The fourth annual Vibrant Communities Mental Health grant program supports organizations responding to the mental health needs of community residents, in collaboration with all ten St. Croix Valley Foundation affiliate community foundations.
Grant applications have opened for St. Croix Valley Foundation's Vibrant Communities Mental Health Grants. Now in its fourth year, the program has facilitated nearly $450,000 to organizations deploying mental health programming - from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and management. In 2024, the Vibrant Communities grant program will continue its mental health focus.
Throughout the St. Croix Valley Foundation's (SCVF's) six-county service area (Chisago and Washington Counties in Minnesota, and Burnett, Polk, St. Croix and Pierce Counties in Wisconsin), local data align with national data, which find:
more than half of adults will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime;
one in five Americans will experience a mental illness in a given year;
one in five children, either currently or at some point during their lifetime, have had a seriously debilitating mental illness.
Grants from $500-$6,000 are available for community affiliate grants. Grants service multiple affiliates may request $500-$10,000.
"We know how important mental health supports are, and they may look different in different communities," said Angie Pilgrim, St. Croix Valley Foundation's Director of Community Impact. "That's why we've created a grant program to respond to the needs communities identify for themselves, and that's why we've collaborated with all ten of our affiliate community foundations, who know their communities deeply."
The Vibrant Communities Mental Health grant program recognizes that supporting mental health and wellbeing lies on a spectrum from prevention to management. The grant program intends to fund programs that address any aspect of the mental health and wellbeing spectrum, with funds available to develop, enhance, or expand the capacity of programs, services or organizations to provide mental health supports. Eligible expenses may include staffing, training, therapeutic services and programs, operational costs related to enhancing or adding capacity to health organizations, programs or services to support individuals facing mental health challenges.
Previous year grant rounds have facilitated grants for senior programming, one-on-one youth mentorships, group grief therapy for parents and children, suicide prevention, mental health training, and more.
Guidelines and Eligibility, the Application, and Previous Recipients are available online.
Applications are open now through March 22. Applicants will receive notification of their award status by the end of May.
Want to get involved? Consider making a donation to the Valley Health & Wellness Fund to help make this work possible.