GO Grants

How you choose to spend the funds is up to you. We trust you know (better than we do) how to best help your community. Since we grant unrestricted funds, the award can be for anything from savings for operational reserves, capacity-building, to supporting programs, projects or teams. That said, in accordance with our bylaws and federal law, these funds are not earmarked for lobbying or capital campaigns.

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:

• Applying with your organization’s EIN
• Applying with a fiscal sponsorship
• Applying on behalf of a Tribal Nation

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.

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.

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

This fund is about building resilience in San Diego 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.
• Community Engagement & Wellness
  Involvement of community members in initiatives and activities aimed at promoting the overall health & well being of the community. These activities can include a wide range of offerings such as restorative justice, artivism, civic participation, and somatic practices. Fosters inclusion, connection, collaboration, and power sharing.

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, you can provide this information through our secure online portal. Please do this promptly to avoid delays in disbursement.

We are looking for organizations whose executive team, or at least 51% of the Board, include representation from one or more of the communities listed:

• BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color)
• LGBTQIA+
• Persons with experience with homelessness, incarceration, or living with mental health and/or substance use challenges either directly or through loved ones

We recognize the unique perspectives, expertise and insights that are possible when organizations are led by or include 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/or substance use challenges, or have been impacted by incarceration or the broader consequence of the carceral system.

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.

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.

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

An Employer Identification Number (EIN) is a free, federal nine-digit tax identification number that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) assigns to nonprofits, charities, organizations, and businesses. In your case, it’s like a social security number for your nonprofit. Nonprofit organizations and charities are required to have their EIN prior to filing for tax exemption and securing their 501c3 nonprofit status.