Ittleson Foundation: Mental Health & AIDS Grant Program

The Ittleson Foundation, established in 1932, focuses on enhancing mental health, AIDS prevention, and environmental initiatives. It funds not-for-profit organizations aiming to improve public policy and the lives of citizens. The Foundation is particularly interested in innovative projects addressing mental health stigma, advancing preventative efforts, and supporting underserved populations. While it funds new initiatives, it does not typically support capital projects, endowments, or direct service programs outside New York City.

NOTE:
The Foundation annually alternates its new grantmaking between its Mental Health, AIDS and Environmental program areas.  In 2026, the Foundation will be making new grants in the Mental Health program area. Grants will be made at the Fall meeting.See the Environmental Program grant page here.
The Foundation recognizes not-for-profit organizations, dedicated to bettering the United States, and as such, we provide funds for new initiatives and model projects that have the potential to greatly enhance public policy and the lives of fellow citizens. The Foundation's areas of particular interest are: mental health, AIDS, and the environment.
Since 1932 Mental Health has been a major focus at the Ittleson Foundation. The Foundation continues its commitment to bringing its “venture capital” approach to philanthropy to this area. In addition to our historic commitment to addressing the needs of underserved populations, we are particularly interested in innovative, pilot, model and demonstration projects that are:
fighting the stigma associated with mental illness and working to change the public’s negative perception of people who have mental illnessutilizing new knowledge and current technological advances to improve programs and services for people who have mental illnessbringing the full benefits of this new knowledge and technology to those who presently do not have access to themadvancing preventative mental health efforts, especially those targeted to youth and adolescents, with a special focus on strategies that involve parents, teachers, and others in close contact with these populations
AIDS remains a significant concern of the Ittleson Foundation. As in all our current areas of interest, innovative initiatives that involve more than one program area are encouraged.
addressing the needs of underserved at-risk populations and especially those programs recognizing the overlap between such programsresponding to the challenges facing community-based AIDS service organizations and those organizations addressing systemic changeproviding meaningful school-based sex educationmaking treatment information accessible, available and easily understandable to those in need of itaddressing the psycho-social needs of those infected and affected by AIDS, especially adolescents

Eligibility

The Foundation recognizes not-for-profit organizations, dedicated to bettering the United States, and as such, we provide funds for new initiatives and model projects that have the potential to greatly enhance public policy and the lives of fellow citizens.

Ineligibility

Please note that the Foundation does not generally provide funds for:

• capital building projects
• endowments
• grants to individuals
• scholarships or internships (except as part of a program)
• direct service programs, especially when outside New York City
• projects that are local in focus and unlikely to be replicated
• continuing or general support
• projects and organizations that are international in scope or purpose
• biomedical research