Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Mental Health Foundation (MHF)

The Mental Health Foundation (MHF) is a charitable foundation based in Alberta that mobilizes philanthropic support to transform mental health and addictions care. Originally created in 1998 as the Alberta Hospital Edmonton Foundation, it now works across the province, raising funds from individuals, corporations and other foundations and redistributing them to qualified organizations delivering front-line mental health and addictions services, research and education.

MHF focuses on three main funding pillars: Research & Evaluation, Connecting Care Systems, and Patient Experiences & Outcomes. Within these pillars, the foundation supports Alberta-based researchers and educators, helps build better-connected and easier-to-navigate care pathways, and funds infrastructure and program enhancements that improve dignity, recovery and healing for people living with mental illness or substance use challenges.

The foundation’s granting programs are targeted to qualified donees, such as registered charities and certain nonprofit organizations working in the best interests of the people they serve. Funding is directed to initiatives that demonstrate clear benefits for mental health and addictions care in Alberta, including innovative clinical and community programs, applied research projects, and service models that close gaps in access to care.

Examples highlighted on the site include support for research on accelerated repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) for treatment-resistant depression, integrated youth services through Kickstand, centralized adult intake through Access 24/7, sensory modulation and spirituality rooms in treatment facilities, and mobile outreach such as youth health buses. These examples show that MHF funds both program operations and capital or environmental enhancements that improve the quality and experience of care.

MHF operates a structured granting process with defined thresholds and oversight. Applications up to $10,000 may be approved on a quarterly basis by the CEO, with all decisions reported to the Finance Committee and Board of Trustees. Requests over $10,000 are reviewed by the Finance Committee—which includes staff, volunteers, subject-matter experts and people with lived experience—and then recommended to the Board of Trustees for final approval.

Applications are submitted through an online portal, and there are separate cycles for smaller and larger grants. This framework supports transparency and fairness while allowing the foundation to respond to needs across Alberta’s mental health system.

The Mental Health Foundation’s work spans the full lifespan, from children and youth to adults and seniors, and targets both urban and rural communities. By working closely with Alberta Health Services, community agencies, researchers and partner foundations, MHF aims to strengthen the entire ecosystem of mental health and addictions support. Its activities include funding direct services, supporting innovation and evaluation, raising public awareness, and partnering on system-level initiatives that improve outcomes for Albertans living with mental illness or substance use issues.

Through this combination of fundraising, grantmaking and advocacy, the foundation plays a central role in expanding access to evidence-based, compassionate mental health and addictions care across Alberta.