In 2021 mental health was the leading preventable cause of maternal mortality, with maternal
mental health, which includes, but is not limited to, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, psychosis,
post-traumatic stress disorder,1 affecting one in seven birthing women and nearly one in four new
mothers of color experiencing postpartum depression.
It intersects with many societal issues,
including child development, housing and family economic security. Further, most pregnant and
parenting people of color are not getting the help they need.
The lack of equity within the maternal mental health field has significant ramifications, impacting
how the problem is defined, who’s leading the work, how programs are built and sustained, how
success is measured and defined, and how systems and policies do or don’t address the families
who need maternal mental health supports the most.
To address the gaps in Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) led and community-centered
solutions within the maternal mental health space, several leading funders came together in
December 2022 to develop a nationally focused pooled fund that will work to directly address the
mental health and well-being of BIPOC families. More specifically, the fund will invest in a cohort of
organizations and leaders from within communities - and across the country - who are delivering
models of care that are built in and by BIPOC communities.
Ultimately, we are seeking exceptional programs or initiatives that are: (1) built within and by BIPOC
communities (2) led by BIPOC leaders with a community-oriented focus; and (3) demonstrating
impact and addressing maternal mental health inequity.
The Maternal Mental Health Equity Fund (MMHEF) is seeking to support BIPOC-led organizations
and/or programs which are advancing community-centered approaches to directly address BIPOC
maternal mental health inequities. Selected grantees will become partners in a 3-year national
Learning Community with funding ranging from $50,000 - $100,000 per year. We will prioritize
applications from BIPOC-led, community-based organizations addressing maternal mental health,
anchored in the community they serve, who have not previously received large, multi-year grants.
All written applications should be submitted by email to contactmmhef@gmail.com by 11:59pm
PST on Friday, January 12, 2024.
● Registered 501(c)(3) organization
○ If you do not have non-profit status, you are welcome to apply if you have a fiscal
intermediary to support your work.
○ We are also open to a joint application from a partnership of non-profit organizations
● Annual operating budget between $250,000 - $1,000,000 for the most recent fiscal year
○ You are welcome to apply if your organizational budget exceeds $1M, but your
initiative/programmatic budget falls within these guidelines. We will review on a case-
by-case basis.
● Applicants must provide culturally relevant direct maternal mental health services in BIPOC
communities
○ Services and programs do not need to exclusively address mental health, but it should
be an intentional and explicit component of the work you provide.
● Additionally, direct maternal mental health services can include, but are not limited to clinical
interventions, as well as services such as emotional, behavioral, and relational well-being
supports, healing, stress reduction, education and advocacy with the ability to connect clients
with more complex mental health needs to appropriate levels of care.
● Applicants must be rooted within the BIPOC community/communities they serve - intentionally
attending to the mental health needs of their community members in ways that value the
strengths, cultural values, knowledge, and practices of the community.
● Applicants must have some experience and/or interest in influencing systems change for
maternal mental health equity.