Culturally Responsive Mental Health Support Grant

The Culturally Responsive Mental Health Support funding opportunity is administered by St. David’s Foundation to address disparities in mental health care access across Central Texas. According to regional data, residents in Central Texas experience more poor mental health days than both the Texas and national averages. The Foundation’s 2022 Central Texas Community Health Needs Assessment further highlights the need for affordable, culturally attuned mental health services. Historically marginalized communities face significant systemic barriers that hinder access, including provider shortages, high costs, transportation issues, and cultural disconnects between clients and service providers. This funding initiative aims to increase trust and accessibility by investing in non-clinical, community-based mental health supports that meet individuals where they are and respect their cultural identities. The grant seeks to fund organizations that deliver or expand culturally grounded, preventative mental health supports outside traditional clinical settings. Eligible projects include non-clinical services focused on education, coordination, movement, peer support, and healing activities situated in trusted community spaces like schools, libraries, churches, or barbershops. Funding may be used to train peer support specialists, enhance service delivery spaces, expand existing supports, or test innovative approaches. Grants are flexible, one-time awards distributed over 24 months, with applicants encouraged to propose budgets tailored to the scale of their work. Award amounts are expected to range from $50,000 to $250,000, with a total allocation of up to $5 million across all awards. Eligible applicants must be community-based organizations operating in Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, or Williamson counties. Organizations must have 501(c)(3) status, be public or government entities, or use a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor. The foundation emphasizes collaboration and encourages applications from both large and small organizations with deep community trust. Current St. David’s Foundation grantees are eligible to apply. A unique application is required for each project proposal, and collaboratives must identify a lead organization responsible for submission and administration. The application process begins with a rolling Letter of Intent (LOI) phase, opening on July 1, 2025. LOIs serve as eligibility screens and project summaries, and must be submitted via the Foundation’s Grants Portal by July 28, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Central Time. Selected applicants will be invited to submit full applications, which will be due by August 15, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Central Time. Funding decisions will be announced in October 2025, with awards distributed later that month. The grant term will run from October 2025 through September 2027. Proposals are evaluated using a 50-point rubric that emphasizes equity impact, community trust, potential for sustainability, organizational capacity, innovation, and collaboration. Projects that demonstrate a clear, direct benefit to historically marginalized Central Texans and are informed by the community will be prioritized. St. David’s Foundation requires selected grantees to participate in annual reporting, evaluation activities, and cohort-based learning events to share insights and strengthen community capacity. For questions related to the funding opportunity, applicants may contact the Foundation via email at questions@stdavidsfoundation.org for programmatic inquiries or grantsinfo@stdavidsfoundation.org for technical support.

Applicants are encouraged to submit early and designate a lead if applying as a collaborative.