How to Apply for Our Grants

Thank you for your interest in the work of the Sozosei Foundation. A spirit of creativity imbues the Foundation’s attitudes and culture..

Throughout the year, the Foundation will make open calls for proposals across our program areas. To be sure you do not miss those opportunities to apply for funding please sign up for our newsletter here.

In between those open calls, we welcome the opportunity to hear from you if your organization meets the following criteria for our decriminalization of mental illness or local philanthropy program area. To share an idea or concept note with us via email at [email protected]. Please keep this submission brief (no more than 600 words) and include: a statement of need/problem to be addressed; the target population and how they may benefit; and a timeline for implementation. These inquiries will be reviewed within 30 days of their receipt.

Open Call for PechaKucha Presentations

From December 13 - 15, 2021, the Sozosei Foundation will host its Second Annual Summit on Decriminalizing Mental Illness, in Philadelphia, PA. This year, the focus of the Summit is the implementation of 988 – the new national mental health hotline – and building the crisis care continuum as 988 goes live in July 2022. With this focus, the arc of the Summit’s three days will follow an examination of past, present, and future considerations for 988 and crisis care.

With a focus on the future, the Foundation seeks applications from creative, curious, and innovative nonprofits and individuals whose work is moving the needle to advance the decriminalization of mental illness, particularly through the lens of 988 implementation and a robust crisis care continuum, to present a PechaKucha of their work at the Summit on December 14.

The audience for the PechaKucha presentations will include funders, policy makers, advocates, people with lived experience, and others attending the Summit. Summit PechaKucha presentations will also be featured on the Sozosei Foundation website and promoted via our social media channels after the event.

If you are interested in being considered as a PechaKucha presenter at the Sozosei Summit, please send a brief written description (150-200 words) that shares your potential presentation idea to [email protected] by October 7, 2021. Note that there is no need to make a PechaKucha to apply — we are seeking written concepts only at this stage. Please also note that should you need support to create your PechaKucha, the Foundation will provide that to you.

The Foundation will select no more than eight of the most compelling concepts to be presented at the Summit. At the Summit itself, on December 14, the most promising approach to decriminalizing mental illness, as determined by Summit participants via real time vote, will receive a grant in the amount of $25,000. Each of the other PechaKucha presenters will receive a grant in the amount of $5,000 for their presentation at the Summit. (Note that if you are receiving the grant as an individual, or if your organization does not possess nonprofit status, you may use a fiscal sponsor to accept the grant.)

Timeline

October 7 – PechaKucha concepts due to the Foundation
(please email concepts to [email protected])

October 18 – PechaKucha presenters notified by the Foundation that their concept has been accepted for presentation at the Sozosei Summit 

November 8 –  PechaKucha Presentations due to the Foundation 

November 15-30 – Period for pre-recording (if necessary)

December 14 – PechaKucha presentations and winning PechaKucha announced 

 

Note:  The Applicant Eligibility requirements outlined below do not apply to those seeking to present a PechaKucha of their work at the upcoming Summit."  

Sozosei Foundation applicants must:

• Be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code OR have a fiscal sponsor that has 501(c)(3) status and provides written authorization confirming willingness to act as the fiscal sponsor; and
• Engage in work that aligns with the Foundation’s funding interests and priorities. Note, Sozosei does not accept proposals for disaster relief and recovery.