Best Mental Health Grants in Texas

Texas 501(c)(3) public charities and public entities can receive funding for programs and projects that improve health and mental health care access and delivery. Meadows Foundation provides Texas mental health organizations with support for innovative services, depression-focused initiatives, and related human services, with a strong emphasis on well-planned, high-impact programs benefiting Texans statewide.

Texas 501(c)(3) public charities, government entities, and eligible supporting organizations can apply for the Powell Foundation Grant Program to support education, arts, conservation, and human services, including children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing. Funding may cover operating costs, programs, or projects in Harris, Travis, or Walker Counties, with a required online pre-application.

Texas mental health and social service nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status can access funding through the Robert E & Evelyn McKee Foundation for medical, mental health, rehabilitation, youth, and community programs. Organizations working in hospitals, medical research, youth activities, and broader human services across the U.S., including Texas, may be eligible.

The Fund for Veterans' Assistance (FVA) offers General Assistance Grants to support veterans and their families in Texas. Eligible applicants include charitable organizations and local governments that provide essential services such as financial aid, housing support, and skill training. Grants are awarded to programs addressing veteran homelessness, business support, and legal assistance. Organizations must apply through the Grants Portal, and previous recipients are not eligible for renewal. This initiative aims to enhance the welfare of Texas veterans.

Eligible Texas local governments, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, 501(c)(19) veterans’ posts, and Texas chapters of 501(c)(4) veterans’ service organizations can apply for Texas Veterans Commission’s Veterans Mental Health Grants to fund counseling, peer support, and service dog programs for veterans and families. This statewide funding may strengthen community-based mental health services in Texas.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), the System Agency, is accepting applications for the Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program. PATH services provide outreach and engage people not currently connected to mainstream mental health services, primary health care, and substance abuse service systems. Awarded Grantees shall meet the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) goal for PATH programs, which is to reduce or eliminate homelessness for individuals with serious mental illnesses or co-occurring substance use disorders who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless.

This funding opportunity invites grant applications requesting funding for the PATH Program. PATH providers provide outreach and engage people not currently connected to mainstream mental health services, primary health care, and substance abuse service systems. Awarded Grantees shall meet the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) goal for PATH programs, which is to reduce or eliminate homelessness for individuals with serious mental illnesses or co-occurring substance use disorders who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless. 

PATH was created as part of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Amendments Act of 1990. Since 1991, PATH has funded the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and four U.S. Territories (the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). PATH funds are used to provide services that may include street outreach, case management services, and housing services that may not be supported by mainstream mental health programs.

The eligible population to be served under this RFA consists of individuals who are:

Age 18 or older;

Have a serious mental illness or co-occurring serious mental illness and substance usedisorder; and

Literally homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless

Legal services nonprofits, solo practitioners, and small law firms pursuing impact litigation in Texas can access recoverable grants for out-of-pocket case expenses from the Impact Fund, with typical awards of US $10,000 - US $50,000. Grants support economic, environmental, racial, and social justice cases, and may benefit organizations addressing mental health-related systemic harms.

Texas nonprofits and community organizations working on environmental justice, conservation, reproductive rights, parks, environmental education, or animal care facilities may be eligible for operating, project, or capital support. Grants from Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation help Texas groups, including those addressing mental health through environmental or reproductive justice work, fund multi-year initiatives in their communities.

The Community Foundation of Abilene offers community grants to enhance the quality of life in the Abilene area. Established in 1985, it supports local nonprofit organizations through a flexible funding model, addressing various sectors such as health, education, and community development. Grants range from $5,000 to $35,000, with occasional larger requests considered. Eligible organizations must be 501(c)(3) compliant and serve populations within Taylor County, ensuring impactful community development through strategic funding.

Texas 501(c)(3) public charities, religious organizations, and governmental entities serving Central Texas can seek US $5,000 - US $50,000 for programs in economic mobility, health and wellness, arts and culture, and environmental initiatives. Austin Community Foundation’s Forever Austin Fund supports work in Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties, including mental health and holistic wellness efforts.

Strengthen Systems of Health

Goal 1: Strengthen systems of health by catalyzing health systems to be accessible, equitable, and deliver health not just health care.

Outcome 1: Resource allocation and system reform in the health sector reflect the goal of health, not just healthcare.

