Listen to the Q&A Recording:

The recording is clipped at the beginning of the meeting and gets cut off at the end of the Q&A session, but the salient info is here. There is a correction to the audio information: Grantees have one year (from the date of their contract) to spend down the $10,000 award. We culled the Q&A for the questions raised throughout the meeting so we could echo the answers here as written responses.

Thank you to our incredible collaborators.

As part of building this grant program, we sought guidance from an advisory committee of local leaders who helped us create straightforward and transparent eligibility criteria designed to reach our often overlooked communities. We want to give a big-hearted thank you to Bonnie Lockhart, Aurelie Clivaz, Amalia Abrojena, Jesennia Garcia, Buffey Bourassa and Medie Parrott. This project is embedded with their ideas, laced with their feedback, backed by their support and informed by their partnership. These leaders inspire us with their community work, their ethos, their values and we are incredibly grateful for their thoughtful contributions.

Table of Contents:

How to Apply

Eligibility

Disbursement

What will I need to apply?

We will begin accepting applications July 25 at 9:30am PST. This grant is available on a first-come, first-serve basis for the first 25 organizations. This application is designed to be completed in one sitting. You will not be able to save your progress. If, for any reason, you cannot complete your application in one sitting, you will have to start at the beginning.

Make sure to review our EIN requirements to ensure that you have all of the necessary information according to the type of application you will be submitting:

If you are applying under the umbrella of a fiscal sponsor, or on behalf of a federally recognized Tribal Nation, you will need their prior approval and the contact information for the person authorized to sign the contract to receive and disburse the GO Grant funds.

How does the process work?

  1. Complete our checklist to confirm your eligibility
    Our Eligibility Checklist consists of just six criteria. All questions are closed-ended, there are no long-answer fields.
  2. Submit the online grant application
    Eligible organizations create an account to finalize the application.
  3. Get instant approval
    Upon approval you’ll receive a notice of “Conditional Acceptance,” which gives us the opportunity to confirm tax-exemption status and finalize eligibility before we proceed.
  4. Complete a simple partnership contract
    Within 2 weeks of applying, the contract will be sent via Docusign.
  5. Receive rapid payment electronically
    Transfers are initiated on a set schedule twice a month. A completed contract is required prior to distributing funds.
  6. Meetup with the grant Program Officer, Laura Hamburg, and other recipients.
    We’ll invite you to meet us for coffee to celebrate your successes and learn how the GO Grant is helping you do your work. We will also serve as a connector and introduce you to other community partners in your region. At the end of the GO Grant cycle, sometime next year, we’ll have a celebratory community gathering with all 25 Mendocino County GO Grant recipients.

We work in Mendocino County as well as nearby counties, are we still eligible?

Yes, however, funds must be earmarked for use in Mendocino specifically.

What constitutes mental health services? What do you consider cultural practices as community healing?

This fund is about building resilience in Mendocino County by broadening the definition of mental health and substance use disorder treatment and housing services beyond the euro-centric “Western” interpretation. We believe a healthy community is one that supports, celebrates and resources a diverse bounty of traditions and culturally specific ways of healing.

  • Mental health
    We are looking at a more holistic definition of mental health, one that acknowledges the impact of colonization, oppression, stigma, and the lack of structural support for healing as mental healthcare. Mental health includes efforts to address systemic racism, generational trauma, and centers cultural stewardship and restoration as healing modalities.
  • Cultural practices as community healing
    This fund includes supporting the celebration of Native American and Hispanic/Latino traditional healing and cultural restoration as cornerstones of community wellness. This might look like offering GO Grants to support restoring and revitalizing indigenous languages, Native American gathering materials, Native American and Latino foods, dance, traditional medicines, and culturally honored ways of healing for mental health and substance use disorders, including ceremony and ritual, for example.

How might organizations meet the leadership demographics requirement?

We are looking for organizations whose executive team and/or Board includes at least 51 percent representation from one or more of the communities listed:

  • Native American, Latino/Hispanic or other people of color
  • LGBTQIA+
  • Persons with experience with homelessness and/or mental health or substance use disorders
    We recognize the unique perspectives, expertise and insights that are possible when organizations are led by people who have “lived experience” navigating the issues they are working to address, such as personal or familial experience living unsheltered, with mental health and substance use challenges.

To establish if your organization meets this requirement, look at the demographics of the people in your organization’s leadership, including: board members, program leadership, and executive team members.

Will my fiscal sponsor’s leadership demographics or budget count against me?

No, in our Eligibility Checklist, we are asking about the budget and leadership of the specific organization, project, or collaboration which will use the funds.

I’m not sure I’m eligible.

The Eligibility Checklist is based on our trust in our community members. The intention of the Mendocino County GO Grant program is to promote systems change by resourcing organizations often overlooked. We have tried as best we can to keep these questions simple, but we understand you may have questions about your specific organization. Please reach out to Laura at [email protected] to continue the conversation.

How much time do I have to spend the funds?

You have within one year of the date the contract was signed. This gives everyone the same amount of time, regardless of when in the fiscal or calendar year they received their award.

Are there additional funds for my fiscal sponsor’s administrative work?

No, there are no additional administrative dollars set aside for GO Grant fiscal sponsors. That said, you can choose to share a portion of your award amount with your fiscal sponsor according to your organizational needs and agreements.

Do I have to provide my banking information when I apply?

No, this step is optional. But we will need it so we can get you the funds. After you apply and receive your conditional approval online, please email, text or call Laura to provide this information via a method of your choice. Please do this promptly to avoid delays in disbursement.