A guide to grants for mental health nonprofits, including SAMHSA, HRSA, foundation funders, and community-based sources for prevention, treatment, and recovery programs.

2025–2026 STATUS UPDATE: HHS announced restructuring in March 2025 that consolidates SAMHSA, HRSA, OASH, ATSDR, and NIOSH into a new “Administration for a Healthy America (AHA)” as part of a ~25% HHS workforce reduction. Programs and contact pathways may have shifted. Verify at hhs.gov.

Mental health funding has expanded significantly in recent years, with substantial federal, foundation, and state investment in prevention, treatment, recovery, and crisis-response programs. For mental health nonprofits, community providers, advocacy organizations, and peer-led programs, the funding landscape is large and growing.

This guide covers the main sources of grants for mental health nonprofits and how to position your organization.

TL;DR: Quick Answers

Who funds mental health work? SAMHSA, HRSA, CDC, state behavioral-health agencies, foundations (especially health conversion foundations), and corporate funders.
Who can apply? Community mental health centers, certified community behavioral health clinics (CCBHCs), nonprofits, FQHCs, hospitals, schools, and peer-led organizations.
What do they fund? Prevention, treatment, crisis response, peer support, school mental health, suicide prevention, recovery, and integration with primary care.
Where do most start? Through state behavioral-health block grants and SAMHSA competitive programs.

Major Federal Mental Health Funders

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The lead federal agency. Major programs include the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (MHBG, formula to states), CCBHC Expansion grants, Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention, Project AWARE for school-based mental health, 988 Crisis Lifeline funding, and many discretionary competitions. See SAMHSA grants.

HRSA. Funds mental health integration in primary care, especially through FQHCs and behavioral health workforce programs, see HRSA grants.

CDC. Funds mental health surveillance and certain prevention programs, see CDC grants.

Department of Education. Funds school mental health through programs like Project AWARE, Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration, and others, see Department of Education grants.

Department of Justice. Mental Health Block Grant for mental-health/criminal-justice intersection, see DOJ grants.

State behavioral-health agencies. Sub-grant SAMHSA block grant funds; also fund through state appropriations.

Major Foundation Funders

Major foundations funding mental health include the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kaiser Permanente Community Health, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the JPB Foundation, the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, the Hopelab, the Steve Fund (focus on young people of color), and many health conversion foundations with significant local impact.

Major Program Types Funded

Mental health grants commonly support:

Crisis response and suicide prevention. 988 expansion, mobile crisis teams, follow-up.
CCBHC implementation and expansion.
School-based mental health programs.
Workforce development, especially expanding the mental health workforce and addressing shortages.
Peer support programs and peer-led organizations.
Integration with primary care (collaborative care, FQHC-based services).
Specific populations (children and youth, older adults, LGBTQ+ communities, BIPOC communities, justice-involved individuals, veterans).
Telehealth and digital mental health infrastructure.
Trauma-informed care training and implementation.
Stigma reduction and public education.

What Mental Health Funders Look For

Evidence-based practices. Cite specific models with research support.
Lived experience. Peer involvement and participant voice strengthen most mental-health proposals.
Equity and access. Reach to historically underserved populations.
Outcomes. Measurable changes in symptoms, functioning, engagement, and access. See SMART goals.
Integration. Cross-system partnerships (health, education, justice, child welfare).
Sustainability. Especially as funder priorities shift; demonstrate how the work continues.
Compliance capacity for federal grants.

How to Win Mental Health Grants

1. Use behavioral health data. NSDUH, BRFSS mental health items, treatment utilization, local needs assessments. Ground your statement of need in real data.

2. Cite SAMHSA-recognized practices. SAMHSA’s evidence-based program registries and frameworks (SPF, Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care).

3. Center lived experience. Peer involvement in design and delivery is increasingly required, not just preferred.

4. Build clear logic models and evaluation plans with credible outcomes.

5. Partner across systems. Schools, FQHCs, hospitals, justice, child welfare, see partnerships in grant proposals.

6. Address health equity authentically.

7. Plan sustainability with realistic revenue strategies (Medicaid, state funding, etc.), see sustainability plan.

Where Most Organizations Start

For most mental health nonprofits:

State Mental Health Block Grant sub-awards (through state agency).
SAMHSA competitive grants matching your work.
Local health conversion foundations where they exist.
Community foundation grants.
National mental health funders for major initiatives.
Corporate funders for workplace mental health, youth mental health, and special focus areas.

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Grants for Mental Health Nonprofits