Strategy 1:Dollar & Sense- Support change in healthcare financing to incent investment in improving community health.

EHF desires to work with institutions that are willing to look at new ways of paying for improved health outcomes. We invite proposals that address innovative programs to pilot, transition, and scale approaches that change the way in which positive health outcomes are financially rewarded.

Examples of this kind of work include but are not limited to:

• Pay for Success initiatives: piloting models that incent spending on prevention by inviting private sector investors to bear up-front costs as well as risk of failure
• Value-based care contracts: supporting community-based clinics in undertaking contracts with payers that reward measurable improvement in health outcomes, as opposed to reimbursing for quantity of services delivered
• Incenting investment in social determinants of health: working with Texas Medicaid, local governments, and managed care organizations to align value-based payment program incentives and other payment structures with interventions that address social determinants of health
• Accountable Communities of Health: supporting the development of the ACH model within EHF’s service area that addresses the critical gap between clinical care and community services by systematically identifying and addressing the health-related social needs of patients through screening, referral and community navigation services.
• Clinic-centric organizational leadership and partnership development: implementing formal and informal network structures (Accountable Care Organizations (ACO), Independent Practice Associations (IPA), and Management Services Organizations (MCO)) to leverage emerging models of care delivery and reimbursement.
• Clinic financial and operational analysis, management, and strategy: building capacity to evaluate likely financial outcomes associated with at-risk financial compensation terms, engaging with MCOs to explore and define partnerships, including developing and implementing risk-based contracts, and establishing and managing performance-based incentives.

Strategy 2: Working Upstream- Support community-based clinics in addressing the social determinants of health.

EHF is interested in incenting clinics to target upstream factors that influence population health, beyond what the healthcare system has historically been able to address on its own. In the spirit of population health management, we envision grant investments that focus on equipping clinics to serve as the trusted community partner capable of connecting and addressing both medical and non-medical needs.

Social determinants are broadly defined as “the conditions in which people are born, grow, live work and age” and may include economic stability, neighborhood and physical environment, education, food, community and social context, and the healthcare system. Although it is known that the social determinants of health have a larger influence on health outcomes than healthcare alone, there are few structured ways for community-based clinics to identify and address non-medical social needs experienced by patients seen in a clinic setting.

EHF supports community-based clinics to collect, analyze, and act on data and information on the social determinants of health that impact their patients. Understanding that clinics may serve as the coordinator – and not necessarily provider – of necessary social services, we support collaborative approaches that place the clinic as the broker of these relationships with local partners. We also recognize that clinics are embedded in the fabric of their communities in unique ways and support clinics in providing leadership for community prevention efforts, especially those that integrate the community as a co-creator of the work. In proposing approaches that address social determinants of health, special attention should be paid to attaining organizational buy-in and internal culture change conducive for this work’s long-term success; this focus includes ensuring that social determinant efforts are financially sustainable.

EHF is particularly interested in innovative approaches to integrating medical and non-medical factors into clinical workflows and we are focused on proposals that move beyond just screening to closed-loop referrals to services that address social determinant needs. Examples of this clinic-based work include but are not limited to:

• Social determinants of health: developing and implementing systems and structures to assess, address, and refer to services for social determinant needs; this work may include providing and/or developing navigation services including service linkage and follow-up on referrals to external resources
• Community prevention: applying innovative practices to reduce rates of preventable illness and injury and better align resources to address the factors that shape health and safety outcomes; this work includes involvement of the community in the planning, development, and/or implementation of programs and strategies

EHF’s Community Centered Health Homes Initiative:

In service of this goal and strategy, we will continue our Community Centered Health Home (CCHH) initiative which provides clinics with coaching, technical assistance, a learning community, and grant funding to enable them to build leadership in the space of community prevention. In consultation with EHF, we invite current CCHH grantees to apply for continued support of this work.

Outcome 2: Low-income and vulnerable populations access comprehensive care in communities

Strategy 3: Comprehensive Clinics- Support community-based clinics to provide comprehensive services, continuity of care, inclusivity, and efficiency in delivery of care.

