Community Grants are only available to rural communities who have a trained Community Animator. To get involved with the Rural Mental Health Project, visit our Animator Training to learn more.

If you are an Animator who has not yet received their Certificate of Completion, make sure that you have completed Module 7 of the online training and then contact us at rmh@cmha.ab.ca for your certificate.

2024 Community Grant applications will be accepted in January 2024. 

For 2024 Grants it is required to complete an Expression of Interest before you will be eligible to complete an application.

We are looking to fund projects that support mental health and wellbeing in rural and remote communities across Alberta. The types of projects that we may fund are very broad, but Applicants must demonstrate that their project is community-led, community-driven, and collaborative in nature. We strive to support projects that are tailored to each community’s local context, assets, and realities. 

Projects must align with the Rural Mental Health Project’s guiding principles: community-driven, building on local strengths, 5 of 5 people have mental health, whole community approach (i.e., 8 Domains), and developmental in nature. See our Project Principles and the Project Overview Video for a summary of our principles and to learn more about the project. 

Additional Notes:

• Projects focusing exclusively on existing service provision (e.g., clinical forms of counselling) are not eligible. 
• Pre-existing programs are not eligible for funding, but Animators may apply to expand on an existing community-driven program. 
• Each community may only receive one grant in the funding cycle. 

For more information, please consult the Application Guidelines. 

Applications are open-ended; communities can request the amount of funds they require to complete their project. $500k+ is available for this granting term. There are three granting streams:

• Microgrant ($500 - $5,000)
• Individual Community Grant ($5,001 to $25,000)
• Multi-Community Grant (maximum $30,000)

Communities may only receive one (1) RMH Community Grant per granting cycle, inclusive of Multi-Community Grants. Applications can include multiple interwoven projects. Please contact us if you have multiple project ideas and want to discuss them. 

Communities who received funding in Year 1, 2, and 3 are eligible to apply for funding again in 2024 (year 4) for a new project or an expansion of their initial project. 

Funding for past Recipients will be dependent on the quality of reporting received throughout the initial grant term. 

Funding to expand on an existing RMH-funded project is dependent on demonstrating the growth and impact of the initial project. We cannot fund the exact same project again. Additional funding is not guaranteed. 

All Applicants need a Backbone Organization to receive the funds. 

The Backbone Organization must be a Non-profit, registered charity, First Nation, Métis Settlement, Municipality, Municipal District, or Special Area (this includes FCSS). 

• A for-profit entity cannot serve as the Backbone.
• AHS and Health Advisory Councils are not able to be Backbone Organizations.

If the Animator works for the Backbone Organization, the Backbone Contact must be someone else with signing authority who is not directly supervised by the Animator.

For non-audited organizations, the Animator cannot be the sole director of the organization. If this is the case, a new Backbone Organization will have to be chosen. 

Please contact us if you need help finding a Backbone Organization. We are happy to help!