When The Bradley Foundation’s Director of Communications Christine Czernejewski discovered her daughter had a mental health issue, there was one goal: to find healing.
As a concerned parent facing an unfamiliar, challenging circumstance, Czernejewski weighed recommendations from medical professionals with her instincts as a mother. They began by taking a comprehensive approach blending medication, residential stays and therapy to find healing.
But after years of this intense treatment, her daughter’s symptoms worsened, and their family made a difficult, but necessary decision: stop the medicine, pause the therapy and press the reset button to see if this could stabilize the situation.
It did.
There are no one-size-fits-all solutions to confronting mental health challenges, as the Czernejewski family learned on their journey. Across the country, organizations are taking innovative approaches to address the unique needs of their communities, expanding access and care to people who struggle to find quality, holistic treatment options.
American social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt’s research and work has ignited important conversations about how mental health impacts societal flourishing.
As he told the Roundtable in an interview, “If we don’t address the mental health challenges plaguing American communities today, this will be the destruction of America’s human capital. Without a creative, vibrant, mentally stable workforce, America’s global economic competitive advantage is in peril.”
Haidt views private philanthropy as essential to confronting our nation’s mental health crisis – it’s flexible and nimble, allowing the most effective, unique approaches to emerge. Even if they aren’t the most popular or mainstream solutions.
For philanthropists, there are boundless opportunities to have an impact, but important questions to consider:
Why fund in the area of mental health? How can we most effectively fund to improve mental health? And when should we fund?
To answer these questions and guide foundations and individual donors on best approaches to funding the mental health space, Philanthropy Roundtable is releasing a new Mental Health Playbook which showcases 15 high-impact organizations addressing the most urgent mental health needs across America. It’s a vital resource for donors seeking to make a lasting change in society by investing in values-aligned organizations with timely and innovative solutions to our nation’s greatest mental health challenges.
Why Fund in the Area of Mental Health?
Culture and mental health are often inextricably linked, as Abby Moffat, CEO of the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, shares in explaining her foundation’s decades-long commitment to funding mental health services.
“We want to create a future where families are strong and children are happy, healthy and mentally equipped to become the leaders and innovators of tomorrow,” she shares. Mental health challenges don’t just impact the individual person – the effects reverberate throughout families, communities and our country.
From gun violence, homelessness and domestic abuse to substance abuse issues, mental health challenges play a key role in contributing to many of the challenges society grapples with. With 46%of Americans meeting the criteria for a diagnosable mental health condition sometime in their life, access to treatment remains a huge unmet need.
Over 30% of American adults with serious mental illness receive no treatment, while 10% of mentally ill Americans are uninsured with limited access to treatment. Suicide rates have skyrocketed by more than 35% since the year 2000. The statistical reality is even more alarming for children and young adults: One-in-five children have been diagnosed with a mental health condition and more than four in 10 students feel persistently hopeless.
Philanthropy possesses a unique ability to be part of the solution not just by investing in mental health but by leading the way in restoring the sense of community that creates hope and connectedness in society. Haidt is particularly interested in how the deterioration of community has impacted our nation’s mental health, saying “We don’t trust our neighbors.”
By lifting our neighbors and restoring that sense of shared social duty and community, Diana Davis Spencer Foundation believes we create a flywheel effect of good. Moffat says “Investing in mental health is critical to promoting self-reliance and resilience, and to empowering individuals to overcome personal challenges and contribute to their families, communities and the nation. And it has compounding interest—creating a high return on investment for philanthropists.”
How Can Philanthropy Most Effectively Fund in the Area of Mental Health?
Effectively addressing mental health requires funding strategies that embrace complexity.
The philanthropic community exists to tackle society’s greatest challenges, and when philanthropy’s can-do attitude meets the needs of the mental health space, the possibilities are endless in three key areas: prevention, treatment and intervention and policy reform.
The following examples of donors and nonprofits showcase a handful of the incredible organizations featured in our Mental Health Playbook that develop compassionate solutions uniquely tailored to meet the challenges of their communities.
Prevention
As Haidt put it, “An ounce of prevention is worth hundreds of pounds of cure.”
Chief among his diagnoses, outlined in his latest book “The Anxious Generation,” is that the deterioration of a play-based childhood in favor of a screen-based childhood has had catastrophic consequences for the mental health of the next generation. Philanthropists can step up in unique ways to address this issue, he says. In sharing the story of a philanthropist who used his wealth to create an adventure playground, he says “If we could restore fun to childhood, that would have a transformative effect on the entire generation.”
Based on this research and data, Haidt co-founded Let Grow, an organization that promotes play and resilience to improve youth mental health and build a stronger society. With philanthropically supported research and backing, author and co-founder of Let Grow Lenore Skenazy, and professor of clinical psychology Camilo Ortiz are continuing this research by proving greater independence and freedom for kids is essential to establishing their resilience and preventing mental health-related challenges.
In their op-ed in The New York Times, Skenazy and Ortiz say “Giving kids more freedom could be the cheapest, fastest and easiest way to give kids back the bounce they’ve lost.”
In addition to his work with Let Grow, Haidt is also leading a three-year public health campaign focused on shifting culture and policy and reversing the youth mental health trends Haidt wrote about in “The Anxious Generation.” This campaign addresses change at the systemic level, supporting parents, schools, policymakers and tech leaders to take collective action, so youth are spending less time on phones and more time playing and learning in the real world.