This strategy reflects our commitment to support clinics to provide the full spectrum of comprehensive primary care as a foundational step in moving toward healthcare which takes a broader, more holistic approach to health problems. To this end, we are committed to partnering with clinics in their journeys to become financially sustainable pillars of their communities, dedicated to improving the overall health of the community which they serve. EHF supports clinics in their work by funding financial, operational, and clinical capacity building to deliver care that is responsive to community needs, leverages the value produced by preventive care, and achieves positive health outcomes.

We define comprehensive community-based clinics as those that provide a full complement of services, including preventive care, primary care, oral health services, and behavioral health services (see the ‘Behavioral Health’ section below for more on EHF’s interest in this area as a key piece of comprehensive care). These clinics offer the full array of services including immunization and women’s reproductive health services, charge patients according to a sliding scale, participate in reimbursement systems, and seek out a variety of sources of funding for sustainability. Please see Expectations of Primary Care Providers under EHF’s General Grant Guidelines and Information.

EHF prioritizes building the capacity of community-based clinics in key infrastructure and care processes that will develop and/or enhance their delivery systems, embed care coordination and management, provide access to specialty care services, and support use of health information technology/data analytics. Elements of this work may require consultation with subject matter experts; we encourage clinics wishing to delve into this work to consider whether their request would benefit from inclusion of technical assistance and/or consulting resources. For additional information, please refer to “Use of Funds” at the end of this guidance.

Examples of this clinic-based work include but are not limited to:

• Access and continuity: increasing access to the primary care team through expanded hours or other alternatives to traditional office visits that help patients get the right care, at the right time, and in the right place; this includes ensuring access to a full range of contraceptive options for women across their reproductive years as well as timely prenatal care.
• Care management: improving individualized care, most often for high-risk, high-need patients, by practicing risk stratification, empanelment, and transition from acute to preventive care and by doing intensive case management where indicated for chronic disease management and serious mental illness.
• Comprehensiveness and coordination: strengthening a clinic’s ability to provide population health management by addressing their patient population’s medical, behavioral, and health-related social needs; this includes focusing on the depth and breadth of services offered including specialty care referral systems and networks in service to lower overall utilization and costs, reduce fragmented care, and achieve better health outcomes.
• Patient and family caregiver engagement: increasing patient engagement in the design and improvement of their own care and incorporating patient input to structure responsive services; this includes providing client-centered reproductive health counseling/
• Change management, practice transformation and clinical integration: strengthening the elements necessary for population health management, including practice operations transformation, patient empanelment, team-based care, optimizing staffing and budgeting for successful new delivery models, and developing and implementing health risk assessments (HRAs) to aid in patient risk stratification.
• Use of data and information: enhancing data analytics capabilities and infrastructure necessary to track client and service information to inform payment and service delivery model enhancements; this includes optimizing health information technology (HIT) to ensure interoperability, allowing for clinical decision support, using automation tools that facilitate case management, and analyzing claims data.
• Patient attribution and activation: integrating key data management processes and reporting functions necessary to successfully implement patient attribution and activation efforts; develop risk attribution methodologies to enhance empanelment of patients and for better care coordination and care management.
• Clinical care team transformation strategies: evolving the practice setting in order to implement new clinical management strategies, including high risk case management, emergency department/inpatient follow-up and/or creating and using disease/preventive care registries.

Behavioral Health

EHF is committed to community-based approaches that reconsider the traditional separation between primary care and behavioral health providers. We want to help communities take action to reduce the impact of mental illness and substance use disorders (SUD) and to collaborate to increase access to behavioral healthcare. This transformation will take time to fully realize, and we look forward to working with providers, partners, and communities that share our commitment.

We are especially interested in approaches that leverage and/or build the resources of community-based health clinics, recognizing the high rate of mental and physical health comorbidity.

Our priority in behavioral health is to support the expansion of integrated behavioral health services. To that end, we invite applications for funding necessary to plan and implement behavioral health integration that brings behavioral health services into a primary care setting, brings primary care services into a behavioral health setting, or brings SUD services into either a primary care or a mental health setting.

The SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) Center for Integrated Health Solutions has developed a framework to help primary and behavioral healthcare provider organizations improve outcomes by helping them understand where they are on the integration continuum. Applicants interested in applying for this priority should review this website when developing their proposals, as they will be asked to rank their current level of integration according to SAMHSA’s framework in their application.

