Grants for community-focused mental health initiatives are now available to qualified Naperville service providers.
Through Jan. 31, interested providers can apply for funding through Naperville Township’s 708 Mental Health Board. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants is up for grabs, with funding intended to encourage and bolster a broad spectrum of mental health programming for township residents, according to a news release.
“We are thrilled that we are able to offer the financial resources that can allow various community partners to expand their services to help the residents of Naperville Township in their mental health and wellness initiatives,” 708 Board Chairman John Waller said in the release.
This is an inaugural grant opportunity. A relatively new venture in itself, Naperville Township’s community mental health board was established by referendum just over two years ago.
Across the state, dozens of mental health boards service communities, municipalities and townships. Governed by the Illinois Mental Health Act, the boards use property tax funds to improve local behavioral health services.
In approving the creation of a 708 Board of their own, voters also allowed Naperville Township to levy up to a 0.15% annual property tax, revenue from which would serve as the board’s main source of funding. Last winter, township officials decided on an initial $800,000 levy.
Now, the board is ready to dole out the tax money collected.
Grant funding is available for organizations serving township residents working in the area of mental health, substance abuse and intellectual/developmental disabilities. Grants are expected to be about $25,000 with maximum award being $150,000, township officials said. Grants larger than $25,000 will be paid out on a semi-annual basis.
Award decisions for first round funding will be announced in mid-March and made available by March 31, the township said.
Organizations are allowed to submit multiple applications.
As for the scope of grants, funded services may include but are not limited to: community outreach; prevention and education programs; crisis intervention; individual, group or family counseling; therapeutic interventions; trauma-focused services; medication and medication management; substance abuse treatment; and aftercare services.
To qualify for funding, organizations must have an operating history of at least one fiscal year. Groups that are precluded from applying include political organizations, endowments, hospitals and their supporting foundations, private foundations and historical societies.
Organizations affiliated with religious activities are also not eligible for funding, though secular activities provided by religious organizations may qualify for grants.
The application portal for funding — as well as additional information about grant guidelines — can be found at https://bit.ly/3DziS5C.
“We will be entertaining grant applications for initiatives both small and large,” 708 Board member Mark Rising said in a statement. “We are thrilled to be implementing this process online, making it accessible to every interested applicant.”
Naperville Township’s nine-member 708 Board is composed of community leaders and stakeholders.
“We take the oversight of this board very seriously on behalf of our taxpayers,” Waller said. “There are specific criteria upon which we will be evaluating our grant applications. These grants, first and foremost, have to demonstrate their implementation without our Naperville Township community.”