Youth Behavioral Health Grants

The St. Clare Foundation is a mission-driven organization rooted in the Felician Sisters tradition of service, operating as a catalyst for systemic change in youth behavioral health across Southern Illinois. Dedicated to addressing the region’s critical youth behavioral health crisis, the Foundation provides strategic funding and a collaborative infrastructure to empower nonprofit organizations serving children and adolescents. Its approach prioritizes long-term transformation over temporary support by emphasizing sustainable, community-wide solutions. Focused specifically on youth aged 5 to 18 years in Marion, Jefferson, and surrounding counties—including Clinton, Washington, Fayette, Perry, Franklin, Wayne, and Clay—the Foundation offers three distinct grant types to meet partners where they are in their developmental lifecycle. Anchor Investments support multi-year projects that establish sustainable and proven models to reshape the behavioral health service ecosystem. Innovation Grants fund pilot programs and creative interventions that can eventually scale into broader systemic models. Mini-Grants address immediate, high-impact needs such as training, resource acquisition, or equipment. Eligibility for funding requires alignment with the Foundation’s mission, nonprofit and tax-exempt status in good standing with the IRS, and a programmatic focus on youth behavioral health within the eligible counties. Collaboration with other community organizations is favorable but not required. The application process must be completed electronically through the Foundation’s online application form. Virtual office hours are held every Monday from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM CST during the application window to assist applicants. Additional 1:1 appointments can also be scheduled. Applicants must adhere to rigorous reporting requirements to ensure accountability and impact measurement. These include monthly check-in calls, quarterly written reports, and a comprehensive final report at the end of the grant period. A downloadable scoring rubric and full grant criteria documentation are available to support applicants during proposal development. For the 2026 grant cycle, applications open on January 2 and close on January 26 at 5:00 PM CST. Applicants will receive decisions by March 2. While individuals are not eligible to apply, nonprofits serving the designated regions are encouraged to submit proposals. Late submissions are not accepted, though denied applicants are welcome to apply again in future cycles. The main contact for inquiries is Clare Kessler, who can be reached at ckessler@saintclarefoundation.org. The Foundation also hosts an Open House event and maintains an office at 420 N. Pleasant Ave. Suite B, Centralia, IL 62801. With a commitment to systemic change, the St. Clare Foundation continues to build a vision of Southern Illinois where no youth behavioral health needs go unmet.