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Van Ameringen Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$10.2M
Grant Range
$25K - $0.3M
Decision Time
4mo

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $10,192,500 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: 3-6 months (Board meets June and November)
  • Grant Range: $25,000 - $250,000
  • Geographic Focus: New York City (five boroughs) and Philadelphia County, plus national advocacy

Contact Details

Website: www.vanamfound.org
Email: grants@vanamfound.org
Phone: (212) 758-6221
Address: 505 8th Avenue, Suite 2500, New York, NY 10018

Overview

Founded in 1950 by Arnold Louis van Ameringen, the Van Ameringen Foundation is a family foundation with assets of $75.6 million dedicated exclusively to mental health funding. Now led by Kenneth A. Kind, the founder's grandson, the foundation awarded 132 grants totaling $10.2 million in 2023. The foundation focuses on 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. Their strategic approach emphasizes culturally competent, trauma-informed care for underserved communities in New York City and Philadelphia, with selective support for national mental health advocacy organizations.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Direct Service Grants: $25,000 - $75,000 for up to three years
Supports programs providing case management, assessment, counseling, psychotherapy, psychiatric care, training, jobs, housing, and other supports to people confronting significant mental illness. Applications accepted through an online portal on a bi-annual cycle with fixed board meeting deadlines.

Advocacy Grants: Up to $250,000 annually
Funds strategies that seek to create changes in law, public policy, or practices responsible for improving mental healthcare, particularly in underserved communities. Also supports media/dissemination efforts and training activities for mental health providers, advocates, and community members.

Priority Areas

The foundation prioritizes programs in the following areas:

  • School-based services for children: Mental health supports integrated into educational settings
  • Wraparound care in supportive and emergency housing: Comprehensive services for housing-insecure populations
  • Harm-reduction and substance-use treatment: Programs serving people with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders
  • Trauma-informed care: Services for incarcerated persons and low-income communities experiencing persistent poverty
  • Culturally competent care: Programs designed for and by underserved communities, including immigrants, economically disadvantaged individuals, and victims of violence or abuse

What They Don't Fund

  • Programs for intellectual or physical disability (focus is exclusively mental health)
  • Grants directly to individuals
  • Endowment campaigns
  • Capital projects
  • Annual fund-raising drives
  • International activities and institutions
  • Programs outside New York City and Philadelphia (except national advocacy)

Governance and Leadership

Kenneth A. Kind, Board President and Treasurer (since 2014): Grandson of founder Arnold Louis van Ameringen, Kenneth Kind leads the foundation with a board comprised largely of descendants and family members of van Ameringen. He also serves as a trustee of the Patricia Kind Family Foundation and on the Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School Board.

Marsha I. Cohen, Executive Director: Brings extensive experience in advocacy and legal work. Previously served as Executive Director of the Homeless Advocacy Project and held positions with the Committee of Seventy. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University and a Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School.

Maurizio J. Morello, Vice President and Secretary

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Van Ameringen Foundation uses a two-stage application process accessible through their online grants portal:

  1. Eligibility Quiz: Complete a brief eligibility quiz on the foundation website to confirm your organization meets basic requirements
  2. Register: Create an account on their grants application portal
  3. Letter of Inquiry (LOI): Submit an LOI through the portal describing your organization and proposed project
  4. Invitation to Full Proposal: Only organizations invited by foundation staff after LOI review will be asked to submit full proposals

The foundation runs two grantmaking cycles annually, aligned with their board meeting schedule.

Decision Timeline

The Foundation's Board of Directors meets twice yearly—in June and November—to consider grant proposals. While specific submission deadlines are not publicly posted far in advance, applicants should plan for a review process of approximately 3-6 months from LOI submission to final decision, depending on the cycle timing.

Organizations invited to submit full proposals are typically notified approximately 2 months after the LOI deadline. Final decisions are communicated following the board meetings.

Success Rates

The foundation made 132 awards in 2023 from their bi-annual cycles. While specific application-to-award ratios are not publicly disclosed, the foundation is characterized as "a somewhat accessible funder with a transparent application process." With an average grant size of $77,216 and total giving of approximately $10 million annually, competition is moderate but meaningful.

Reapplication Policy

For previous grantees seeking additional funding, the foundation requires organizations to wait at least one year after submitting their final grant report before requesting further support.

The foundation does not publicly specify a waiting period for unsuccessful applicants to reapply. Organizations whose applications were declined should contact grants@vanamfound.org to discuss whether reapplication in a subsequent cycle is appropriate.

Application Success Factors

Based on the foundation's stated priorities and funding patterns, successful applications demonstrate:

Geographic Specificity: The foundation exclusively supports programs operating in the five boroughs of New York City and Philadelphia County (or national advocacy organizations). Applications must clearly demonstrate operations within these geographic boundaries.

Focus on Access and Early Intervention: The foundation encourages proposals that "increase the accessibility of mental health services to people with limited financial means, offer preventive and early-intervention strategies, and advocate for systemic change with local or national impact." Strong applications articulate how they address barriers to mental health care for underserved populations.

Trauma-Informed and Culturally Competent Approaches: Applications should explicitly describe trauma-informed practices and cultural competency strategies. The foundation prioritizes programs designed to serve specific communities, including immigrants, economically disadvantaged individuals, victims of violence or abuse, and incarcerated persons.

Evidence of Innovation and Practicality: The foundation seeks programs that are both "innovative and practical." Successful applications balance new approaches with demonstrated feasibility and clear implementation plans.

Clear Target Population: Strong applications clearly identify their target population—whether children, adolescents, adults, older adults—and demonstrate understanding of this population's specific mental health needs and barriers to care.

Integration with Other Services: Programs that integrate mental health services with other essential supports (such as housing, employment, education) are particularly well-aligned with the foundation's priorities in wraparound care and harm reduction.

Advocacy for Systemic Change: For advocacy grants, applications should articulate specific policy or practice changes being sought and the strategy for achieving these changes at local, state, or national levels.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Know your geography: You must operate in NYC's five boroughs or Philadelphia County—this is non-negotiable. National organizations are only eligible if focused on mental health advocacy.
  • Demonstrate limited access: The foundation prioritizes communities with "limited financial means and opportunities." Clearly articulate the access barriers your target population faces.
  • Emphasize the priority areas: Align your proposal with at least one of their four specific priorities (school-based services, wraparound care in housing, harm-reduction/co-occurring disorders, trauma care for incarcerated/poverty-impacted communities).
  • Plan for multi-year funding: Direct service grants support up to three years of funding—frame your proposal with a multi-year arc showing how the program will develop over time.
  • Start with the LOI: The Letter of Inquiry is your first impression. Make it compelling, clear, and directly aligned with foundation priorities. Full proposals are by invitation only.
  • Think systemically: Whether applying for direct service or advocacy funding, show how your work contributes to systemic change in mental health care access and quality for underserved communities.
  • Contact before major questions: With only two board meetings annually, timing matters. If you have questions about eligibility or fit, contact grants@vanamfound.org before investing significant time in an application.

References

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