Moffat’s foundation also funds prevention efforts of the Cohen Veterans Network, which focuses on improving mental health care access for post-9/11 veterans, active-duty service members and their families.
“Through Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinics across the U.S., we provide evidence-based mental health services for issues like depression, anxiety, PTSD and adjustment difficulties,” says Anthony Hassan, president and CEO of Cohen Veterans Network. “We emphasize suicide prevention, offering therapy and support during the ‘Deadly Gap.’ We aim to prevent transition challenges and support reintegration into civilian life. Our holistic approach includes case management, telehealth services and referrals for unemployment and housing stability.”
Treatment and Intervention
David Rogers, CEO of the H.E. Butt Foundation, is empowering churches to take a leading role addressing mental health in Texas communities.
“Our support is not just financial,” he says. “It’s a true partnership where we provide funding and services to equip congregations to be community leaders in mental health.”
In 2023, they founded the Congregational Collective, the nation’s first-of-its-kind program dedicated to the intersection of spirituality and mental wellness. They work with churches to develop the tools and skills necessary to identify the mental health needs of their congregations and build support systems.
The Diana Davis Spencer Foundation also actively supports interventions that incorporate faith as helping in the path toward mental and overall well-being. Moffat says Psalm 34:18, “the Lord is close to the brokenhearted,” highlights the foundation’s recognition of the importance of the spiritual dimension in many people’s mental health journey.
Showcasing their funding in faith-based treatment options is their significant investment in the Mighty Oaks Foundation, which helps active-duty personnel, first responders and veterans overcome their past traumas and live a purpose-filled life. Moffat’s foundation has also given significantly to treatment focused on helping those with addiction. Their $10 million gift to establish the National Center for Families and Children at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation has a specific goal of bringing mental health resources to families impacted by addiction.
The late Bernie Marcus, co-founder of the Home Depot and founder of the Marcus Foundation, was committed to mental health intervention, and his Foundation continues his work. One of their investments is The Boulder Crest Foundation, which aims to “pivot the national dialogue on mental health toward post-traumatic growth, focusing on support for society’s frontliners and eventually the broader public,” notes Josh Goldberg, CEO of the Foundation. The Foundation has profoundly impacted the lives of nearly 125,000 service members, veterans and first responders across the country through their post-traumatic growth training program.
Policy Reforms
“On mental health, too many left-leaning policymakers have the wrong ideas and too many right-leaning policymakers have no ideas,” says Carolyn Gorman, Paulson policy analyst with the Manhattan Institute. “We work to redirect attention and resources away from ineffective, ideologically driven policies that do not have evidence of benefit. Instead, we aim to shift attention and resources back toward the most complex and serious mental health challenges, the most vulnerable youth and adults in society—and most at risk of harm to themselves and others. We believe that communities will be better served by a smaller, more cost-effective mental health system, one that is more focused on the ‘hardest cases.’”
To accomplish this, they conduct research and advocate for reforms that will improve treatment outcomes, impacting other societal challenges like crime, homelessness, incarceration and quality of life.
The Treatment Advocacy Center focuses on “the prevention of suffering caused by untreated severe mental illness” by blending advocacy, strategic policy reform and education, says Kelly Russo, director of development for the organization. “Our efforts are aimed at ensuring individuals stay out of harm’s way and realize their full potential in society. We strive to dismantle barriers that hinder access to essential mental health services for those grappling with Serious Mental Illness (SMI), ensuring a safer, inclusive environment where necessary support systems are within reach.”
Alarmed by increased ideological bias in much of the therapeutic sector, Andrew Hartz founded the Open Therapy Institute, which addresses sociopolitical bias in mental health care through research, media outreach, training/resources for therapists and clinical referral services for the public. Since launching its programming in mid-2024, the Open Therapy Institute has become an approved continuing education provider for psychologists, social workers and counselors, many of whom feel isolated in the field as it has become more politicized.
High Impact Philanthropy in Mental Health
Investing in mental health initiatives is a crucial opportunity for donors and philanthropists to make a profound impact on society. The mental health crisis in America is a multifaceted challenge that requires not just funding, but thoughtful, strategic engagement.
The good news is innovative approaches are emerging and evolving, with credible organizations and thought leaders spearheading efforts to address mental health challenges. By investing in effective, results-driven solutions—whether it’s through direct services, supporting thought leaders or promoting policy reforms—donors can contribute to substantial societal change.
Donors have long played a vital role supporting effective programs for Americans of all ages to flourish—whether it’s education, workforce development or direct program services in support of community needs. But these programs are not nearly as effective if the mental health of those they serve is suffering. The goal of wise donors should be to promote healing and restoration for those grappling with mental health conditions, ensuring their needs are met through effective and impactful initiatives.
The Diana Davis Spencer Foundation has a “core belief in the inherent dignity and worth of every single person. … Mental health is key to community and civic involvement and what an important part that plays in the building of a democracy.”
Moffat underscores the importance of patience when funding in the area of mental health. “We’re not looking for short-term gains. We’re looking for long-term, meaningful results—not a Band-Aid, but a permanent solution. So we recognize that it can take a while,” she says.
As Haidt says, making investments in mental health care is not an end in and of itself. It’s truly about enabling future generations to have the self-governance needed to keep the American Experiment going and keeping the economy prosperous by empowering the future workforce.
But he also has a warning about the urgency of the issue: “If we don’t address these issues in the next year or two, it’ll be too late, because Artificial Intelligence is going to transform everything. We need solutions now.”
