NCCF Opens Applications for Two Behavioral Health Grant Opportunities

Deadline to Apply: Friday, September 19 at 11:59 PM

Systems Change in Behavioral Health Grant Opportunity Returns for its Second Year

Last year, for the first time, NCCF awarded $61,510 in grants from its Community Behavioral Health Fund to support systems-level initiatives aimed at strengthening behavioral health infrastructure. Funding was directed toward projects that benefit multiple organizations—fostering collaboration, breaking down silos, and improving care coordination.

Now in its second year, NCCF invites RFPs focused on systems-level work that enhances the quality of and access to behavioral health services in lower Fairfield County. These initiatives aim to improve the broader behavioral health landscape, rather than serve the needs of a single organization.

Examples may include:

• Efforts that seek to advance parity in mental health insurance coverage and reimbursement.

• Research, advocacy or policy work that directly impacts lower Fairfield County.

• Coalitions or partnerships that have a system-wide impact on the quality of care available to local residents.

• Initiatives to strengthen the mental health workforce, such as efforts to strengthen the pipeline for mental health providers, support the certification of bilingual clinicians, increase workforce retention, and/or research and advocacy projects that impact workforce planning. Note: Before submitting a workforce-focused proposal, we strongly recommend contacting the NCCF office to confirm eligibility. For example, organization-specific internship or fellowship programs are not eligible for grant funding.

Grant Range: $10,000 – $50,000

Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations based in Fairfield County or state-wide organizations whose work directly impacts lower Fairfield County

Programming Responding to the New Canaan Community Health & Well-Being Survey

New Canaan Behavioral Health Alliance is bringing renewed attention to key findings from the 2024 Community Health & Well-Being Survey to inform next steps for the community. Informed by this data, the NCCF has announced a request for proposals to support New Canaan-based efforts to respond to the results of the Community Health & Well-Being Survey.

Examples of eligible programs include, but are not limited to:

• Efforts to spread awareness of local community supports, such as resources for those struggling with mental health, substance abuse, or domestic violence.

• Initiatives that support demographic groups who reported higher barriers to accessing care (multiple caregivers, 30-59 year-olds, etc.).

• Programs that provide targeted support to parents.

Grant Range: Grant amounts may range from $1,000–$2,500 for smaller-scale initiatives (e.g., speaker events, support groups, or awareness campaigns) to $10,000–$15,000 for larger efforts, such as nonprofit-led programs targeting adult mental health or parent-focused education.

Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations, partnerships, or individual community members. Projects led by individuals are ideally in partnership with or fiscally sponsored by a nonprofit organization. Proposed work must specifically impact New Canaan, CT.

For questions, contact Meg Soffen at msoffen@newcanaancf.org or (203) 966-0231.