In October, Mindful Philanthropy launched the Mental Health at the Center series of guidances, releasing The Case for Philanthropic Investment and, more recently, A Roadmap for Strategic Investment. This latest report outlines five key priorities for funders to focus their investments so that they have the biggest impact in addressing the mental health challenges of today.

This week we are issuing a call for a dramatic increase in philanthropic funding for mental health, addiction, and well-being, an increase of 5x the current funding to get us to $35B in annual funding by 2035. To help funders on this quest, we are issuing Mental Health at the Center, an overview of the mental health landscape in America and the need for additional private investment.

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) experience disproportionately high mental health and substance use disorder rates. Yet, they often have less access to treatment and supportive services than other groups due to higher levels of racism, systemic oppression, and trauma. Philanthropy can help by supporting culturally informed mental health models developed by and for communities of color specifically to address their unique needs.

Mindful Philanthropy was founded three years ago with the mission of catalyzing impactful funding in mental health, addiction, and well-being. We envision a world in which all funders are invested in solutions that integrate mental health and well-being so that all people have equitable access to the tools and resources they need to be well. This Mental Health Month - and beyond - we are challenging all funders to take key steps toward impact, as illustrated by the following soundbites we’ve heard in our work this past year.

Our latest report, Funding Our Future: Solutions for Youth Mental Health Philanthropy, explores barriers and key solutions to philanthropic investmentin youth mental health. Below, we answer some commonly asked questions about this new resource.

Our latest report, Funding Our Future: Solutions for Youth Mental Health Philanthropy, explores barriers and key solutions to philanthropic investment in youth mental health. Developed with support from the Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children’s Mental Health, this resource features survey and interview data from a national sample of diverse funders whose perspectives informed the five solutions we identified to move the field forward.