Maternal Mental Health Equity Fund Launches RFP
In 2021, mental health was the leading preventable cause of maternal mortality, with maternal mental health—which can include anxiety, depression, mood disorders, psychosis, substance use disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder—affecting one in seven birthing women, and nearly one in four new mothers of color experiencing postpartum depression. However, most pregnant and parenting people of color are not getting the help they need.
Unfortunately, the inequities we see when looking at maternal mental health directly impact how this problem is defined, who is leading the work to address it, and how systems and policies do or don’t address the families who need supports the most.
Given this reality, several funders came together to develop a nationally focused pooled fund that seeks to directly support the mental health and well-being of BIPOC families.
Request for Proposals
The Maternal Mental Health Equity Fund will be investing in a national cohort of organizations and leaders from within communities—and across the country—who are delivering models of care that are built in and by Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities.
We are launching an open Request for Proposals (RFP) Process for interested organizations and leaders and seeking programs or initiatives that are:
built within and by BIPOC communities
led by BIPOC leaders with a community-oriented focus; and
The RFP is designed for organizations or initiatives with project budgets of $250,000 to $1,000,000.
Selected grantees will become partners in a 3-year national Learning Community with funding ranging from $50,000 – $100,000 per year.
Eligibility details along with proposal questions and RFP submission details can be found here.
Proposals are due by Friday, January 12, 2024 at 11:59pm PST and interested applicants are encouraged to attend an informational webinar on Tuesday, December 12, 2023 at 3:30 pm EST / 12:30 pm PST.
Questions?
Please don’t hesitate to reach out or feel free to send your questions directly to our project team at contactmmhef@gmail.com.
More About the Maternal Mental Health Equity Fund
MMHEF is a national pooled fund that is currently supported by the Perigee Fund, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Community Health Acceleration Partnership (CHAP), Maritz Family Foundation, and Roots & Wings Foundation, as well as several others who are actively exploring joining the fund.
To learn more about CHAP, contact us here.