Best Mental Health Grants in New York

New York 501(c)(3) public charities with budgets over $750,000 can seek more than US $75,000 to deliver direct health and mental health services to poor and underserved residents. Mother Cabrini Health Foundation’s General Fund supports programs benefiting vulnerable groups, including youth, older adults, immigrants, people with disabilities, and justice-involved individuals across the state.

Eligible New York organizations developing peer specialist workforce infrastructure can receive operating support to build the New York Peer Specialist Independent Practice Association. Focused on mental health and workforce development, the New York State Office of Mental Health offers US $485,000 annually for five years, plus potential startup funds, to coordinate collaboration and professional development.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in New York can seek funding for mental and behavioral health programs that provide direct services to poor, disadvantaged, or underserved residents. With a mission to support mental wellness, Mother Cabrini Health Foundation backs interventions, increased access, and prevention efforts that are culturally responsive and embedded in community or clinical settings.

Nonprofit and community-based organizations expanding mental wellness supports can seek funding in New York to promote resilience and healing. The New York State Office of Mental Health will make up to 20 awards of up to US $750,000 over three years for universal prevention projects that strengthen mental health and wellness within specific communities statewide.

New York organizations developing community behavioral health crisis response programs can apply for funding to launch or expand health-led crisis teams. Focused on mental health and substance use, the New York State Office of Mental Health will support at least one urban, one suburban, and one rural pilot that emphasizes trauma-informed care, racial equity, and harm reduction.

U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits with established health or education programs for underserved adolescents, post-secondary students, or adults can apply for L B Research and Education Foundation grants, including in New York, to expand proven work. Funding of US $10,000 - US $75,000 supports innovative, research-informed approaches to mental and physical health access, outcomes, and related educational or workforce initiatives.

Veterans and first responders seeking wellness, rehabilitation, or recovery support in New York can apply for the Gridiron Veterans Scholarship to access mental health, physical therapy, and holistic wellness programs. With a mission to support the military-veteran community, Bob Woodruff Foundation partners with Gridiron Veteran Foundation to remove financial barriers to high-quality, customized care.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in New York and the broader Northeast offering mental health, emotional support, or rehabilitation programs can seek up to US $2,500 to relieve suffering for people in need. The Howard E. Stark Charitable Foundation also considers small, under-resourced groups providing youth development, after-school, nutrition, arts, or related community services.

New York 501(c)(3) nonprofits with at least three years of status and $100,000+ budgets can seek funding for mental health, youth development, and job-readiness programs in communities where RBC Wealth Management operates. RBC Foundation USA supports initiatives building in-demand skills, increasing community stability and accessibility, and advancing environmental sustainability and a net-zero future.

New York State Office of Mental Health

The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) oversees a large multi-faceted mental health system serving nearly 800,000 individuals each year. This includes operating 23 psychiatric centers and overseeing the Nathan S. Kline Institute and New York Psychiatric Institute. OMH regulates and certifies more than 6,500 programs operated by local governments and nonprofit agencies.

Mission: Our mission is to promote the mental health of all New Yorkers, with a particular focus on providing hope and recovery for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances.

Youth and Teen Mental Health First Aid Statewide Training RFP

The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) announces the availability of funds for the creation and/or expansion of Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) and Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) statewide training to be offered free of charge. 

Scope of Work

The awardee will be required to display extensive experience in delivery of t/YMHFA training throughout New York State through direct training and/or coordinating certification of YMHFA instructors in Youth Mental Health First Aid. They must have the capacity to certify YMHFA instructors and/or coordinate the training of new YMHFA instructors, the ability to coordinate the training of new tMHFA instructors, and the ability to provide participants with the required training materials. They must have the capacity to support Instructors to maintain certification through the connection of Instructors to training opportunities.

For applicants providing direct training to the public, applicants must demonstrate the ability to train statewide and/or in large catchment areas throughout New York State, and ability to provide training live (both in person and virtual), as well as establishing relationships with a wide array of community providers, organizations, schools, and other organizations that work with or serve young people. 

One (1) award will be made through this RFP to one (1) applicant.