We are most interested in funding approaches that move beyond simply meeting unmet needs and are innovative in the ways in which they holistically assess and address patients’ health needs. In urban areas, our resources primarily support organizations devoted to fully integrated physical and behavioral health services. We encourage community-based clinics to think creatively about what they need to build capacity within their organizations to provide integrated care, and to develop a plan to achieve proficiency in these skills. We are most interested in helping organizations achieve the culture change necessary for seamless communication between providers – both in-person and electronically – in order to develop care plans that are responsive to a patient’s physical and behavioral health needs.

Strategy 4: Rural Health- Expand and strengthen community-based clinics in rural areas 

EHF understands that rural areas may lack basic preventive, primary, behavioral, and oral health services. This strategy is aimed at increasing the availability of these basic services to those living in smaller towns and rural areas. We seek to work with communities to help them optimize healthcare infrastructure, including communities that have depended on rural hospitals whose futures may be in jeopardy. EHF is particularly interested in work that leverages – and is connected to – the broader community and health system.

Examples of this work include but are not limited to:

• Offering technical assistance or operating support for rural health clinics to provide outpatient primary care services.
• Developing approaches to recruit and/or retain provider staff including nurse practitioners and other mid-level providers.
• Enhancing use of information technology and data analytics.
• Supporting other practices that improve the sustainability and function of rural health clinics.
• As noted above, our priority in the area of behavioral health is to support the expansion of integrated behavioral health services. In smaller towns and rural areas, EHF will support grants for behavioral health services in non-integrated settings because we recognize the relative lack of behavioral health services in these locations.

Examples of this work include but are not limited to:

• The provision of effective and efficient evidence-based behavioral health implemented in clinic settings.
• Forging new bonds between community-based organizations to locate behavioral health services in accessible settings.
• Changing a clinic’s administrative practices to offer services on evenings, weekends, and/or a walk-in basis.
• Technical assistance to allow for successful participation in payment reform efforts, including developing capacity in the six core areas defined under the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) requirements: staffing, availability and accessibility of services, care coordination, scope of service, quality and other reporting, and organizational authority, governance and accreditation.

Strategy 5: Health Coverage and Benefits: Improve health coverage for low income and  vulnerable populations.

EHF will fund clinics and community-based organizations to help low-income populations gain access to care through enrollment in health insurance and other health-related programs, including those offered by federal, state, and local governments. Funds will support dual approaches that expand health insurance coverage and improve enrollment of eligible beneficiaries, and advocacy efforts to increase health insurance coverage in Texas including the expansion of Medicaid.

EHF is particularly interested in:

• Proposals that use innovative approaches to track newly-enrolled beneficiaries through their first use of those benefits, most commonly through a visit with a medical provider or utilization of closed loop referral processes.
• Strategic partnerships that expand the enrollment ecosystem with key community partners such as schools, to find children and family members who could be eligible for health insurance coverage and other community benefits.
• Community engagement strategies to enhance consumer understanding of health benefits, identify health issues, develop local priorities and expand enrollment to new service areas such as rural communities.
• Innovative uses of strategic outreach, field navigators and partnership engagement specialists as part of the enrollment team to increase the ability to perform field enrollments and expand engagement to uninsured eligible individuals.

Organizations may also consider efforts that strengthen the enrollment eco-system by including advocacy supports that increase health insurance coverage in Texas, technical assistance supports that build the capacity of enrollment assisters, and efforts that maximize the impact and strengthen the work of enrollment-based coalitions.

Nonprofit organizations with programs in animal welfare, arts and culture, or domestic violence services for Dallas County residents can apply for one-year grants of US $10,000 - US $50,000. Dallas Foundation provides Texas nonprofits with catalytic investments that may benefit organizations whose work intersects these areas and mental health support or trauma recovery services.

Texas 501(c)(3) nonprofits working on mental health and substance use disorder treatment, prevention, or loneliness reduction can seek behavioral health funding available across the U.S. Elevance Health Foundation supports scalable national and local programs, prioritizing culturally relevant, whole-person interventions with clear milestones, measurable outcomes, and long-term impact in communities including Texas.

