Weaving Well-being Community Mental Health Grant

The Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA) of the City of Boston is launching the FY26 round of its “Weaving Well‑Being” Grant to support non‑clinical, community‑centered wellness and mental health programming for immigrant communities. The program is part of MOIA’s broader annual grant cycle, which also includes legal access and neighborhood support grants. The application opened on September 8, 2025, and all proposals must be submitted by 4:00 PM Eastern Time on October 8, 2025. Awardees will be notified in early December 2025. The implementation period is January 5 to August 31, 2026, with final reporting due by October 1, 2026 (or one month after program completion, whichever comes first). This grant aims to address the mental health and holistic well‑being needs of immigrant communities, recognizing the stressors such as resettlement, isolation, cross‑cultural barriers, trauma, and stigma around clinical mental health care. MOIA frames this as an opportunity to support culturally grounded, healing‑based, collective practices rather than conventional individualized clinical therapy. Proposals may include services such as storytelling, yoga, meditation, mutual support groups, expressive arts, traditional medicine, and culturally rooted spiritual or body‑centered practices. MOIA encourages cohort‑based programming and prioritizes community‑led initiatives rather than one-off events, though excursions or trips may be included if clearly tied to relationship building and healing goals. The total funding pool is $200,000. Applicants may compete in one of two tiers: up to $7,500 (intended for new or recently formed organizations, pilot projects, or program expansion) or up to $15,000 (for existing, established programs). Awards may be full, partial, or none. If a partial award is made, the applicant must submit a revised budget. The grant funds must be used for allowable expenses including staff salaries/benefits, program materials, event space rental, transportation, publicity, technical assistance, evaluation, supplies, and food/beverages for participants. Up to 10% of the budget may be allocated to indirect/administrative costs (e.g., fiscal sponsorship fees), but rent and utilities for the nonprofit’s general operations are disallowed. The grant also requires that no MOIA funding exceed 50% of an organization’s annual budget. To apply, organizations submit via WizeHive; existing users use prior accounts, new users create accounts. MOIA provides support through info sessions and drop-in office hours. Finalists must attend cohort check‑ins, a mid‑grant convening, and an end‑of‑grant debriefing. Reporting is simplified to a final narrative summary of program outcomes, including number served, demographics, and lessons learned. MOIA and the City of Boston emphasize that funding is explicitly for Boston residents residing within city neighborhoods listed on the city's official neighborhoods page. Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits or use a fiscal sponsor, have demonstrated organizational structure and capacity, ensure culturally and linguistically sensitive practices, and be in good financial standing with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and the IRS. Proposals will be evaluated on clarity of need and mission alignment, strength of timeline and deliverables, staff capacity, outreach strategy focused on equity, cultural competence, and prior experience in immigrant well‑being programming. The grant seeks to foster community empowerment, network building, and sustainable practices beyond the funding window.

Draft narrative responses offline; review budget carefully; ensure alignment with tiers and allowed costs; attend info/office‑hours.