3VCF’S FIRST COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANT PROGRAM TO FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH

Three Valleys Community Foundation (3VCF) announced today an inaugural round of community impact grantmaking, designed to support nonprofit organizations addressing mental health and wellness throughout the greater Three Valleys region. 

“Community grantmaking is a strong priority for our organization,” stated Kelly Bowers, 3VCF CEO/President. “There are many areas where grants can and should make a difference, yet our board felt strongly that mental health challenges should be our initial grantmaking priority. By channeling local resources to meet local needs, we can work toward mental health and wellness for all.” 

3VCF is partnering in this grant round with the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce and its Youth Mental Health Outreach Initiative, given alignment in focus and to expand available resources for grant making. The joint rationale for focusing on mental health is multifaceted:

● Many are suffering. Every year, 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 6 youth in the U.S. experience a mental health disorder or illness. The U.S. Surgeon General recently declared a state of emergency around youth mental health.

● Too few of those suffering are receiving treatment. Less than half of adults who experience a mental illness receive treatment. The numbers are even worse for people of color. For those who do seek treatment, the average delay is 11 years.

● It is costly. Mental health issues cost our society over $400 billion annually in indirect cost of care and loss of productivity. But most important is the cost in human lives and suffering.
–Source: Mental Health By the Numbers, National Alliance on Mental Illness

3VCF Board Chair John Sensiba emphasized the importance of community foundations, by their very nature, being responsive to the unique needs of the communities where they serve, “Locally, mental health has been identified as a top priority in all of the community health needs assessments conducted by health care systems in our region as well as in the East Alameda Community Needs Assessment.”

The impact grant application process will be open from July 10 through August 30. A selection committee, comprised of key mental health professionals and community members, will evaluate and award grants in the Fall, for programs that begin in January 2024. Colleen Gregerson, 3VCF Board member and chair of its grantmaking committee expanded further, “We welcome applications that address the issue of mental health from a diversity of perspectives and approaches.” Gregerson added, “We are particularly interested in supporting collaborative approaches between two or more nonprofit organizations. There are many opportunities for transformative work in the area of mental health and wellness in addition to direct services – including early intervention, building social emotional skills and resilience, expanding awareness, equitable access and reducing stigma. We encourage applicants to think outside of the box as to how mental health can be both broadly and specifically addressed, in a variety of populations.” 

3VCF’s community impact grant awards are funded by its ongoing Power of Collaboration Corporate Challenge campaign and will be awarded to eligible nonprofits at its annual State of Giving Gathering on November 28, 2023, in the Mertes Center for the Arts at Las Positas College. The Foundation Catalyst and lead event sponsor is Fremont Bank. 

Funding for this grant round is made possible due to generous contributions made by individual and corporate donors and sponsors via the 3VCF Power of Collaboration Corporate Challenge campaign: Lead Donor and Foundation Visionary: Amazon; PG&E: Sensiba LLC: Anchor Health Care Founding Partner: John Muir Health; Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley; Lead Foundation Builder: Cal Water Services; Topcon Positioning Systems; and Lead Foundation Friend: Heritage Bank of Commerce; ENGIE; Monarch Tractor and Barry & Wynn Architects, among others. There is still time to contribute to this cause and join the myriad of corporations and individuals committed to grantmaking and transformational change in our region. To support our 2023 Community Impact – Mental Health grantmaking, or become a 3VCF State of Giving Gathering event sponsor, contact Kelly Bowers, kbowers@3vcf.org.

For more information, to review eligibility and selection criteria, and access the formal RFP, go to 3VCF Community Impact Grants. An informational webinar for nonprofits is set for Monday, July 24th at noon. Register HERE for this free event. 

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