Three Valleys Community Foundation (3VCF) is now accepting applications to address the issue of mental health from a diversity of perspectives, broad and targeted approaches.
Donor Name: Three Valleys Community Foundation
State: California
County:
City: Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, San Ramon
Town: Danville, Alamo
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/30/2023
Size of the Grant: $10,000 – $30,000
Grant Duration: 1 year
Details:
For this inaugural round of grantmaking, 3VCF has selected the issue of mental health as a focus for funding. 3VCF is also partnering in this grant round with Danville Area Chamber of Commerce and its Youth Mental Health Outreach Initiative, expanding the available resources for grantmaking. 3VCF joint rationale for focusing on mental health includes:
- A lot of people are suffering
- Every year, 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 6 youth in the U.S. experience a mental health disorder or illness. The U.S. Surgeon General recently declared a state of emergency around youth mental health.
- Too few of those suffering are getting treatment
- Less than half of adults who experience a mental illness receive treatment. The numbers are even worse for people of color. For those who do seek treatment, the average delay is 11 years.
- It is costly
- Mental health issues cost society over $400 billion annually in indirect cost of care and loss of productivity. But most important is the cost in human lives and suffering.
Locally, mental health has been identified as a top priority in all of the community health needs assessments conducted by health care systems in region as well as in the East Alameda Community Needs Assessment. In addition, local school districts have identified mental health as a top need.
Focus Areas
3VCF particularly interested in supporting collaborative approaches between two or more organizations. Some examples of areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Early intervention
- Early signs of mental health conditions, including exposure to trauma, are often ignored. It can change the trajectory for many if they treat mental health as preventative care, not just a response to pathology.
- Building social emotional skills and resilience
- Interventions that build resilience, address trauma, and hone social and emotional skills are important preventative mental health care that everyone can benefit from and can also have the effect of destigmatizing mental health.
- Expanding awareness and access
- Top concerns in the Tri-Valley, vis a vis, mental health include long wait times for an appointment and a shortage of therapists in the region. It can support programs that build and support the workforce of providers or expand peer support services, for example.
- Equitable access
- Everyone in the community can benefit from ready access to quality, affordable mental and behavioral health services. Some have additional barriers to access including the unhoused, low-income households, non-English speakers, immigrants, seniors, and disabled individuals, among others.
- Addressing stigma
- Unlike physical health, where some conditions are heavily stigmatized and others are not, all mental health conditions are stigmatized. Stigma creates roadblocks for those who need help and contributes greatly to low treatment rates
Funding Information
- Grants will range in size from $10,000 – $30,000. Single organization applicants may submit for up to $20,000 and collaborative applications of two or more organizations may submit for up to $30,000.
- Grants will be for one year with an estimated start date of January 1, 2024.
Eligibility Criteria
3VCF will consider applications from:
- 501c3 nonprofit entities, or fiscally sponsored projects/organizations
- Collaborative initiatives/applications of two or more organizations led by a 501c3. Collaborations are strongly encouraged, but not required.
- Public entities (e.g. school districts) are not eligible to apply under this grant round as a lead applicant, but may be partners to a 501c3 lead applicant or beneficiaries
- All applications must directly benefit the regions covered by 3VCF which includes: Sunol, Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, San Ramon, Danville and the Greater San Ramon Valley.
- Applications serving youth in the Greater San Ramon Valley (including Danville, Blackhawk, Diablo, Alamo, San Ramon, and unincorporated Contra Costa County) will also be automatically considered for grant funds from the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce Youth Mental Health Outreach Initiative. A separate application is not needed.
For more information, visit 3VCF.
