Our Mission
"The van Ameringen Foundation has a substantial history of supporting reform of the New York Adult Home industry, where many such homes in the metropolitan area serve as a primary housing resource for persons with serious mental illness, many of whom have been discharged from psychiatric hospitals. Foundation grants to the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy (SCAA), Coalition for Institutionalized Aged and Disabled (CIAD) and NYAPRS (now the Alliance for Rights and Recovery) have supported policy and legislative advocacy. Much of the work of legal advocates was supported by the van Ameringen Foundation including grants to Disability Advocates (now Disability Rights New York), which filed the initial lawsuit, to the Urban Justice Center, Mobilization for Justice, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, and the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law."
— Board Member Clarence J. Sundram
LATEST NEWS
Class-action lawsuit filed by grantee Disability Rights New York leads to housing reform.
REPORT
The Nature and Potential Pathways for Philanthropy to Address the Mental Health Workforce Development Crisis in New York City and Philadelphia
June 28, 2022
Deadline to submit a Letter of Inquiry for the November 2022 Grant Cycle.
KEY DATES
GRANT CYCLE:
JUNE 2026
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LOI APPLICATION OPENS:
January 5, 2026
LOI DEADLINE:
February 27, 2026
PROPOSALS INVITED:
March 20, 2026
PROPOSAL DEADLINE:
April 10, 2026
SITE VISITS:
April 20, 2026 –
May 29, 2026
BOARD MEETING / FUNDING DECISION:
June 24, 2026
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GRANT CYCLE: NOVEMBER 2026
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LOI APPLICATION OPENS:
June 1, 2026
LOI DEADLINE:
July 17, 2026
PROPOSALS INVITED:
August 7, 2026
PROPOSAL DEADLINE:
September 4, 2026
SITE VISITS:
September 15, 2026 – October 30, 2026
BOARD MEETING / FUNDING DECISION:
November 17, 2026
The van Ameringen Foundation funds innovative and practical programs for early intervention, advocacy and increased accessibility of mental health services for people and communities with limited financial means and opportunities.
A Message from
the van Ameringen Foundation:
The van Ameringen Foundation (vAF) is grateful for our grantee partners and invites innovative proposals for 2026.
We deeply appreciate the frontline staff, culturally responsive therapists, and grassroots organizers and advocates who work tirelessly to deliver high-quality mental health services to those most in need.
In 2026, vAF will continue to support direct service programs and advocacy efforts in Philadelphia County and New York City that provide culturally competent, trauma-informed mental health care for underserved communities.
We welcome LOIs that introduce new approaches to mental health care, as well as proposals that strengthen proven programs of all sizes. Our priorities include school-based services for children; wraparound care in supportive and emergency housing; harm-reduction and substance-use treatment for people with co-occurring disorders; and trauma-informed care for incarcerated persons and low-income communities experiencing persistent poverty.
Please note that we ask all grantees to take a full year off between grant cycles; this applies to both direct and indirect service grants. For planning purposes, deadlines for vAF grant cycles are updated regularly on our website.
Thank you for your patience throughout our application process. In late 2025, our Salesforce portal received a fresh update, and we appreciate your understanding as we get acquainted with its new features.
We remain humbled by the resilience and dedication of our partner grantees in an era of unprecedented government funding cuts and the shredding of the social safety net.
With best wishes for a healthy 2026,
The Board of Directors of the van Ameringen Foundation
Marsha Cohen, Executive Director
Claire Wiley, Director, Grants and Operations