New York mental health providers operating or planning psychosocial club or recovery center programs can seek funding to develop accredited Clubhouses in the Central, Hudson River, Western, and Long Island regions. New York State Office of Mental Health provides more than US $551,175 to expand access to community-based mental health Clubhouse services.

Mental health and refugee service providers in New York can seek funding to promote health literacy, coordinate mental health services, and facilitate wellness group activities for Ukrainian arrivals. Grants from New York State Office of Mental Health offer US $200,000 to support culturally informed, county-based programs addressing refugees’ immediate and long-term mental health needs.

Eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits working on mental health and substance use disorder treatment or prevention in New York can apply for Elevance Health Foundation’s Behavioral Health Grant. Funding supports programs that increase access to MH/SUD treatment, emphasize prevention and early intervention, and reduce social isolation or loneliness, with opportunities for both local and national initiatives.

Grants from the New York State Office of Cannabis Management help New York 501(c)(3) community-based organizations deliver youth-focused programs in mental health, harm reduction, substance use disorder, housing, and workforce development. Eligible Tier 1 nonprofits with annual expenditures between $50,000 and $2,499,999.99 can request US $50,000 - US $200,000 for services in communities disproportionately affected by past drug policies.

Mental health providers in New York offering OMH-licensed or authorized community programs can secure funding to provide student loan repayment for eligible clinicians who commit to three years of service. Focused on mental health care and reducing disparities, the New York State Office of Mental Health supports agencies employing licensed social workers, counselors, therapists, psychologists, and related professionals.

Grants of US $200,000 help New York 501(c)(3) community-based organizations deliver youth-focused mental health, harm reduction, substance use disorder, housing, and workforce development programs in communities disproportionately impacted by past drug policies. Grants from New York State Office of Cannabis Management support Tier 2 organizations with annual expenditures of at least $2.5 million through the Community Grants Reinvestment Fund.

New York State Office of Mental Health

The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) oversees a large multi-faceted mental health system serving nearly 800,000 individuals each year. This includes operating 23 psychiatric centers and overseeing the Nathan S. Kline Institute and New York Psychiatric Institute. OMH regulates and certifies more than 6,500 programs operated by local governments and nonprofit agencies.

Mission

Our mission is to promote the mental health of all New Yorkers, with a particular focus on providing hope and recovery for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances.

Community Based Diversion Programs

The Office of Mental Health announces funds for the development or enhancement of diversion programs. Programs should be rooted in evidence-based programming or emerging promising practice.

The goal of diversion programs is to reduce the risk of criminal justice involvement for adults with behavioral health needs.

Applicants must already be administering services in the following counties:

• Cayuga
• Essex
• Franklin
• Montgomery
• Madison
• Oneida
• St. Lawrence
• Warren/Washington

Target Population

The target population to be served by the proposed diversion program model is individuals at least 18 years of age with complex and/or chronic behavioral health issues and who are involved with the criminal justice system at one or more intercepts on the Sequential Intercept Model. 

The ALACRITY Research Centers, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, aim to enhance the effectiveness of mental health interventions for youth and adults. This initiative supports interdisciplinary research to develop innovative approaches for optimizing mental health care access and quality. By fostering collaborations across various fields such as behavioral science and health systems engineering, the program seeks to transform clinical practices and improve outcomes for individuals facing mental health challenges.

Cures Within Reach

Cures Within Reach is the philanthropic leader in drug, device and nutraceutical repurposing research, which has the potential to transform the lives of patients with unsolved diseases by delivering treatments that can be used in the near-term. Our focus: we find and fund proof-of-concept clinical trials that, once successful, de-risk and catalyze follow-on funding, building the clinical evidence required for regulatory approval or to support off-label use by patients everywhere.

Clinical Repurposing Research to Impact US Veterans/Military

This Request for Proposals (RFP) from Cures Within Reach (CWR) is seeking clinical repurposing trials from US-based research institutions using already approved treatments to address unmet and high-priority medical needs of US veterans and/or active US military, such as mental health, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and brain injuries. Our strongest preference is for proof of concept, pivotal, Phase I or Phase IIA clinical repurposing trials. Eligible trials may be conducted at accredited US-based academic, nonprofit and governmental research institutions and/or health systems involved with medical research, including Veterans Administration (VA) health systems and hospitals. 

