Funding is part of this year’s $1.7 million competitive grant cycle which supported 58 nonprofit projects
Tampa, Fla. (May 25, 2023) — The Community Foundation Tampa Bay has provided more than $320K in funding to 13 local nonprofits to increase mental well-being among residents.
Mental health continues to be a major concern in our region. In the United States, 1 in 5 adults experience a mental illness within a given year. The Tampa Bay area is currently ranked 17th out of 20 comparison communities in the 2023 Regional Competitiveness Report with only 16.04 mental health providers per 10,000 residents.
The Community Foundation Tampa Bay focuses on funding trauma-informed care models, programs addressing suicide and addictions, and models for the reduction of mental health stigmas in its competitive grant cycle.
“The area of mental health was a major issue before COVID and the issue has only been exacerbated by our shared experiences throughout the pandemic. These grant awards will provide mental health support to those most in need in our community,” Jesse Coraggio, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Community Impact at Community Foundation Tampa Bay.
The thirteen organizations that received mental well-being funding are:
Bay Area Legal Services, Inc. received $30,000 for the FosterPower: Bay Area Legal Services Helps Florida Youth in Foster Care to “Know Your Legal Rights.” Funding will help BALS to fully develop and deploy FosterPower, a website and app to provide access to comprehensive information on the legal rights of Florida youth in foster care.
Champions for Children, Inc. received $20,000 for the Kids on the Block Educational Puppetry Program. KOTB is a troupe of educational puppets that provide children with knowledge to recognize and report abuse and other mistreatment, and to seek help, thus destigmatizing victimhood and preventing traumas with lifelong impacts on mental well-being.
Chapters Health Foundation received $50,000 for the Circle of Hope Grief Center at Hernando-Pasco Hospice. Funding will support new childhood grief therapy programs for the Circle of Hope inaugural year, including new grief support materials, the development and production of the Grief Support Toolboxes and the Age-Appropriate Grief Comfort Kits.
Children’s Home Society of Florida – Suncoast Tampa Bay Area received $22,000 for Mort Elementary Community Partnership School, Mental Health Enhancement. Funding will support a portion of a full-time bi-lingual clinical counselor to provide therapy to students attending Mort Elementary School in the University Area of Tampa.
Clearwater Free Clinic received $25,000 for Integrated Healthcare. The model of integrated healthcare where patients can get support for their physical ailments and mental health challenges in the same place as part of their comprehensive care plan. The Behavioral Health Program at the CFC provides free care to low-income, uninsured patients who have been referred by our volunteer or staff healthcare providers.
Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Inc. received $10,000 for the Youth in Transition program that works with individuals between the ages of 16 to 25 who either have, are experiencing symptoms of, or are at risk of developing a serious mental health condition.
Guardian Ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay Inc. received $22,550 for Trust-Based Relational Interventional Training (TBRI): Preparing Guardian ad Litem volunteers and staff to help improve mental health outcomes for abused and neglected children in Tampa Bay.
Healthy Start Coalition of Pinellas Inc. received $25,000 for Supportive Counseling Services for pregnant and new mothers and their babies who are uninsured and score high on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and need help covering the cost of mental health counseling.
K9 Partners for Patriots Inc. received $12,500 for Operation Rescue 8.0. Funding supports veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, and/or Military Sexual Trauma and provides them with a rescue dog and a six-month instructional program to train that dog as a service animal, all provided at no personal cost.
Kids and Canines received $18,366 for the ADAPT (A Dog Assisted Program for Teens) Program where youth learn how to train dogs used in reading programs, gaining essential skills like patience, kindness, and teamwork. Programs are offered at Title I schools, detention centers, and group homes to kids with special needs.
Red Tent Women’s Initiative received $15,000 for the Red Tent Project Redirect, a diversion program, offered to women (generally first-time nonviolent offenders) by the judge and/or Public Defender’s Office as an alternative to incarceration.
St. Petersburg Free Clinic, Inc. received $20,000 for SPFC Transitional Housing Programs – Increasing Mental Well-Being. SPFC Transitional Housing Programs provide safe housing where those who are experiencing homelessness and recovering from substance use gain stability in their recovery. Funding supports mental health services for both Baldwin Women’s Residence and SPFC Men’s Residence.
Tampa Bay Thrives, Inc. received $50,000 for Let’s Talk Enhancement and Expansion. Let’s Talk is a free, confidential, 24/7 behavioral health support and navigation line, connecting callers to counselors trained to provide emotional support, information, and referrals to help people begin their journey to better mental health.
To learn more about the competitive grant process and how to apply visit:
https://cftampabay.org/annual-competitive-grants/
To view the summaries of all grants awarded please visit:
https://cftampabay.org/previous-grants/
About the Community Foundation Tampa Bay
For more than 30 years, the Community Foundation Tampa Bay has been dedicated to making giving easy and meaningful for donors as a way to strengthen nonprofit organizations and build a better, more vibrant community. Since its inception, its donors have enabled the Community Foundation Tampa Bay to award more than $355 million in grants to nonprofit organizations across the country.
