Program will seed fund game changing solutions addressing adolescent mental health

Today, Morgan Stanley announced the launch of its inaugural Alliance for Children’s Mental Health Innovation Awards, a nationwide call for nonprofits to submit transformative mental health solutions that will help improve the lives of children and young people. Through this initiative, the Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children’s Mental Health – composed of key leaders in the space – will award a total of $500,000 in grants and provide consulting and capital showcasing opportunities to selected U.S.-based 501(c)3 public charities that are actively working to address adverse mental health outcomes such as stress, anxiety, depression and disruptive behaviors in innovative ways.

Applications will be reviewed based on their innovation, scope, impact and potential by experts in the field. Those selected as finalists will gain access to capital to test or scale their work, as well as a six-week consulting program to learn from industry experts and enhance their proposals. Finalists will ultimately present their solutions to a broad audience, including mental health leaders and other funders looking to support impactful causes in the area of children’s mental health.

The Innovation Awards build on the Alliance’s commitment to bring together nonprofits, corporate partners and the philanthropic sector to create meaningful change in children’s mental health. Increased funding in youth mental health is imperative, with less than two percent of philanthropic investments going toward mental health resources in the U.Sⁱ.

“COVID-19 and all its repercussions have taken a significant toll on children’s mental health. With exponential increases in depression and anxiety among children, it is clear we need collective efforts to prevent the existing crisis in children’s mental health from escalating even further,” said Ted Pick, Head of the Institutional Securities Group at Morgan Stanley and Chair of the Alliance for Children’s Mental Health Advisory Board. “With the Innovation Awards, we hope to advance new, impactful solutions and drive philanthropy attention to a highly underfunded space.”

“Children’s mental health is vastly underfunded despite its high prevalence and far-reaching implications. The organizations that are creating incredible solutions are working without access to proper funding, which has only worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Joan Steinberg, President of the Morgan Stanley Foundation, and CEO of the Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children’s Mental Health’s Advisory Board. “Through the Innovation Awards, we look forward to spotlighting and funding game-changing mental health care solutions for children and young people.”

Applications are now being accepted through July 2, 2021. Interested organizations can visit here to learn more and submit their innovative ideas.

About Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities, wealth management, and investment management services. With offices in more than 41 countries, the Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions, and individuals. For more information about Morgan Stanley, please visit https://www.morganstanley.com/.

About Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children's Mental Health

The Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children's Mental Health brings together key leaders in the children's mental health space and combines the resources and reach of Morgan Stanley and its Foundation with the knowledge and experience of its distinguished nonprofit partner organizations. The Alliance helps strategically address children's mental health concerns and the far-reaching challenges of stress, anxiety and depression. For more information about the Alliance, visit www.morganstanley.com/mentalhealthalliance.

© 2021 Morgan Stanley

ⁱ https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2020/6/28/more-than-ever-mental-health-needs-to-a-top-priority-for-philanthropy-heres-why

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