Community Foundation of South Alabama: Mental & Physical Health Grant

The Community Foundation of South Alabama offers grants to support mental and physical health initiatives in Baldwin and Mobile counties. These grants focus on projects that assist individuals and families facing trauma, chronic illnesses, and access to specialty care. Emphasizing sustainable programs, the foundation encourages innovative approaches and collaborative strategies to enhance community well-being. Eligible applicants must be recognized nonprofit organizations or government entities, and proposals should directly benefit the local population.

Mental and Physical Health Competitive Grant Cycle
CFSA will accept grant applications for projects focused on supporting mental and physical health for individuals and families.
Increasing mental and physical health support
The Foundation will work with community organizations to promote overall health and wellness within the region by supporting evidence-based, tested, and effective programs and activities that provide:Support for individuals and families who are battling trauma.Support for individuals and families experiencing trauma due to isolation, stress, economic anxiety, and joblessness as well as intimate partner violence and child abuse.Support for individuals and families who are battling illnesses and chronic diseases such as alcoholism, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, etc.Access to comprehensive specialty care and services across the lifespan with emphasis on under-resourced populations and communities.
Types of Grants
These grants are typically one-year funding commitments.
Program Grants
Program grants enable a nonprofit organization or coalition of organizations and interested stakeholders to implement a specific project designed to benefit the community. CFSA is most interested in supporting sustainable programs that have the potential to produce meaningful results on community priorities and/or needs. Funding is provided for the expansion or refinement of existing programs as well as new programs that show promise of efficacy and sustainability. Grants to programs with a successful track record are also considered. Program grants are restricted to expenses directly and indirectly related to the operation of the project. No more than 20% may be used to pay for indirect or administrative expenses. Grants may not be used for general operating support or organizational capacity building.
Capacity Building Grants
CFSA defines organizational capacity building as any strategy that improves and enhances a nonprofit’s ability to achieve its mission and sustain itself over time. CFSA recognizes great value in developing the internal capacities of nonprofit organizations to increase their effectiveness and community impact. More pointedly, CFSA believes that by supporting organizational capacity building it will enable nonprofits to strengthen their operations and effectively address systemic issues that significantly impede the quality of life for individuals and families that they serve.
Organizations proposing a capacity building grant should address how the project strengthens the organization and how it will enhance its mission and benefit the community served. Funding for capacity building is not designed to support a specific program or initiative, but rather to enhance the overall daily operations of an organization. Examples of capacity building activities include the following:
Strategic planningEnhanced marketing and communicationsLeadership capacity (Board or Executive)Improved fundraising and developmentOrganizational assessmentsStaff and board trainingTechnological improvements
Capital Project Grants
Capital grants are used to support the construction, renovation, expansion, or major repair of physical facilities or infrastructure. These grants are typically awarded to create or improve spaces that serve the public or fulfill your organization’s mission.
Key features of a capital building grant:
Purpose: Focused on physical projects (not operating costs or programs).Examples of use: Constructing a new building, renovating an existing structure, upgrading accessibility, or improving energy efficiency.

Eligibility

Applicant organizations must be recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)3 organization, government entity, educational institution, or religious organization. If applying using fiscal sponsorship, the applicant must present a formal written agreement.Organizations must serve Baldwin and Mobile counties. All requested funding must directly benefit individuals who reside in these counties.

Ineligibility

CFSA Typically Does Not Fund:IndividualsFundraising expensesReligious activitiesConference or seminar expensesLobbying or political activitiesPolitical organizations or candidates for public officeBudget deficit or debit reductionScholarship or endowment funds of another charityTickets for charity benefitsCapital projects and campaigns