Grant Guidelines
What this Grant Funds
The purpose of the funds is to provide grants to Behavioral Health Nonprofits to respond to COVID-19 or the negative economic impact of the pandemic specifically for behavioral health supports and services.
- You may request funding for any or all categories of funding below, totaling no more than $50,000. Behavioral Health Nonprofits will be required to provide information on the need for funding based on their response to COVID-19 emergency or negative impact of the pandemic as it effects clients needs.
- Prioritization will be given to organizations and programs that serve those most disproportionally impacted by the pandemic and/or low-and-moderate income level households.
Eligibility Requirements
- Applicants must have IRS recognition as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization dated no later than January 31, 2022 and must operate in Charles County.
- Funding requests must be carried out for the benefit of Charles County residents.
- If the proposed grant request involves collaboration with one or more other nonprofits, one organization must act as the lead applicant and submit a single application.
- Nonprofits must have been in operation continuously since February 1, 2021, be in good standing with the State of Maryland, operate with an annual budget, and have a board of at least three members who are not related to one another.
Grant Application Review Process
Each application is reviewed for completeness by Charitable Trust staff. Applications that meet the eligibility criteria and have submitted correct documentation will then be reviewed individually by Board of Directors panel members. The final decision is culminated in a detailed discussion by the full panel of the Board of Directors and recommendations of funding awards will be sent to the Charles County Department of Health for final approval before notifications are made. Key factors include:
- Priority areas for funding through this grant. Applicants that submit proposals that fit into one or more of these areas will receive additional consideration for their proposals.
- Organizations and programs that serve those most disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and/or low-and-moderate income level households.
- Preponderance of need in the county to the extent that need can be determined.
- Goals, objectives, and outcomes are clearly defined and achievable, given available financial and staff resources.
Awards will be announced in November 2023
Categories Of Eligible Funding:
Behavioral Health Nonprofits will be required to provide information on the need for funding based on their response to the COVID-19 emergency or the negative economic impact of the pandemic as it affects client needs.
- COVID-19 Responses, Mitigation & Prevention Activities
Eligible uses of the funds include but are not limited to:
- Covid-19 Mitigation & Prevention
- Vaccination programs, medical care, testing, contact tracing support for isolation or quarantine
- Supports for vulnerable populations to access medical or public health services
- Enhancement to health care capacity
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Mitigation or other services in congregate living facilities (e.g., nursing homes, homeless shelters, group living facilities), including ventilation improvements
- Physical plant changes to enable social distancing, enhanced cleaning efforts, barriers or partitions, or vaccination, testing or contact tracing programs
- Assistance to Households
- Food assistance
- Cash assistance
- Internet access or digital literacy assistance
- Job training to address negative economic impact due to a worker’s occupation or level of training
Eligible households are those that experienced economic harm as a result of the
pandemic, such as from unemployment or increased food or housing insecurity and/or is low- or moderate-income.
NOTE: For the purposes of this grant, eligible individuals must be actively receiving or eligible for Behavioral Health services.
Assistance for rent and utility assistance is not eligible at this time because another county grant program is covering these costs, including counseling and legal aid to prevent eviction or homelessness.
- Mental Health Services and Substance Abuse Disorder Services
Including for individuals experiencing trauma by the pandemic, such as:
- Mental health and substance use disorder programs that deliver evidence-based psychotherapy
- Crisis support services
- Medications for opioid use disorder and/or recovery support
NOTE: The Charles County Department of Health (CCDH) may have concurrent grant programs focused solely on behavioral health. If an applicant plans to request a grant from both the Charitable Trust and the Health Department AND the purpose and amount of funds of your Charitable Trust application is the same as for the Health Department, please indicate this in your application. The Trust will verify no duplication of effort on this category with the CCDH.
- Technical Assistance
Technical assistance, counseling, or other services to assist with organizational planning needs. This could include time-limited consultant costs for the purpose of evaluation, strategic planning, staff development, etc.
- Clinical Supplies
- Examples: play therapy supplies, art therapy supplies, etc.
- Could include clinical software to improve operations
- Events, training, and conferences
Note: these events, training and/or conferences must occur prior to December 31, 2024. (cannot be pre- paid)
- Examples: anti-racism training, community event, etc.
- Marketing materials or services
- Examples: program brochures, manuals, website edits, etc.
Additionally, Charles County has identified five priority areas for funding through this grant. Applicants that submit proposals that fit into one or more of these areas will receive additional consideration for their proposals. Charles County will consider funding proposals outside of these priority areas if they score high enough. The priority areas are outlined below in no particular order:
- Equity in Behavioral Health Care
Projects that promote racial and/or social justice activities that intend to lead to more equitable behavioral health outcomes
- Innovation
Supporting new and novel approaches to behavioral health through the use of technology, implementing new evidence-based or emerging practices, or approaching work in a new way
- Improved Access to Care
Supporting projects that increase access to care or address access barriers, particularly for populations not served well by the traditional behavioral health care system or historically oppressed and marginalized groups (e.g., communities of color, sexual and gender minorities, immigrant communities, homeless populations, etc.)
- Consumer/Peer Inclusion
Supporting projects that emphasize consumer/peer involvement in planning, implementation, and leadership and/or directly impact consumer/peer behavioral health and wellness
- Integration of Behavioral Health (MH/SUD) and Somatic Health Care
Projects that support integrating mental health and substance use disorder services and/or behavioral health and physical/medical health care services.
Additional Information
It is critical that proposals demonstrate the applicant’s ability to spend all of the requested funds during the period of performance (November 2023 – December 31, 2024) Proposals should be reasonably scaled, and the applicant should have the required capacity to implement them.
Proposals that contain non-allowable costs cannot be considered. Below are some examples of non-allowable costs:
- Any pre-paid costs (e.g., conference pre-registration, software subscription, etc.)
- Salaries for staff already on payroll: Funding for staff already on payroll to perform their current job is not an eligible request. Eligible requests include requests for an existing staff to move to a new role for a new program or for existing staff being placed in a new position or job function to perform client services or supports within an eligible category of funding.
- Construction or remodeling projects
- Purchase or rental of vehicles