Repurposed therapies must be approved and/or generally recognized as safe for human use by some regulatory agency, such as the US Food and Drug Administration, European Medicines Agency, Health Canada or Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency, and may include drugs, devices, nutraceuticals or diagnostics, as well as combination therapies. These repurposed therapies must be tested in a new indication for which they are not already approved or used widely in clinical practice as standard of care. Repurposed therapies also may be added to current standard of care to improve patient outcomes and/or quality of life.

Nurses Educational Funds

Nurses Educational Funds, Inc. depends solely on donations to advance our only mission, to promote nursing leadership through annual scholarship support for professional nurses seeking masters and doctoral degrees in nursing education, practice, research, and administration.

NEF’s only purpose is to provide nursing scholarship assistance to make graduate level nursing education possible. NEF is one of the largest, national, private, professionally endorsed source of funds for advanced nursing study with over one hundred years of service to and for professional nursing. NEF is a non-profit organization with 501(c) status.

Madeline A. Naegle Scholarship for Mental Health Nursing

In 2018, Madeline A. Naegle, PhD, CNS-PMH, RN, BC, FAAN, a national and international nursing leader in mental health/substance abuse education, research, and practice together with NEF created this scholarship with a preference to graduate nurses specializing in mental health nursing.

The Judith G. Whitaker Scholarship, awarded by Nurses Educational Funds Inc., supports nurses pursuing master's and doctoral degrees in nursing. Applicants must have two semesters of study remaining and meet specific eligibility criteria, including a valid RN license and a minimum GPA of 3.6. Preference is given to doctoral students focusing on nursing research. This scholarship reflects over a century of commitment to advancing nursing education and leadership.

The Joanne V. Pontier Scholarship, established in 2022 by Mary V. Insall, honors her sister, a dedicated emergency nurse. With a generous $50,000 donation, this scholarship supports emergency nurses pursuing graduate studies. Applicants must be enrolled in accredited nursing programs and have a minimum GPA of 3.6. Preference is given to doctoral students in nursing research. This scholarship aims to foster leadership in nursing and improve emergency care, ultimately saving lives and supporting families.

The Joan L. Conroy Scholarship, established in 2024, supports Ph.D. nursing students dedicated to educating future nurses. It honors Joan L. Conroy's legacy, emphasizing her love for education and nursing. Applicants must have two semesters left in their program and demonstrate a commitment to geriatric nursing and home health care. This scholarship is funded by the Nurses Educational Funds Inc., a nonprofit organization that promotes nursing leadership through educational scholarships.

The Jane Eleanor Knox Scholarship, established by a $50,000 bequest from Dr. Knox, supports doctoral nursing students committed to leadership in the field. Applicants must possess a current RN license and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.6 while enrolled in accredited nursing programs. Preference is given to those focusing on nursing research or organizational studies. This scholarship fosters the advancement of nursing education and leadership through financial support from Nurses Educational Funds, Inc.

The Isabel McIsaac Scholarship, awarded by Nurses Educational Funds Inc., supports master's and doctoral nursing students with a minimum GPA of 3.6. Applicants must hold a current RN license and have completed a baccalaureate degree in nursing. Preference is given to candidates pursuing nursing research or organizational studies. This scholarship aims to promote nursing leadership and is funded solely through donations, reflecting over a century of commitment to advancing nursing education.

The Isabel Hampton Robb Scholarship, provided by Nurses Educational Funds Inc., supports doctoral candidates in nursing education, practice, research, and administration. Applicants must hold a current RN license and have two semesters of study remaining after the award notification. Preference is given to those majoring in nursing research or organizational study. With over a century of service, NEF is dedicated to advancing nursing leadership through scholarship assistance, fostering the next generation of nursing professionals.

The Henry B. Spencer Scholarship, awarded by Nurses Educational Funds Inc., supports RNs pursuing master's or doctoral degrees in nursing education, practice, research, and administration. Applicants must have at least two semesters remaining in their program and meet specific eligibility criteria, including current RN licensure and professional nursing association membership. This scholarship prioritizes doctoral students focusing on nursing research or organizational study, continuing a legacy of leadership in nursing established by Henry Spencer.