Resources
Catalyzing Mental Health Philanthropy
Our convenings, guidance, and uplifted solutions are resources to catalyze the field of mental health philanthropy and accelerate impact.
Convenings
With in-person and digital convenings, we bring funders together to actively engage and share insights with each other, learn from one another, break down silos, and collaborate to mobilize resources and align efforts.
In-Person Convenings
Learn more about our in-person events by joining the funder community.
Our annual Activate event is a convening of principal level funders in the emerging field of mental health philanthropy.
Activate funder attendees can access event materials on Mindful Connect. ➝
"Activate was an amazing conference, generative on so many levels as an academic, advocate, worker bee, mom, and philanthropist."
– Dr. Sheila Ohlsson Walker, Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, Tufts University
“Activate was one of the most impressive, well-conceived and executed philanthropy convenings I’ve been to in years.”
- Corporate Funder, Activate Attendee
"The stories shared at Activate deeply resonated with us. We walked out of the event and immediately decided to increase our giving to mental health in Atlanta."
- David & Michelle Hirsch, Hirsch Legacy Fund
In the Spring of 2025 we are launching the Accelerate Summit as an opportunity to build on the success of Activate for a broader set of philanthropic actors. Leaders across the philanthropic sector and beyond will come together to catalyze the future of global mental health.
“Keep an eye out for the joy that can come with connecting good people… So often there can be shared learnings and collaborative efforts; we don’t have to be in silos.”
– Mindful Philanthropy convening attendee
Digital Convenings
We host regional funder convenings as well as webinars on key mental health topics. Explore some of the topics.
Community
Mindful Philanthropy: A Community on a Mission
Mental Health at the Center
Mental Health at the Center: Discussing the Roadmap for Investment
Youth Mental Health
Empowering the Future: A Discussion with Dr. Jonathan Haidt
Webinar
Get Your Head in the Game: Philanthropy in Mental Health & Sports
Webinar
The State of Psychedelics: An Overview of Philanthropic Opportunities
Webinar
How Philanthropy Can Support Culturally-Led Programs
With Her in Mind
With Her in Mind: Women’s Mental Health Across the Lifespan
Thriving in Schools
Thriving in Schools: Supporting Policy Change
Guidance
Our work includes several series and primers available to our funder community and the foundational first three reports of a four-part series, Mental Health at the Center (MHAC).
Mental Health at the Center (MHAC)
This series of reports is defining the gold standard for mental health philanthropy.
REPORT
Mental Health at the Center: U.S. Funding Landscape
The U.S. Funding Landscape is the third guidance in the Mental Health at the Center series and provides a first-of-its-kind snapshot of philanthropic funding for mental health in the United States. It outlines total funding amounts from 2015-2022, trends in giving areas, levers to greater impact, and implications for the field.
REPORT
Mental Health at the Center: A Roadmap for Strategic Investment
Building on The Case for Philanthropic Investment, the second guidance in the Mental Health at the Center series helps new and existing funders prioritize investments in support of mental health that are most likely to make a difference. These priorities are not only critical standalone issues, but they are key to population level outcomes.
REPORT
Mental Health at the Center: The Case for Philanthropic Investment
Historically, only 1.3% of all foundation giving is directed toward mental health. Philanthropy has a strategic role to play in filling funding gaps, spurring innovation, and driving meaningful social change. The intersectionality of mental health means that all of philanthropy has a responsibility to this work.
Significant investment is urgent. Mental Health at the Center: The Case for Philanthropic Investment provides a high-level view of mental health needs, gaps, and opportunities to orient funders to the mental health landscape.
Join the funder community.
Become a part of Mindful Connect to access all guidance reports.
Uplifted Solutions
We uplift proven solutions for the future of mental health. Our approach includes a diverse array of public-private partnerships, demonstration projects, challenges, for-profit, nonprofit, and advocacy and policy solutions.
Mindful Philanthropy Portfolio
Non-Profits
Public-Private Partnerships
Funds & Investment Opportunities
Advocacy & Policy
Portfolio nonprofits reflect an ecosystem of solutions for mental health in the U.S. We are continually evaluating a wide range of organizations based on quality of programming, potential for impact, and financial and governance due diligence. Organizations are uplifted to funders through our Mindful Connect Community, webinars, and written guidance.
Organizations are currently considered by invitation only. Mindful reviews key documents and meets with leadership to assess for: aligned theory of change, quality of programmatic activities, proven or promising impact, strong finance and governance, and a compelling future vision that philanthropy can support.
FAQ and online application coming soon!
News & Media
A Call to Action for Philanthropy in the Face of a Mental Health Crisis
Inside Philanthropy, Oct 2023
Mindful Philanthropy is calling for all of philanthropy to invest 5x more in mental health by 2035 — to $35 billion annually
Mindful Philanthropy challenges all funders by 2035 to collectively increase the total amount of philanthropic funding dedicated to mental health, addiction, and well-being by five times to $35B annually.
Who’s Providing Funding for Women and Girls’ Mental Health?
Inside Philanthropy, April 2023
As Mindful Philanthropy organizes to raise awareness, some philanthropies have been stepping up already.
Philanthropists Are Starting to Pay Attention to Mental Health Causes
Barron’s Penta, March 2023
“Mental health has been wildly underfunded and investments like this only reinforce the need to treat mental health as you would any other health condition.” — Jessica Edwards, NAMI’s chief development officer
A Primer on Women and Girls’ Mental Health
Candid Philanthropy News Digest, March 2023
This primer highlights key opportunities to support women and girls' mental health and how they intersect with other issues that funders care about, including education, health, and economic empowerment.
Mental Health Professionals Are in High Demand. Who’s Funding Workforce Development?
Inside Philanthropy, January 2023
There are a few funders IP has been tracking that focus giving on the expansion of the mental health care and service workforce.
The U.S. Is in a Mental Health Crisis, but Funding Is Still Scarce. This Group Hopes to Change That
Inside Philanthropy, December 2022
The country is experiencing a mental health crisis. Young people appear to be at particularly high risk, including young adults.
Now is the time to support young people’s mental health
Fidelity Philanthropy, December 2022
We have been in a youth mental health crisis. Here are three high-impact approaches you can take.