Ember Call-Out 2024: Inviting Applications from Community-Based Mental Health Initiatives

Deadline Date: August 20, 2024

Donor Name: The SHM Foundation

Grant Size: $1000 to $10,000

Ember is calling for applications from community-based mental health initiatives working in low- and middle-income countries who would like to partner with them.

Successful initiatives will be offered a 12-month partnership with Ember, customised to support and strengthen the sustainability and growth of the organisation based on their needs. There will also be an opportunity for the selected organisations to be considered for Ember investment after the 12-month partnership.

Why was Ember created?

• Ember is a flagship programme of the SHM Foundation, a forward-looking philanthropic organisation working globally to drive positive social change in the areas of mental health and wellbeing, education and livelihoods, and access to the arts.
• The SHM Foundation has been innovators and implementers in the field of mental health for over a decade, having designed and funded projects with vulnerable communities across 19 countries.
• They believe that people working at the community level play a crucial role and offer invaluable insights in addressing global gaps in mental health care and awareness. Their own journey has taught them firsthand about the many challenges facing community-based projects, especially as they begin to grow. A major challenge for these organisations is finding support that is tailored to their unique contexts, journeys, and specific plans.
• At Ember, they understand that each organisation operates under distinct circumstances, facing unique challenges and pursuing individual goals. They know that a one-size-fits-all approach simply won’t do.
• That’s why they take the time to listen closely to each partner’s experiences and needs. By deeply understanding their situations, they can offer their expertise to support their plans, adapting their approach to fit their contexts and goals while co-designing strategies to empower them. Instead of a generic solution, they engage in a collaborative process with each partner, working closely to understand their specific obstacles and opportunities. This means that the strategies are custom-built, considering everything from financial health and capacity building to team wellbeing, creative storytelling and impact evaluation.
• Their commitment to this tailored support means that no two partnerships with Ember are the same. They adapt their methods and resources to ensure the best possible outcomes for every organisation they work with. By offering support that is as unique as the organisations they work with, Ember supports organisations tackle their immediate challenges while also laying a solid foundation for long-term resilience and meaningful progress.

What does a partnership with Ember include? 

• The support Ember provides is tailored to the organisation and its evolving needs, and rooted in an ethos of collaboration, respect, and mutual learning.
• Ember provides:
  • Collaborative Assessment: They work with successful applicants to identify strengths, challenges, and future visions, co-designing strategies to overcome obstacles and leverage strengths.
  • Tailored Support: They tailor their work to meet the specific needs of each initiative. This may include helping organisations develop clearer visions for their future, boosting visibility and stakeholder engagement via enhanced communications, capturing impact, and strengthening financial strategies.
  • Visibility and Networking: They provide platforms to raise awareness about your work and build networks through creative publications, events, and networking opportunities.
  • Wellbeing Support for you and your team.
  • Financial Stipend: An unrestricted stipend of £ 6,000 GBP for the year, split into two instalments.
  • Financial investment after the initial 12-month partnership IF an organisation is selected as one of the investment partners by the Ember Working Group and the SHM Foundation board.
• They work together to draw on strengths and overcome challenges to enable initiatives progress on its journey- whether that means growing, developing a more sustainable business or operational model, transitioning from a volunteer organisation to a professional one, or replicating your work in a new setting.

What does Ember expect from its partners? 

• Time Commitment: They anticipate that organisations need to dedicate approximately 3 hours per week over 12 months to the partnership. This includes time working directly with Ember in online sessions and time devoted to working together internally as a team.
• Values of the partnership: They look for partners who are committed to engaging with them openly, honestly, and in a spirit of collaboration.

Eligibility Criteria

• In order to be eligible to apply for Ember Call Out 2024, applicants must:
  • Work in the field of mental health.
  • Be based in a low- or middle- income country.
  • Engage directly with communities. They are looking for initiatives that are close to the communities they serve and deeply rooted in their settings, with local leadership. They are less likely to partner with advocacy organisations, political organisations, government services or think-tanks.
  • Be locally led. This means that initiatives should be based in low-and-middle income countries, that are created and implemented by local leadership teams, or/and with members of the community they serve.
  • Have a team of more than one person. This can include volunteers.
  • Have at least one English or Spanish or Arabic speaker in the team.
  • Not discriminate on the basis of religion, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, race or ability. However, faith-based organisations may apply.

For more information, visit The SHM Foundation.