Nonprofit organizations serving Collin, Dallas, Denton, or Tarrant County can seek program or capital support to improve seniors’ well-being, youth stability, and family economic security, including mental health counseling and case management. Focused on community needs, the Carl B. and Florence E. King Foundation offers $15,000 to $75,000 for targeted initiatives rather than general operations.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in Tarrant County, Texas, serving residents experiencing poverty in education, employment, health, mental health, or housing can seek capacity-building support for fundraising and strategic planning. Focused on organizational effectiveness and resilience, North Texas Community Foundation invites eligible nonprofits to apply for ToolBox Grants awarding US $20,000 - US $50,000.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations supporting youth mental health and social-emotional development, including those in Texas, can apply for US $100,000 - US $150,000 from Cigna Foundation. Funding supports evidence-informed programs for ages 5–18, especially school-based efforts in underserved communities that build social-emotional skills, equip caregivers and youth professionals, and expand access to mental health care.

Nonprofit organizations and Episcopal ministries addressing health, food, housing, or poverty in Texas’ Episcopal Diocese of Dallas can apply for grants from the Episcopal Foundation of Dallas, with awards ranging from US $3,000 - US $25,000. Programs offering free or low-cost healthcare, including mental health services, may be especially competitive within this North Texas-focused cycle.

Texas 501(c)(3) organizations serving children’s welfare through health, mental health, or education programs can apply for support from the Jack H. & William M. Light Charitable Trust. The trust prioritizes initiatives with a direct impact on children, especially in Harris County, and may benefit youth-focused mental health services and related care.

Nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations, churches, and units of government in the Paso del Norte region of Texas and nearby areas can seek funding to reduce stigma and negative bias around mental health and substance use. Focus areas include evidence-based trainings, family education programs, and navigator or peer-support training under the Think.Change initiative.

Impact San Antonio Grants empower nonprofit organizations in the region by providing funding for initiatives that focus on Arts & Culture, Education, Environment & Preservation, Family, and Health & Wellness. Since 2004, over $2.6 million has been awarded to impactful projects. Eligible applicants must be recognized 501(c)(3) organizations operating within designated Texas counties, ensuring a significant positive contribution to their communities.

Focused on mental health and related services, Amarillo Area Foundation invites Texas 501(c)(3) organizations, public agencies, schools, colleges, universities, and community-serving faith-based groups in the northernmost 26 Panhandle counties to apply. Grants of More than US $20,000 support projects in mental health, food insecurity, education, and economic opportunity.

Nonprofit and government organizations in Central Texas serving Latino communities can seek funding for early childhood education, health and wellness, job skills, and leadership development programs. Focused on Hispanic and Latino services, Austin Community Foundation’s Hispanic Impact Fund offers up to US $55,000, which may benefit Texas groups expanding culturally competent mental health and wellness services.

Nonprofit organizations in Texas providing affordable housing, home repairs, or supportive services for very low-income households can apply for grants that strengthen housing stability and related mental health supports. Grants from Texas State Affordable Housing help fund home repairs, accessibility modifications, and services like case management, counseling, and housing or financial counseling that benefit vulnerable residents.

Texas 501(c)(3) nonprofits providing adult workforce development, career navigation, or AI-focused upskilling may be eligible for Truist Foundation Inspire Awards. Truist Foundation provides U.S. workforce and career pathways organizations with US $10,000 - US $250,000 to deliver training, AI literacy, and wraparound services that help workers access quality jobs and long-term stability.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations providing health, mental health, or human services in Smith County, Texas and other eligible counties can receive US $2,500 - US $10,000 to advance their community programs. Altra Foundation’s Best Life Community Awards are driven by member nominations and support education, health, human services, environment, and community development initiatives.

Texas 501(c)(3) organizations located in or substantially serving Montgomery County can seek grants for community programs, basic human needs, health and wellness, seniors, youth, arts, literacy, and animal welfare. Montgomery County Community Foundation manages multiple donor-advised, field-of-interest, and unrestricted funds, and mental health or wellness initiatives that fit these priorities may be eligible.

The M.B. & Edna Zale Foundation Grant aims to support individuals and families in building meaningful lives, focusing on education, social services, and community welfare. The foundation prioritizes innovative programs that promote self-sufficiency and measurable impacts within communities, particularly in Dallas, Palm Beach, and New York. It emphasizes collaboration and seeks proposals for specific projects rather than ongoing operational support, ensuring a focus on transformative initiatives.