Application Deadline: May 6th 2021
The Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children’s Mental Health Innovation Awards initiative aims to identify and fund mental healthcare solutions for children and young adults across the United States. This program specifically addresses the lack of both private and public investment in children’s mental health and of effective ways to connect innovative ideas with capital. The resulting systemic funding gap has only increased with the deepening crisis in children’s mental health due to COVID-19 and ongoing social injustice issues.
ELIGIBILITY AND PROJECT SCOPE
Registered 501(c)(3) public charities based in the U.S. are eligible to apply.
We are looking for new or piloted projects from direct-service organizations that will help address the far-reaching challenge of stress, anxiety, depression or other mental health issues in children and young adults on a national or local level in the U.S. Projects must tackle specific issues and address unmet needs, with a goal of reducing stigma, increasing access to care, improving equity in mental health, enabling early identification/prevention or enhancing intervention, especially among disadvantaged and vulnerable populations.
Benefits
The Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children’s Mental Health (the “Alliance”) invites U.S. -based 501(c)(3) public charities to submit innovative ideas for advancing children’s mental health. Selected organizations have opportunities to:
- Be awarded with a grant of up to $100,000.
- Receive six weeks of consultation and training from industry professionals.
- Learn from peers and build powerful connections.
- Raise their profile and showcase their solutions at the final awards presentation day.
FINALIST SELECTION CRITERIA
Applications are reviewed based on the below equally-weighted criteria:
- Innovation: Project briefs must present an innovative solution for tackling the challenge of stress, anxiety, depression or other mental health issues in children or young adults.
- Scope: Project briefs should outline executable services for addressing unmet needs in children’s mental health care, especially among disadvantaged and vulnerable populations.
- Impact: Project briefs should offer measurable deliverables aimed at improving the state of mental wellbeing of children or young adults.
- Potential: Project briefs will also be judged on the feasibility of replicating or scaling the proposed service to benefit children and young adults in broader communities.
KEY DATES FOR 2021 INNOVATION AWARDS
- April 12: Application opens (use Chrome for optimal experience).
- May 6: Briefing session. To learn more about the program and how to apply, please register for a virtual briefing session scheduled to take place at 12:00 PM ET.
- July 2: Application deadline; applications must be received by 5PM ET.
- Early October: Finalists announced; six-week program commences, during which finalists learn from industry experts, enhance their proposals and develop their pitches.
- November 11: Final awards presentation day during which finalists present their solutions to a broad audience, including other funders.
Official Website: Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children’s Mental Health Innovation Awards 2021
