The 4R Grants are available to support nonprofit organizations’ staffing needs as they work to improve youth social emotional health and mental wellness in Santa Barbara County.
Donor Name: Santa Barbara Foundation
State: California
County: Santa Barbara County (CA)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/03/2026
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The Youth Mental Health Providers Recruit, Retain, Rest and Recuperation Fund (4R) was established in 2023 by Carrie Towbes in partnership with the Santa Barbara Foundation, with a vision to ensure support for mental health providers delivering direct behavioral healthcare to children, youth and their families and caregivers. Grants will provide resources to organizations that are providing direct support to youth and their families with the goal of supporting and improving young people’s social emotional health.
The youth mental health crisis has been building for years, with the COVID-19 pandemic revealing its scale and urgency. While these challenges have affected all communities, young people have been disproportionately impacted. Global and political events, technological advances, and increased strain on schools and families have exacerbated long-standing gaps in care, leaving many youth without the social-emotional support they need. Educators, mental health professionals, parents, and young people themselves are clear: youth mental health is at a crisis point and requires immediate action.
Focus Areas
In partnership with local funders, the 4R Grant Program supports organizations’ staffing needs as they work to improve youth social emotional health and mental wellness in Santa Barbara County. Applicants must have mental health professionals providing direct services to youth, families and caregivers in Santa Barbara County. Funds may be used for the following, including but not limited to:
- Attracting and retaining youth mental health professionals (licensed clinicians and those earning hours toward licensure)
- Providing youth mental health providers with support for secondary trauma related to their work in the Santa Barbara County community.
Priorities
Priority will be given to organizations and programs that:
- Have clearly defined goals and outcomes, and a strategy and timeline in place for achieving the stated goals
- Have worked to evaluate their pay structures and professionalized their compensation strategies
- Have identified and plan to utilize some assessment and evaluation tools to measure grant performance and program/client outcomes.
Funding Information
Grant Max Amount: $10,000 for one year.
Eligibility Criteria
Be a certified 501(c)(3) non-profit or use a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor. Applications that do not contain a valid EIN (Tax ID) number will not be considered. The Foundation accepts applications from public entities such as schools, universities, and libraries through an affiliated or supporting 501(c)(3) organization.
For more information, visit Santa Barbara Foundation.
