The National Council for Behavioral Health Among Top 100 Proposals for $100 Million MacArthur Foundation Grant

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation today announced that The National Council for Behavioral Health  submitted one of the highest-scoring proposals in its global competition for a $100 million grant.

The National Council is among 100 finalists in the MacArthur Foundation's 100&Change competition for a single $100 million grant to help solve the world's most critical social challenges.

The National Council's ambitious proposal focuses on the mental wellbeing of young people in America. With more young Americans struggling with mental health and addiction issues now than at any other point in history, the need for proven solutions is clear. The National Council will empower a generation with the skills to recognize, talk about, and seek care for mental health and addiction conditions by expanding access to the internationally recognized Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training. And for youth who need clinical support, the National Council will help ensure that care is available by expanding the reach of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) nationwide.

The Top 100 finalists represent the top 21 percent of competition submissions. The proposals were rigorously vetted, undergoing MacArthur's initial administrative review, a Peer-to-Peer review, an evaluation by an external panel of judges and a technical review by specialists whose expertise was matched to the project.

Each proposal was evaluated using four criteria: impactful, evidence-based, feasible, and durable. MacArthur's Board of Directors will select up to 10 finalists from these high-scoring proposals this spring.

"What we're proposing will impact the mental wellbeing not just of the current young generation, but those that follow," said National Council for Behavioral Health President and CEO Chuck Ingoglia. "By raising the mental health literacy and skillset of young people and adults using Mental Health First Aid, we will begin to shift the tide towards understanding and connecting in the places where young people live, learn, work and play. And by scaling quality, evidence-based services to support young people through CCBHCs, we are investing in our communities' capacity to care for our young people."

"MacArthur seeks to generate increased recognition, exposure, and support for the high-impact ideas designated as the Top 100," said Cecilia Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change and MacArthur Managing Director, 100&Change. "Based on our experience in the first round of 100&Change, we know the competition will produce multiple compelling and fundable ideas. We are committed to matching philanthropists with powerful solutions and problem solvers to accelerate social change."

Since the inaugural competition, other funders and philanthropists have committed an additional $419 million to date to support bold solutions by 100&Change applicants. Building on the success of 100&Change, MacArthur created Lever for Change to unlock significant philanthropic capital by helping donors find and fund vetted, high-impact opportunities through the design and management of customized competitions. In addition to 100&Change, Lever for Change is managing the Chicago Prize, the Economic Opportunity Challenge, and the Larsen Lam ICONIQ Impact Award.

Bold Solutions Network Launches

The Bold Solutions Network launched today, featuring The National Council for Behavioral Health as one of the Top 100 from 100&Change. The searchable online collection of submissions contains a project overview, 90-second video, and two-page factsheet for each proposal. Visitors can sort by subject, location, Sustainable Development Goal, or beneficiary population to view proposals based on area of interest.

The Bold Solutions Network will showcase the highest-rated proposals that emerge from the competitions Lever for Change manages. Proposals in the Bold Solutions Network undergo extensive evaluation and due diligence to ensure each solution promises real and measurable progress to accelerate social change.

The Bold Solutions Network was designed to provide an innovative approach to identifying the most effective, enduring solutions aligned with donors' philanthropic goals and to help top applicants gain visibility and funding from a wide array of funders. Organizations that are part of the network will have continued access to a variety of technical support and learning opportunities focused on strengthening their proposals and increasing the impact of their work.

More About 100&Change

100&Change is a distinctive competition that is open to organizations and collaborations working in any field, anywhere in the world. Proposals must identify a problem and offer a solution that promises significant and durable change.

The second round of the competition had a promising start: 3,690 competition registrants submitted 755 proposals. Of those, 475 passed an initial administrative review. 100&Change was designed to be fair, open, and transparent. The identity of the judges and the methodology used to assess initial proposals are public. Applicants received comments and feedback from the peers, judges, and technical reviewers. Key issues in the competition are discussed in a blog on MacArthur's website.

In the inaugural round of 100&Change, Sesame Workshop and International Rescue Committee were awarded $100 million to educate young children displaced by conflict and persecution in the Syrian response region and to challenge the global system of humanitarian aid to focus more on building a foundation for future success for millions of young children. 

Media contact: Sophia Majlessi, [email protected], 202-621-1631

About the National Council for Behavioral Health
The National Council for Behavioral Health is the unifying voice of America's health care organizations that deliver mental health and addictions treatment and services. Together with our 3,326 member organizations serving over 10 million adults, children and families living with mental illnesses and addictions, the National Council is committed to all Americans having access to comprehensive, high-quality care that affords every opportunity for recovery. The National Council introduced Mental Health First Aid USA and 2 million Americans have been trained.

SOURCE National Council for Behavioral Health