Funding Opportunities

Bell Let’s Talk has partnered with more than 1,300 organizations providing mental health supports and services throughout Canada, including hospitals, universities, local community service providers and other care and research organizations. On this page you will find the most up to date information about funding available through the Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund, Bell Let’s Talk Post-Secondary Fund and the Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund.

Click below to learn more about each fund.

Diversity Fund

Overview

As part of Bell’s commitment to take a strong stance against racism, social injustice and the impacts on ethno-cultural communities, the Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund supports the mental health and well-being of members of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) communities across Canada. The Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund supports organizations with projects aiming to reduce the stigma around mental illness and/or increase access to culturally informed mental health and well-being support for BIPOC communities in Canada. For the 2021 cycle, the Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund provides grants of up to $200,000.

To help guide us, we have engaged a broad circle of advisors, including mental health experts and people with lived experience from within these communities who will assist us in the Fund review process as well as providing advice on directions and priorities, consultation on the development and future evolution of the Fund.

The 2021 Bell Let's Talk Diversity Fund grant application window is now closed. We will inform organizations of the status of their applications by December 2021 and the first payment will be disbursed in early 2022. To learn more about the projects we have funded to date, please click here.

Please continue to visit this page and follow us on social media on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter to stay informed about future fund developments.

Eligibility

Canadian registered charities, non-profit organizations, and community organizations are eligible for consideration.

Criteria

Preference will be given to organizations:

  • Led by an individual who is a member of the BIPOC community they support (e.g., Executive Director)
  • Managed by a board, council or executive committee predominantly consisting of individuals who reflect the community they support

Preference will be given to projects:

  • With a 2-5 year time period
  • That clearly articulates how the proposed project will advance the mental health and well-being of the community it serves through anti-stigma and/or access to care
  • That offers services that are evidence and culturally-informed
  • That identify community impacts, specifying the number or increased number of individuals helped through the project, and how it will be measured

Exclusions

Applicants:

  • Business or contract fundraisers, individuals, families and political parties
  • Private clinics

Projects:

  • 1 year project
  • Capital campaigns and projects
  • Medical equipment
  • Projects supporting neurological and developmental disorders as defined by the World Health Organization
  • Event sponsorship
  • Research projects
  • Post-secondary projects supporting student mental health and wellness services are not eligible to apply to the Diversity Fund but such projects may be eligible to apply to the Post-Secondary Fund. However, post-secondary projects delivering mental health services for the greater BIPOC community (e.g., Indigenous mental health walk-in clinic) are eligible.
  • Projects delivering mental health services for the broader Canadian community may be eligible to apply for a Community Fund grant.

Terms of grant

The Fund will award grants of up to $200,000 payable over 2-5 years. The Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund may provide a grant amount for less than that requested; when this happens, the grantee must submit a revised budget within the amount approved. Stewardship reports are due on an annual basis and subsequent payments are conditional on the satisfactory completion of the annual stewardship report.

Application process

The Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund application process involves various steps. The Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund application process graphic provides an overview of the steps organizations need to take to apply for a Diversity Fund grant.

1) Prospective applicants to review the eligibility criteria (above) and ensure the organization and the project align to the Diversity Fund eligibility requirements.
2) Applicants complete the Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund Preliminary Application form, which includes questions about the organization, the project for which funding is requested, and the impact the project will have on the mental health and well-being of the BIPOC community and its cultural relevance.
3) Review of the preliminary applications by our circle of advisors, which includes individual from ethno-cultural communities that are mental health experts, community leaders and people with lived experience.
4) Selection of finalists. Finalists provide additional details of their project action plan, deliverables and milestones.
5) Submission of detailed project action plans, deliverables and milestones for final Bell Let’s Talk approval.
6) Organizations are informed on the final status of their applications by December 2021.
7) First grant payments are disbursed in early 2022 and on an annual basis thereafter, conditional to the successful completion of the annual stewardship report.

For more information about the Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund please send an email to diversitymentalhealth@bell.ca.

Post-Secondary Fund

Overview

Bell is committed to continued support for post-secondary student mental health and wellness across Canada. Bell Let’s Talk funding enabled the creation of the National Standard of Canada for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students (the Standard), under the leadership of the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) and in partnership with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA).

Bell is building on this commitment to support student success with the creation of the Bell Let’s Talk Post-Secondary Fund. The Post-Secondary Fund includes two initiatives to support post-secondary institutions in their journey to implement the Standard. In Québec, schools also have the option to follow the Québec Action Plan on Student Mental Health for Higher Education.

The first funding initiative made available was the Bell Let’s Talk Post-Secondary Fund Kickoff Grant. The period for submitting an application for a Kickoff Grant is now closed. To see a complete list of universities and colleges who received a $25,000 Kickoff Grant, please click here.

