Download the Mental Health & Well-Being RFP and supporting documents:

• 2026 Mental Health & Well-Being RFP
• Proposal Review Tool
• Mental Health & Well Being-Budget Template 
• Mental Health & Well-Being Project work plan Template 

Overview

About Boston Children’s Hospital

Boston Children’s Hospital (Boston Children’s) is a 415-bed comprehensive center for pediatric health care and the primary pediatric teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. Boston Children’s community mission is to improve the health and well-being of children and families in the local community. In service of this mission, the hospital leverages its resources with community partnerships to address health disparities, improve child health outcomes, promote health equity, and enhance quality of life for children and families.

About the Metro South West Community Health Initiative

The Boston Children’s Metro South West Community Health Initiative (CHI) aims to improve the health and well-being of children, youth, and families experiencing the greatest inequities in health. It will support community health initiatives for underserved children, youth, and families in the communities of Brockton, Framingham, Needham, Quincy, Randolph, Waltham, and Weymouth. The three initiatives through this CHI are Mental Health and Well-Being, Flourishing Families, and Healthy Communities. For more information about the process used to determine these initiatives read the full report here.

2026 Funding Opportunity: Mental Health and Well-Being

The goal of this initiative is to improve the mental and behavioral health of children, youth, and families. Boston Children’s is seeking proposals that will increase access to culturally and linguistically appropriate counseling and support and/or increase social cohesion in communities.

Projects will advance change by creating or expanding already existing programs and services; advancing systems change and cross-sector coordination and/or engaging in policy and advocacy. 

Applicants must propose a project that advances at least one of the four strategic focus areas outlined below: 

1. Counseling and support: Promote integration of culturally and linguistically appropriate counseling and case management supports in childcare, school, community, and health center settings to keep children and families connected to these institutions and navigate changes in public assistance programs.
2. Community education and peer support: Promote culturally and linguistically appropriate education, peer support, and mentorship programs to promote belonging and reduce stress among children, youth, or parents/caregivers in school and community settings. 
3. Staff development: Provide intensive evidence-based practice training and personal support for staff working in community, school, and clinical settings. Examples include but are not limited to: Mental Health First Aid, Circle of Security, Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions, Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences, stress management and resiliency training, financial coaching
4. Enrichment programs: Provide free out of school time programs that intentionally promote child and youth mental health in innovative and creative ways including through music, arts, play, sports, and life coaching

Total Award and Tiers Information

• Up to $3.2M will be available within this request. 
• Funding will support projects for three years, September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2029. 
• Boston Children’s anticipates funding up to 11 awards for this request.
• Applicants may propose projects with budgets in one of two tiers. Applicants requesting higher budget amounts will be expected to implement more comprehensive efforts designed to achieve systems or policy change. The following table provides guidelines for the expected elements across the two funding tiers.

Table 1. Funding Tiers

Eligible Organizations

Eligible organizations include:

• Community-based organizations with 501(c)(3) status, including non-profit early childcare providers or non-profit networks supporting for-profit early childcare providers, community health centers, youth and family serving organizations, and grassroots organizations. If the organization is not a 501(c)(3) non-profit, they can apply with a tax-exempt fiscal sponsor.
• Public agencies, including schools, are eligible to receive funds, but not as the lead applicant. They may be named as a partner in an application submitted by a community-based organization. 

Organizations not eligible to apply for funding include:

• Practices of and affiliated with Boston Children’s Hospital
• For profit organizations
• Philanthropic organizations

Use of Grant Funds

Grant funds may be used for project staff salaries, consultant fees, data collection and analysis, meetings, stipends for community participants, supplies, project-related travel, and other direct expenses, including a limited amount of equipment deemed essential to the project. Indirect expenses may not exceed 10% of total request. 

Grant funds may not be used to provide medical services provided by Boston Children’s Hospital or its affiliates, support clinical trials, construct or renovate healthcare facilities, or substitute funds currently being used to support similar activities.

Priority Communities

Funding through this initiative must support children, youth, and families in one or more of the following communities: Brockton, Framingham, Needham, Quincy, Randolph, Waltham, and Weymouth. Applicants must demonstrate their commitment and capacity to implement programs in one or more of these communities. Although cross-community or regional efforts may engage or impact children, youth and families from surrounding communities, Boston Children’s expects that a significant percentage of funding will support children, youth, and families in the seven named priority communities.

Priority Populations

Evaluation and Monitoring

Boston Children’s is working with the UMass Donahue Institute (UMDI) to serve as the evaluation partner for this initiative. Upon award, grant partners will be expected to refine process, reach, and outcome indicators on their submitted work plan in collaboration with UMDI.

Grant partners will be expected to:

• Meet on a semi-annual basis with Boston Children’s to share project progress and challenges. Notes from these meetings will be shared with grant partners and used to inform the evaluation of the initiative.
• Submit two reports per year, including a narrative mid-year progress report and an annual report containing aggregate data to demonstrate project implementation (process data) and impact (outcome data). These reports will be used to evaluate the impact of the initiative. 

Sharing and Learning 

Boston Children’s will convene grant partners for an onboarding meeting for organizational leadership and project staff in October 2026. In addition to semi-annual meetings with Boston Children’s staff, grant partners will also be expected to participate in up to two sharing and learning activities annually with attendance from organizational leadership and project staff. Boston Children’s staff will work with grant partners to identify appropriate activities.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria

All applications will be evaluated through the lens of our Core Principles (equity, strong communities, collaboration, innovation, integration, sustainability) using a Proposal Review Tool. Reviewers will rate evaluation criteria using a weighted scale.

• Organizational Overview 
• Advancing Equity 
• Project Description 
• Budget

Key Dates

2026 Mental Health & Well Being Application Instructions

Proposals Due: Friday, April 17, 2026 by 5 p.m. at https://bostonchildrens.smapply.io/

Completed Application components include:

• Applicant information 
• Full proposal narrative
• Project budget (Template provided)
• Project work plan (Template provided)
• Organizational budget
• W-9 tax form for organization or fiscal sponsor (Blank copy provided)
• Letters of support (Two letters from project participants or partners outside of your organization.)
• Partnership Letters, if applying for Tier 2 funding (A jointly signed letter or one letter of support from each partner. Each letter must be one page maximum.)
• Other supporting materials (Optional)