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Welcome > What We Fund > Mental Health > Annual Community Mental Health Grant Guidelines

Annual Community Mental Health Grant Guidelines

*** The Community Mental Health Cycle for 2010 is now closed. ***

PDF Download the PDF Version (111K)

The Tower Foundation seeks to prevent or alleviate psychological disorders and substance abuse in children and adolescents. 

Eligibility 

To be eligible to apply, organizations must: 
  • operate programs that provide one or both of the following-
    > services for children and adolescents with psychological disorders or substance abuse problems
    > programming to prevent the onset of psychological or substance abuse disorders in children and adolescents who, based on a range of socio-economic factors, have a higher-than-average likelihood of developing these conditions  
  • be tax-exempt with 501(c)(3) classification from the Internal Revenue Service that are not private foundations or described as 509(a)(3) organizations; or  
  • be charter or private schools; or diocesan or public school districts.

Geographic Areas

Massachusetts:

  • Barnstable County
  • Dukes County
  • Essex County
  • Nantucket County

New York State:

  • Erie County
  • Niagara County

Project Focus

Only projects addressing the following will be considered:

  • indicated or selective early intervention or prevention projects*
  • introduction of effective treatment modalities
  • identifying individuals in the target group and linking them to appropriate services
  • delivery of state-of-the-art treatment
  • staff development leading to enhanced service delivery

*Indicated interventions are aimed at individuals who may already display signs of psychological disorders or substance abuse. 
  Selective interventions target those who are at greater-than-average risk for psychological disorders or substance abuse. 
  Universal programs are applied to general population groups without reference to or identification of those at particular risk. 

Note: Universal programs will not be considered for funding.

Additional Information

  • Typical funding range is $25,000 - $75,000 per year.
  • Multi-year grants are encouraged.
  • Priority is given to projects where the majority of costs are both new to the organization and directly related to the proposed initiative. 
  • Sustainability of the project after grant funding terminates is of paramount importance to the Foundation.

Submitting a Letter of Inquiry

The first step in applying for a grant is submitting a letter of inquiry not to exceed five pages.  The Foundation accepts only one letter of inquiry per applicant.

To be considered for a grant in 2010, letters must be received by 5:00 p.m. on March 31, 2010. E-mailed and faxed copies are not accepted.

Letters of inquiry must include the following:  

1. General Information (approx. 1 page)

  • Discuss your organization’s history and current mission;
  • Describe your target population and geographic area served.

2. Project Rationale (approx. 1 page)

  • Identify and discuss the need, problem or opportunity that will be addressed;
  • Describe how you came to know about the need, problem, or opportunity.

3. Project Description (approx. 2 pages)

  • Describe what you are trying to accomplish;
  • Describe the primary activities that will be required;
  • Provide approximate project start and end dates;
  • Identify the number of individuals that will be directly affected by the proposed project.

4. Financial Information and Support (approx. 1 page)

  • Identify the total project cost;
  • Identify the dollar amount requested from the Foundation (for multi-year grants specify the amount for each year);
  • Provide a brief summary of how the funds will be used.

5. Signature

  • Signature of organization’s executive director, superintendent or headmaster

Notification of Interest

All letters of inquiry are reviewed to determine if the Foundation wishes to pursue a grant application.  Applicants will be notified by April 21, 2010 of the result of this review.  A request for an application is not an indication of likely support.  The deadline for grant applications, if requested, is June 8, 2010.
 
Final decisions on grant awards are made by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.  Applicants will be informed of the Board’s decision by September 15, 2010.
 
The Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. 

Restrictions

The Foundation does not  fund programs or projects that:

  • may be used for the private benefit of any grant recipient or affiliated person
  • attempt to influence legislation
  • attempt to influence or intervene in any political campaign

The Foundation also does not  provide funds for:

  • capital campaigns or improvements
  • individual scholarships
  • grant requests largely consisting of general operating support 

Timeline Summary

  Deadline Expect response by
Letter of Inquiry March 31, 2010
5:00 p.m.		 April 21, 2010
Grant Application (if requested) June 8, 2010 September 15, 2010

Send Letter of Inquiry to

Glenda M. Cadwallader
Executive Director
The Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation
2351 North Forest Road
Getzville, NY 14068-1225

If you have any questions about the guidelines, please feel free to contact us.