At CFT, we believe that a thriving community is one in which all people feel cared for, invested in, nourished and valued, and have an equitable opportunity to contribute to the well-being and growth of themselves, their families, and their communities.
Our grantmaking supports programs that address needs across the North Texas region, with a focus on those which:
- Use data, best practices or proof-points of success to create measurable impact
- Support under-resourced communities by building on the assets of community members
- Improve access and outcomes for communities who have been marginalized or experienced discrimination
- Promote collaboration across other organizations
Funding Priorities:
Through this grant opportunity, Communities Foundation of Texas aims to support North Texan youth and young adults to live long and healthy lives by addressing unmet mental health needs. While the prevalence of mental health disorders in children and adolescents has been increasing in recent years, the disruption of daily life caused by COVID-19 further added to the psychological distress of adolescents. In 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Children’s Hospital Association jointly declared the state of mental health among youth as a national emergency, due to increases in anxiety, depression, and rising suicide rates for youth between the ages of 10 and 24.
Communities Foundation of Texas seeks to support the mental health needs of these youth and emerging adults, ages 10-24 years old, by investing in organizations with programs and services that are aimed at identifying, responding and preventing suicide.
To this end, CFT is seeking applications from organizations in the following funding priority areas:
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Programs that provide affordable, evidence-based mental health therapies and interventions, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or dialectical behavior therapy, targeted at youth and young adults
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Programming that helps identify and respond to mental health crisis in youth or provides care to schools and similar settings in the immediately following a suicide or suicide attempt, such as programs that train and empower caring adults and peers to identify and respond to signs of crisis
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Programs that provide accessible and youth-centered support groups and referral services
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Programs that include assistance for parents and caregivers of youth who have committed or attempted suicide, such as programs that include loss/grief support, as well as support in navigating care and treatment for their child as well as supporting the caregiver’s mental health
Funding Levels:
Organizations can request a one-year grant for up to $50,000. An average grant from this cycle will be between $25,000 - $30,000.