GRANT PROGRAMS

The Foundation’s Grant Programs provide funding to community initiatives throughout Nova Scotia. These initiatives offer hope and eradicate stigma, making a difference to individuals living with mental illness or addiction and their loved ones.

On this page, you’ll find information on the following:

Community Grants

The Community Grant Program awards up to $25,000 per project to charities, community groups, and organizations for community-based mental health services and supports. The Foundation’s Calls for Community Grants occur bi-annually in January and July. Review a list of previously funded projects and organizations here.

Important Dates

Currently Accepting Applications: December 11, 2024 – noon on January 22, 2025
Project Timeline: 2025-26 Round 1 will fund programs/project activities occurring between April 2025 - March 2026.
Decision: All applicants will be notified by mid-April 2025.
Questions? Contact Monica Jordan at grants@mentalhealthns.ca / (902) 233-2639

  • Applications will be accepted from registered non-profit, for-profit or charitable organizations based in Nova Scotia. Please include the CRA Business Number or NSRJS registration number with your application.

    Applications should support the Foundation’s purpose, vision, and values, and demonstrate:

    • Evidence-based measurable impact

    • Financial, social, economic value and reflective of the current climate

    • Support for diverse communities or vulnerable populations

    • Attention to overall quality, including spelling and grammar

    • A vision for sustainability or future growth

    • Collaboration and partnership

    • Clear timeline and objectives

    • Detailed, fiscally responsible budget

  • The following requests aren’t eligible.

    • Projects or activities outside of Nova Scotia

    • Conferences or event sponsorship

    • Capital campaigns and projects

    • General endowment funds

    • Medical equipment

    • Requests over $25,000

    • Fundraisers

    • Deficits including funding or operational shortfalls in the applicant’s budget

    • Emergency funding

    • Research

    • Applications from individuals

    • Requests from organizations with overdue reporting requirements from previous grants

    • First-time Community Grant recipients are not eligible to apply in the very next round of funding

 

Application Resources

Community Grant applications are submitted through our online grants portal. To help you prepare your application, please review our worksheet and guide. Please use these resources to prepare your application, so you can paste your answers into the online portal before the application deadline.


Get Started: Community Grant Application

Access the online grants portal below.

NSH Mental Health & Addictions Program Grants

The Nova Scotia Health Mental Health & Addictions Program Grants provide funding to enhance the services and supports that run within the provincial Mental Health & Addictions Program (Central Zone). These grants are open exclusively to projects that wouldn’t typically receive funding from capital or operating budgets. Applications are accepted once a year.

The 2025-26 Call for Applications runs from December 18 – January 29, 2025. Decisions will be announced in late March for projects running between April 2025 – March 2026.

St. John Ambulance Mental Health Literacy Grant

St. John Ambulance Mental Health Literacy Grant provides funding for individuals and organizations in Nova Scotia to improve their knowledge of mental health through Mental Health and Wellness Training Courses. This grant is open to businesses, organizations, and individuals throughout Nova Scotia. Applications are accepted year-round and are reviewed quarterly.

Grant Selection Process

The Foundation is committed to ensuring transparency, integrity, efficiency, and public trust. We are stewards of the money we raise and accountable in our funding decisions. All grant applications are reviewed by a committee of independent volunteers who make up our Grants Selection Committee. They are responsible for ensuring fair and unbiased decisions as well as appropriate usage of funds. The Grants Selection Committee is comprised of community and business leaders throughout Nova Scotia who are committed to making a difference for those living with mental illness and their families.

PLEASE NOTE: Grant assessment is a competitive process. If your application isn’t successful, it doesn’t necessarily mean your initiative isn’t worthy of funding. Each year the number of applicants increases and the Foundation has a limited budget.

  • The following criteria are used to determine whether the application can proceed:

    • Is the application aligned with the Foundation’s purpose to improve the mental wellness of Nova Scotians by granting funds to community-based mental health and addictions organizations?

    • Does the application meet quality expectations?

      • Is the project clearly explained?

      • Does the project match the selected impact area?

      • Is the applicationcomplete? 

      • Is this an original application written with content and information specific to this project?

  • The Grants Selection Committee evaluates and scores applications that passed the initial vetting process with consideration for the following.

    • Project objectives and anticipated results

    • Project evaluation process and indicators of success

    • Does the project address a unique need?

    • Is the project innovative?

    • Is the budget clearly outlined and does it provide value for the funds requested?

  • Scoring is tabulated, ranked, and shared with the Grants Selection Committee members. A committee meeting is held to review scoring and award funding to successful applicants. The Grants Committee decides on the amount awarded by taking into consideration the applicant’s budget, the amount requested, and the funds available to be distributed.

  • All grant applicants will be advised of their application’s status by email within 10 weeks of the application submission deadline. The funds are awarded to Grant recipients in two installments. They will receive 70% of the grant amount in the first installment and the remaining 30% upon the Foundation’s receipt of an acceptable interim report. Any unspent funding at the end of the fiscal year must be returned to the Foundation to be redistributed in the next round of grants.

 

Grant Recipient Reporting Forms

All grant recipients are required to complete interim and final reports. Grant reports allow the Foundation to verify distributed funds have been used to achieve key mental health outcomes for Nova Scotians as outlined in your successful application. Reports enable the Foundation to approve any necessary adjustments to programming, verify that the funded initiatives have taken place, gather valuable information about mental illness and addictions in Nova Scotia, and help us to measure and demonstrate the impact of our donor dollars. Please Note: Overdue reports will lead to the suspension of payments.

December 2024 Update: As our Grants Program continues to grow, the way we administer grant applications and reporting is evolving! Please use the timing of your grant approval below to determine how and when to submit your report. 

Table Example
Grant Awarded Application Method Reporting Grant Ends / Final Reports Due
April 2025 Coming Dec. 2024 Coming Soon Spring 2026
October 2024 Grantee Portal Link to Access Portal Fall 2025
April 2024 Grantee Portal Link to Access Portal Spring 2025
October 2023 Email Email completed form to grants@mentalhealthns.ca Fall 2024

Questions? Please contact Monica at grants@mentalhealthns.ca.

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