2025 Mental Health RFP

Request for Proposals

Deadline to Apply: November 17, 2025

About the Foundation

The Horizon Foundation is the largest independent health philanthropy in Maryland. We are committed to a Howard County free from systemic inequities, where all people can live abundant and healthy lives. We fight for equitable and compassionate health and mental health care, access to affordable and safe homes, a community where healthy food is accessible and affordable and where all residents can generate and pass down wealth. Our mission is to work side by side with community to build power, power, advocate for policy change and dismantle structural racism to achieve better health for everyone in Howard County and greater Maryland.   

We also recognize that we can’t do this work alone. We value our community partners and believe that together we can make big change happen in Howard County and greater Maryland. We seek to work with partners that are committed to and/or working toward the goals below.  

  • Are community led. We recognize that community leadership and expertise are necessary to address health and racial inequities and that they are closest to the issues and solutions. Partners will demonstrate and use community wisdom, expertise, and leadership. 
  • Build power.  We recognize that building power within communities most impacted by systemic racial inequities will address a history of exclusion and marginalization. We aim to build the voice, leadership, and engagement of African American, Asian American, Hispanic, and Native American communities.  
  • Dismantle structural racism within organizations and institutions. We seek partners that will change the status quo and erase long-standing structural inequities that exist across our community institutions of power.  
  • Mobilize for policy change. We seek partners that advocate for policy change at the local, state, and regional levels. We recognize that this type of systemic change takes long-term solutions, and we seek to work with partners over a period of time to build the base, create policy wins, and catalyze sustained movements.  
  • Embody effective stewardship. We seek partners who use disaggregated data and use internal systems to foster learning and accountability of racial equity outcomes. Partners can demonstrate policies and practices that reflect organizational and fiscal health. 

We recognize that each organization is on their own unique anti-racism journey and may not have experience in each area above. We seek to strengthen the capacity of organizations so they can more effectively change policies/systems that will eliminate structural racism throughout Howard County.

Please see the “How to Apply” section below to better understand how the above goals are assessed in the application process.

Mental Health Challenges Continue

The 2024 Howard County Health Assessment Survey surfaced many of the mental health struggles our community continues to face. In responding to survey questions about mental health, a third of adult residents reported feeling down, depressed and hopeless and had little interest or pleasure in doing things for several days or more. About half also reported feeling nervous, anxious or on edge. Nearly a third felt isolated from others. Although many people are accessing treatment and supports, mental health and social isolation are ongoing challenges for our community.  

The Foundation remains committed to strengthening mental health systems in the county. While we continue to invest in services like school based mental health and crisis expansion work, we recognize that our community is facing a moment of deep angst. Mental health challenges and treatments are not experienced in the same way by all residents. There is still a gap in awareness and acceptance of existing and effective services, particularly among certain populations. In the face of budget cuts and funding changes (locally and nationally), it is crucial that we continue to elevate the mental health needs of our children and families to ensure services are sustained.   

Strengthening Community 

To build on our progress of recent years and bring a healing lens to our mental health work, Horizon Foundation is seeking to partner with community organizations to strengthen our collective resilience.    

The Center for Resilient Communities states that “resilient communities have strong, interconnected supports and systems that prevent chronic adversity and provide access to supports that enable children and families to thrive”. The Center identifies four components of building community resilience: creating a shared understanding, engaging community in co-created solutions, assessing capacity and building systems supports, and establishing cross-sector partnerships.  

Building on this framework, the Foundation specifically seeks partners to:   

  • Uplift narratives from the community to better understand how our residents are facing mental health challenges and how they are experiencing our mental health system 
  • Convene community and increase awareness and acceptance of existing services   
  • Advocate for additional mental health resources and services and help identify future policy needs  

We seek partners who are most connected to and serve low-income and historically marginalized communities, including those who may not have previously engaged with the Foundation.  

