mental health journey, said she was proud to see more people learning about the fund’s work.

“I’ve always been honest and upfront about my mental health and things that I will continue to struggle with and learn how to live with,” she continued.

“But overall, I’m just proud that people come, and I’m proud that people are becoming aware of what we’re doing, so it’s really special.” One of the evening’s most notable moments was when Gomez introduced the inaugural Katherine Short Legacy Award in memory of Katherine, a clinical social worker who died by suicide in February at age 42.

The award recognizes individuals committed to mental health and serving their communities, carrying forward Katherine’s dedication to helping others through difficult times.

Gomez’s longtime friend and Only Murders in the Building co-star Martin Short joined her onstage to help present the honor to its first recipient, La Familia Counseling Center, a Sacramento nonprofit recognized for more than five decades of community service.

Short spoke candidly about his family’s grief, emphasizing the importance of treating mental illness as a disease, highlighting the Rare Impact Fund’s sharp focus of expanding access to mental health support while breaking the negative stigma that can prevent people from seeking the help they need.

That overarching message seemed to be a common theme for why many were in attendance, including singer/songwriter Bella Kay , who told Billboard that supporting a cause she believes in made participating in the benefit extremely purposeful.

“It means everything [to be here].