Black Giving Circle Fund at Hartford Foundation Seek Proposals to Support Mental Health of Black Boys and Men

$100,000 donated by Beta Iota Boulé Foundation to provide grants to five nonprofit programs

Culturally informed, accessible mental health care for Black boys and men can help destigmatize treatment, nurture their well-being, and support their contributions to the social and economic vitality of the region. 

A 2023 White House Roundtable on Young Black Men’s Mental Health explored the need for attention to mental health among Black boys and men, highlighting that nearly 40 percent of Black teens say they struggle with persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. According to DataHaven’s Greater Hartford Community Wellbeing Index,  in 2022, Black adults were 1.6 times more likely to report feeling down or depressed as compared to white adults. At the same time, research finds that African American men with depression are significantly less likely to seek help compared with White men with depression.

To advance solutions to these challenges, the Beta Iota Boule Foundation (“Boule") and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving have announced a collaboration to support the mental health of Black boys and men. This effort includes an investment of $400,000 from the Boule that will be placed with the Hartford Foundation. The Hartford Foundation will match the Boule funds with up to $600,000 in additional funding to create a $1 million impact. 

Two hundred thousand dollars of these funds will be made available through the Black Giving Circle at the Hartford Foundation to support grants over the next two years. In 2024, the Black Giving Circle Fund is offering a competitive grant opportunity that will award $100,000 through five $20,000 one-year grants to support nonprofit projects related to promoting and expanding access to mental health services for Black boys and men. 

Eligible projects will fall into one of two categories:

Category 1: Increasing a nonprofit organization’s ability to respond to the mental health needs of Black men and boys through training. Applicants may apply for one of the trainings listed below or other mental health training opportunities not listed.

  • Mental Health First Aid: an eight-hour course that trains people to help those experiencing mental health problems or crises, covering identifying, understanding, and responding to signs of addictions and mental illnesses. 
  • Question, Persuade, Refer: This training helps people recognize and detect when others may be experiencing suicidal ideation provides strategies and talking points to begin a conversation with a reluctant person to encourage an openness to receiving help. 
  • Transformative Mental Health Core Curriculum: a curriculum that provides an introductory resource for those interested in exploring the challenges of the current mental health system, offering a unique learning and unlearning journey with 8 modules and 22 hours of original video content. 
  • Urban Trauma Framework: An introductory course covering the three main components of urban trauma, equipping participants with the knowledge necessary to understand racial trauma.  

Category 2: Developing and/or engaging in a mental health awareness campaign that centers the needs of Black men and/or boys. 

Campaign subject matter that would increase accessibility to quality culturally relevant mental healthcare for Black men and boys might include:

  • Destigmatizing receipt of mental healthcare by Black men and/or boys
  • Raising awareness of the signs that a Black man and/or boy may need mental health services 
  • Increasing awareness of the existence of “nontraditional” therapeutic activities that have been proven to be impactful  
  • Raise awareness of mental health resources available to Black men and/or boys 

Potential activities might include:

  • Radio ads
  • Appearances at community events
  • Public access channel ads
  • Development and airing a public service announcement(s)
  • Hosting independent community events 
  • Developing a locally available repository (paper/online) of mental resources for Black men and boys
  • Social media campaigning 

Applicants must choose ONE type of project for their application including a focus on both Black boys and men; Black boys only; or Black men only. In addition, applicants must clearly demonstrate the ability to reach Black men and/or boys and a record of successful engagement with Black men and/or boys.

The application process for Black Giving Circle Fund grants began on August 8, 2024. To learn more about this and other grant opportunities, visit https://www.hfpg.org/nonprofits/current-grant-opportunities. The application deadline is September 18.

 

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding towns. Through partnerships, the Foundation seeks to strengthen communities in Greater Hartford by putting philanthropy in action to dismantle structural racism and achieve equity in social and economic mobility. Made possible by the gifts of generous individuals, families and organizations, the Foundation has awarded grants of more than $998 million since its founding in 1925. For more information, visit www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.