  

Mental Health Grant Opportunity and Commitments  

We expect to fund at least 6 committed organizations between $15,000-$20,000 each to engage partners in deepening community resilience. The scope of work for awarded grantees will include:  

  • Narrative Sharing : Co-design and co-host a storytelling/narrative sharing event. This might be a one-time event, an event spread across multiple partners, or a series of events. The goal will be to capture and share narratives from the community around mental health. Possible topics might include experiences with the mental health system, stories of healing, strength and resilience in the face of adversity, or finding support outside of traditional mental health structures. Possible formats might include film festivals, art shows, poetry or storytelling nights, or dance performances. However, both the topic and the format will be collectively developed by the grantees and the Foundation team. The event date(s) will be discussed and decided by the selected grantees.  
  • Convene Community and Increase Awareness: Host at least two convenings of connected members/partners to provide insight into the mental health experience and opportunities to increase awareness and acceptance of services (e.g., 988 Helpline) across communities. Recruit and deploy informal ambassadors to encourage acceptance of existing supports.   
  • Strengthen Advocacy : Partner with and participate in the Mental Health Matters Coalition to help establish and secure community mental health resources and sustainable government funding. Help to identify future policy needs and join in advocacy work to push these needs forward. 
  • Ongoing Connection : Through these grants, the Foundation seeks to learn and build on/enhance relationships between the Foundation and selected organizations. Throughout the term of the grant, Foundation staff and awardees will explore shared priorities and potential future partnerships.   

 

Additional Grantee Support 

The Horizon Foundation is committed to practicing trust-centered philanthropy – a holistic approach to grantmaking that is rooted in shared values and true partnership with grantees, where grantees not only provide input but co-create programs and policy solutions that achieve our joint vision of social change.  

We also recognize that grant making has inherent power dynamics and we seek to change those dynamics and build more collaborative relationships with our grantees that allows for greater risk-taking, learning, and ultimately is more impactful and equitable for our community.  

For this grant opportunity these principles show up in the following ways: 

  • Co-Creation: The Foundation is committed to equitable decision-making approaches to advance its priority goals in the County. Grantees, alongside the Foundation, partner Coalitions, and the community, will work together to co-create solutions to the complex challenges in Howard County after grant funding has been awarded.  
  • Flexible Funding: All selected grantees will be awarded an operating grant to allow for more innovation, emergent action and sustainability.   
  • New Grantee Experience: Selected grantees will participate in a collaborative learning journey with other grantees to help foster a stronger sense of community and a deeper learning of racial equity and organizing advocacy principles. All grantees will be expected to participate in at least 3 convenings that will include the following:  
    • Racial equity & anti-racism coaching/activities
    • Community organizing training/activities 

Each selected grantee will complete a racial equity and advocacy assessment to help determine organizational strengths and challenges.

Additionally, on demand technical assistance and coaching will be provided in areas uplifted by each grantee throughout the project period.  

How to Apply: 

As stated above, the Foundation is seeking grantees that are excited to work alongside the Foundation and community to co-create solutions to complex health challenges in Howard County. This grant application is designed to better understand your organization by assessing passion, experience, capacity and commitment to working on the health challenges above. 

Listed below are examples of the type of questions you will see in the application: 

  • What does embedding racial equity into your organization’s work look like? (Provide examples)  
  • Describe your experience working with and/or serving communities of color?  
  • When it comes to building community power, what do you think your organization brings to the table?  
  • List the top three organizations/groups/people you work with and describe your partnership.   

 

All applications must be submitted using our online grants system. Preview the grant application questions in this PDF. The deadline to submit the application is November 17, 2025 at 11:59:59 PM.  

 

Additional Eligibility Criteria: 

  • Proposals will be accepted from organizations that envision a Howard County free from systemic inequities, where all people can live abundant and healthy lives. 
  • Organizations must be: (a) tax-exempt under IRS Section 501(c)3 or (b) have a fiscal sponsor that is tax-exempt under IRS Section 501(c)3.  
  • The grant period for grantees is from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026.  

 

Selection Process and Timeline 

Please see below for the full timeline of the decision-making process. Communication from Horizon Foundation will go out to all applicants about the status of their application on or before November 21, 2025.  

  • November 17, 2025: Application closes at 11:59:59 EST 
  • November 18 – 21: 2025: Application Review Period 
  • November 25, 2025: Notification of Award Status 

 

Interested in learning more? Attend our info session.  

We will host an information session to explain the Request for Proposals and answer any questions you may have. Please participate in our upcoming virtual Zoom session: 

  • Please note that this is a joint session where all open RFPs will be discussed. The session will be recorded and posted online once completed. 

 

For questions on the Mental Health grant opportunity, please contact our consultant, Tiffany Erbelding: tiffany@ignitedstrategies.com.  

For assistance with the grant system, please contact Program Director, Kenitra Fokwa at kfokwa@thehorizonfoundation.org.