Through the 2025 Mental Health Service Expansion and Workforce Development Grant opportunity, these initiatives are aligning to support nonprofit service providers and workforce development, advancing access to mental/behavioral and early relational health services for families and kids of all ages.
Donor Name: San Diego Foundation
State: California
County: San Diego County (CA)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/28/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Goals
This grant supports programs that advance access to mental/behavioral and early relational health services for families and kids of all ages. The grant will focus on two primary categories:
- Nonprofit service providers providing mental/behavioral and early relational health services, promoting and destigmatizing access to care through culturally responsive and trauma-informed practices for children and youth of all ages and their families.
- Strengthening a diverse local workforce by supporting organizations that provide paid stipends to individuals pursuing careers in mental and behavioral health professions.
Funding Information
The total award amount for this grant cycle is expected to be $1.5 million, including $1 million for mental/behavioral and early relational health services and $500,000 for mental/behavioral health workforce development.
- Mental/Behavioral and Early Relational Health Services
- Preventive programs (up to $50,000 per proposal): Ensure that children, youth and their parents/ guardians have access to knowledge, education, and resources that promote social and emotional wellness. Proposals can include, but are not limited to, incorporating psychosocial activities for young children, programs that support healthy child and youth development, parent support/education, and/or other programs that prevent mental and behavioral health challenges.
- Supportive interventions (up to $50,000 per proposal): Provide trauma-informed interventions for young children, youth, parents, caregivers and/or providers/teachers that support mental and behavioral wellness. Proposals can include, but are not limited to, family-centered interventions (e.g., home visits), provider/teacher support and training, coaching and mentoring, peer-to-peer support (e.g., group interventions), or other programs promoting wellness and resiliency for at-risk youth or families.
- Mental/behavioral health support and treatment (up to $50,000 per proposal): Increase access to programs with mental health professionals that address Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) or other mental/behavioral health challenges for children, parents and/or caregivers, including those in crisis or requiring higher levels of care.
- Mental/Behavioral Health Workforce Development
- Mental/behavioral health workforce stipends (up to $75,000 per proposal): Increase opportunities for historically underrepresented, low-income young adults by facilitating internships and stipends for individuals pursuing careers in the mental/behavioral health field, including those in high school; associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate, or other professional training programs. Eighty percent of each grant award must be given to individuals in the form of stipends that are paid directly to the program participants. These funds are not intended to cover the cost of classes, tuition, scholarships or other fees paid to the program or institution. The remaining 20% of the grant award can be utilized by the organization for program operational costs and/or supplies (e.g., materials and books). Proposals are encouraged to support Black, Indigenous, people of color, LGBTQ+ and/or other historically underrepresented students/professionals.
Eligibility Criteria
Each proposal must be led by a nonprofit with 501(c)3 public charity status, located in and serving San Diego County. A 501(c)3 public charity may serve as a fiscal sponsor for another applicant to administer the grant and provide regular financial reporting to San Diego Foundation.
- Each proposal must be led by a nonprofit with 501(c)3 public charity status, operating in and serving San Diego County.
- A 501(c)3 public charity may serve as a fiscal sponsor for another applicant to administer the grant and provide regular financial reporting to SDF.
- Projects must be completed within a 12-month timeline.
- Previous applicants or recipients of Healthy Children & Families and/or Early Childhood Initiative funding are eligible to apply
- San Diego Foundation will not fund endowments, existing obligations/debt, scholarships, or projects that promote religious or political doctrines.
- Projects must work to expand care for low-to-moderate-income communities and/or populations experiencing health disparities or negative social determinants of health.
- Projects supporting the mental/behavioral health workforce stipends strategy must utilize at least 80% or more of the grant award for individual stipends and have the ability to process and distribute stipends according to California labor laws.
For more information, visit San Diego Foundation.
