Grants for mental health projects
Mental health is a priority area for many of the UK's largest trusts and foundations, with funding flowing into prevention, early intervention, peer support, crisis services and community wellbeing. The funders below are actively making grants in this space.
Who this is for: Charities, CICs and partnerships delivering mental health support, wellbeing services or crisis prevention.
What to look for in a funder
- Funders aligned to your specific intervention type (prevention, peer support, clinical)
- Programmes that recognise community-based and culturally-appropriate models
- Evidence requirements, many mental health funders require validated outcome measures
Application tips
- Use validated outcome measures (WEMWBS, PHQ-9, GAD-7 where appropriate), funders increasingly expect them.
- Be specific about who you reach. Generic 'mental health support' is much weaker than targeted, evidenced work with a defined group.
- Show how you complement, not duplicate, statutory NHS services.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need clinical qualifications to deliver mental health work?
Not always. Many funders back peer-led, community and preventative work explicitly because it reaches people clinical services don't. Be clear about the boundary and your referral pathways.
Are there NHS grants for community mental health?
Increasingly yes, often via Integrated Care Boards and VCSE Health & Wellbeing Alliances. Build relationships with your ICB voluntary sector lead.
From finding funding to a completed application
Most platforms stop once you've found a grant. Serin surfaces application questions and guidance inside the platform, so you can move from discovery to a stronger completed application in one workflow.