The Opportunity
The Mental Health Storytelling Initiative (MHSI) is the leading driver of collaboration between storytellers, mental health experts, and communities. We shape cultural narratives that transform how we understand, talk about, and support our own – and each other’s – mental health. We believe every story is a mental health story.
Equimundo is the global hub for incubating and accelerating solutions that make caring men and boys the norm. Grounded in cutting-edge research, Equimundo powers innovative programs and narrative change that move people and systems alike. It convenes policymakers, business leaders, philanthropists, and storytellers to drive real societal transformation. At its core is a simple but powerful belief: When we care for men and boys, they lead healthier lives – and extend that care to all of us, to their families, communities, the planet, and the future of democracy and peace around the world.
This accelerator is a pilot grant program announced at Assembly: Stories of Boyhood & Belonging, MHSI’s marquee convening of storytellers and mental health experts.
MHSI will distribute grants to non-recoupable grants of $10,000–$30,000 to selected applicants to help bring powerful new stories to life – stories that explore boyhood, belonging, and the intersections of masculinity and mental health.
Equimundo will also distribute two $37,500 grants to selected applicants to support the concretion of storytelling that promotes a more caring world by improving on the representation of boys, men, and manhood in the media.
What We're Looking For
We welcome projects from storytellers with a proven track record of reaching broad audiences through narratives that normalize mental health experiences, challenge stereotypes, and highlight help-seeking and help-giving.
In line with the focus of Assembly, we especially encourage submissions exploring themes of boyhood, belonging, fatherhood, and masculinity. Projects may take many forms – film, television, animation, documentary, podcast, video games, digital content, or impact campaigns – but all must be rooted in storytelling.
Eligibility
Applicant Criteria
- Applicants must be 18 or older
- Applicants may apply individually or on behalf of a 501(c)(3) organization
- Applicants must own or have legal rights to submitted content
- Applicants must be based in the United States
- Applicants must serve in a key creative role (screenwriter, director, or producer)
- Applicants must have a plan to collaborate – or already be collaborating – with mental health experts
- Applicants must have been invited to attend Assembly: Stories of Boyhood & Belonging
Project Criteria
We welcome stories that normalize mental health experiences, challenge stereotypes, and highlight help-seeking and help-giving. In line with Assembly’s focus, we particularly encourage proposals exploring themes related to boys, men, and masculinity.
Funds must be used in alignment with MHSI’s charitable purpose:
To drive collaboration between storytellers, mental health experts, and communities – empowering narratives that transform how we understand, talk about, and support our own and each other’s mental health.
Accepted formats include:
Television (scripted or unscripted), feature film, documentary, animation, podcast, digital content, video games, and impact campaigns.
Timeline
Application Overview
We ask applicants to provide project details and materials that help us understand your vision, eligibility, and capacity to execute the work. The application will gather information about your team, project scope, budget, financing, and supporting materials.
Project Team
- Bios and contact information for key team members
- Description of relevant previous projects or experience
Project Details
- Project title, logline, and synopsis
- Project status and timeline
- Intended audiences and accessibility considerations
Project Budget & Financing Plan
- Total project budget with estimated line items showing how requested funds will be used
- Financing strategy and details of any funders already engaged or pending
- Description of anticipated project impact and reach
Alignment with Mental Health Narrative Change
- Explanation of how your project contributes to transforming mental health narratives.
- Description of any mental health consultation to date or planned expert collaboration.
Additional Assets
Applicants may upload relevant materials such as a treatment, pitch deck, or video sample.
Criterios de selección
Applications will be reviewed for impact, reach, feasibility, collaboration, accessibility, expertise, and alignment with MHSI’s mission and narrative-change goals.
- Impact: Articulates how your project will positively influence audiences and shift culture
- Reach: Demonstrates potential to reach a wide audience and influence culture at scale
- Feasibility: Presents realistic goals, activities, and timelines that can be achieved within the funding period
- Colaboración: Shows capacity to collaborate with mental health experts or organizations
- Accessibility: Reflects consideration for accessibility and inclusivity, ensuring diverse audiences can engage with and benefit from the project
- Alignment with MHSI: Advances MHSI’s goals by normalizing mental health experiences, challenging stereotypes, and highlighting help-seeking and help-giving narratives
- Credibility/ Expertise: Showcase you/your team’s qualifications, experience and achievement through previous work, preliminary data, or pilot studies
FAQs
This grant is intended for storytellers with a proven record of reaching broad audiences and who are interested in shaping narratives about mental health. The same criteria and application will be used for Equimundo and MHSI teams to select their awardees, with Equimundo grants being particularly focused on narratives around mental health and masculinity.
We welcome stories that normalize mental health experiences, challenge stereotypes, and highlight help-seeking and help-giving narratives. While all eligible formats are considered – including television, film, documentary, podcast, and digital content – special consideration will be given to projects that address themes of boyhood, belonging, and masculinity, and that are positioned to reach wide audiences and influence culture at scale.
MHSI grants are designed to help projects move from concept to execution. This may include drafting a film or TV pilot script, completing a treatment or pitch deck for a podcast or digital series, producing a pilot episode, or integrating mental health themes into an existing content series.
Funds should be used to advance the mental health component of your project; this might include research, creative development, expert consultation, or other storytelling costs that strengthen narrative authenticity and impact.
If you’re already collaborating with a mental health expert or organization, great – we’d love to hear about it. If you’re selected for funding and are not yet partnered with an expert, MHSI will connect you with a vetted mental health advisor at no cost to your project budget.
- Scholarships or tuition assistance for undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate studies
- Annual fundraising drives
- Paid advertisements
- Political activities or attempts to influence specific legislation
For additional questions about the application or grant process, please contact marisa@mentalhealthstorytelling.org.
For additional questions about the application or grant process for the Equimundo grant, please contact c.hayes@equimundo.org.
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