The Bell Let’s Talk Post-Secondary Fund Implementation Grant is the second initiative. This multi-year grant is to fund programs identified by the institution to support their alignment with the guiding principles and models of the Standard or the Québec Action Plan. The 2021 Bell Let's Talk Post-Secondary Fund Implementation Grant application window is now closed and will re-open in spring 2022.

Successful applicants will hear back on the status of their applications later this fall and a list of the 2021 grant recipient projects will be posted in January 2022 for reference.

Please continue to visit this page and follow us on social media on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter to stay informed about future fund developments.

Eligibility

Publicly funded Canadian post-secondary institutions that are taking action to align with the implementation of the Standard or Québec Action Plan are eligible for Implementation Grants.

Criteria

The Post-Secondary Fund Implementation Grant supports initiatives that improve student mental health and support the institution’s journey to align with the Standard or Québec Action Plan. Preference will be given to applications that:

  • Leverage the sample Internal Audit tool available on page 13 in the Standard Starter Kit to gain insight into the mental health needs of their students.
  • Based on the internal audit tool, provide a detailed description about the project and demonstrate how the institution will close an identified gap to support their alignment with the guiding principles and models of the Standard or Québec Action Plan.
  • Incorporate student and/or student association feedback into their project, or students and/or student associations who were involved in the development of the project.
  • Clearly explain how the Implementation Grant will help offset the costs to activate the institution’s project to align with the guiding principles and models of the Standard or Québec Action Plan.

Applicants must agree and adhere to the terms and conditions as stated in the online application form.

Exclusions

  • For-profit institutions
  • Business or contract fundraisers, individuals, families and political parties
  • Private clinics
  • Event sponsorship

Terms of grant

The Bell Let’s Talk Post-Secondary Fund will award an Implementation Grant of up to $100,000, payable over two years, to a select number of eligible institutions.

The Grant application period is open from June 10 to August 27, 2021. Successful applicants will receive funding in early 2022. Stewardship reports are due on an annual basis and subsequent payments are conditional on the satisfactory completion of the annual stewardship report.

The Bell Let’s Talk Post-Secondary Fund may provide a grant amount for less than that requested; when this happens, the grantee must submit a revised budget within the amount approved.

For questions about the Bell Let’s Talk Post-Secondary Fund, please send an email to postsecondarymentalhealth@bell.ca.

Community Fund

Overview

As part of the Bell Let’s Talk mental health initiative, the Community Fund provides annual donations of up to $25,000 to charitable organizations to fund mental health services and supports in communities across Canada.

Over the past 10 years, the Community Fund has invested more than $13 million in grants to 775 organizations. To learn more about the projects we have funded to date, please click here.

The 2021 Bell Let's Talk Community Fund grant application window is now closed and will re-open in January 2022.

Successful applicants will hear back on the status of their applications by July at which time a list of the 2021 grant recipient projects will be posted for reference.

Eligibility

Canadian registered charities are eligible for consideration. Successful grant recipients will only be eligible for another Community Fund grant one year after the date of any previous grant. If you received a 2020 grant, you are not eligible to apply again until the 2022 cycle.

Please note only one application per organization will be accepted.

Criteria

The Community Fund supports projects that improve access to mental health care, supports and services for people in Canada. Preference will be given to applications that:

  • Leverage, expand or replicate proven programs and services already being offered by other mental health agencies
  • Have clear objectives and a measurement plan
  • Are evidence-based or evidence-informed
  • Include a detailed budget and have secured funding from other sources for the project
  • Specifically address project sustainability post-funding
  • Identify community impact and specify the number or increased number of individuals helped through the project

Applicants must agree and adhere to the terms and conditions as stated in the online application form.

Exclusions

  • Business or contract fundraisers, individuals, families and political parties
  • Private clinics
  • Capital campaigns and projects
  • Medical equipment
  • Anti-stigma projects
  • Multi-year funding requests
  • Projects supporting neurological and developmental disorders as defined by the World Health Organization
  • Event sponsorship
  • Research projects
  • Post-secondary projects supporting student mental health and wellness services. To learn more about the Bell Let’s Talk Post-Secondary Fund click here.

Post-secondary projects delivering mental health services for the greater community (i.e. mental health walk-in clinic) are eligible to apply for a Community Fund grant.

Terms of grant

The Bell Let's Talk Community Fund only provides annual funding. The grant year starts on October 1 and ends September 30 the following year. Stewardship reports are due October 15, one year after grants are awarded.

The Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund may provide a grant amount for less than that requested; when this happens, the grantee must submit a revised budget within the amount approved.

For more information about the Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund please send an email to mentalhealth@bell.ca.