Funding Requests
Applications are currently closed.
Applications for 2027 funding will open on July 20, 2026. The 2027 application deadline is September 30, 2026 at 11:59PM (MDT).
The Mental Health Foundation invests in projects and initiatives that improve care, treatment and recovery for individuals living with or recovering from mental illness and addiction across Alberta.
Projects focused solely on general wellness, resilience, or mental health promotion may fall outside the primary scope of Foundation funding. Learn more about the difference between mental illness and mental health in this Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence (CoRE) brief.
Funding requests are evaluated according to three funding priorities that guide how we invest in Alberta communities:
- Research & Evaluation
- Connecting Care Systems
- Patient Experiences & Outcomes
Eligible Organizations
To qualify for funding, applicants must be a qualified donee. A qualified donee is an organization eligible to receive charitable gifts under Canadian tax law.
Eligible applicants may include:
- Registered charities with a CRA Charity number
- Qualified non-profit organizations
- Recovery Alberta programs and services
- More information on qualified donees as defined by the Canada Revenue Agency
Ineligible Organizations
Ineligible applicants may include:
- Organizations discriminating on the basis of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation
- Religious, political organizations or special interest groups
- Crowd-sourced funding campaigns such as GoFundMe
Examples of Projects We Fund
- Applied research and evaluation with demonstrated impact for individuals living with or recovering from mental illness and addiction
- Direct service enhancements
- Patient support initiatives
- Equipment and infrastructure enhancements that build on existing investments provided by Alberta Health Services or Recovery Alberta
- Navigation and referral programs
- Addiction recovery focused programming
Examples of Projects We Do Not Fund
- Initiatives unrelated to mental illness or addiction
- General operating deficits
- Memorial campaigns
- Endowment programs
- Programs without measurable outcomes
- Projects primarily focused on broad wellness promotion
- Core or essential medical equipment that is provided by Alberta Health Services or Recovery Alberta
Multi-Year Funding
Meaningful change often requires sustained investment. We welcome both single year and multi-year funding requests to support long-term, achievable, and measurable outcomes.
Our Funding Priorities
Research & Evaluation
We invest in projects that generate evidence which improves diagnosis, treatment, service delivery, or recovery outcomes for Albertans experiencing mental illness and addiction.
Desired outcomes could include:
- Developing new evidence-based approaches
- Improving treatment effectiveness
- Improving clinical outcomes
- Better understanding of community needs
- Implementing research findings in clinical or community settings
Connecting Care Systems
We invest in projects that improve how mental illness and addiction services are accessed, coordinated, and connected. We prioritize initiatives that reduce barriers and help people receive the right support at the right time.
Desired outcomes could include:
- Reduced wait times
- Improved service navigation
- Increased access to care
- Improved coordination between services
- Fewer service gaps
Patient Experiences & Outcomes
We invest in projects that enhance the environments, equipment and resources that support care for individuals receiving mental illness and addiction services, resulting in enhanced dignity, comfort, cultural safety, and overall quality of care.
Desired outcomes could include:
- Improved patient well-being and treatment experience
- Reduced barriers to accessing care and supports
- Improved recovery outcomes
- Increased cultural safety
- Enhanced therapeutic spaces
What funding pillar is my program eligible for?
Choose the funding priority that best reflects your project’s primary purpose and intended outcomes.
Does your project generate knowledge, evaluate outcomes, or improve evidence-based care?
Examples may include:
- Applied clinical research
- Program evaluation
- Outcome measurement
- Pilot projects and innovation testing
- Knowledge translation activities
Does your project improve access, coordination, or navigation of services?
Examples may include:
- Integrated care models
- Service navigation supports
- Referral pathways
- Cross-sector partnerships
- Coordinated intake systems
- Transition supports between services
Does your project improve the experience, recovery, dignity, safety, or quality of care received by individuals?
Examples may include:
- Therapeutic spaces
- Addiction recovery-oriented programming
- Patient comfort initiatives
- Specialized equipment or resources
- Infrastructure improvements
How Applications Are Evaluated
Funding decisions are guided by:
- Alignment with one of our three funding priorities
- Demonstrated need
- Benefit to Albertans living with or recovering from mental illness and addiction
- Clearly defined outcomes
- Measurable impact
- Organizational capacity and expertise to successfully deliver the project
While we recognize that many organizations, projects, and initiatives are making meaningful contributions to the mental health and well-being of Albertans, our funding resources are limited, and priority will be given to applications that most closely align with our funding priorities.
If your project delivers measurable improvements in research, care coordination, or patient outcomes for Albertans living with or recovering from mental illness and addiction, we encourage you to apply and help create transformational change across our province.