Financing IECMHC
Overview
Sources of funding for IECMHC vary across the nation, depending on political and economic context. States differ in their financing approaches, but no matter how creative or successful they are in their approaches to funding, advocacy is critical (or essential) both in terms of using existing funding streams and for bringing in new funding to support an IECMHC system.
Not every strategy for sustaining infant and early childhood mental health consultation requires funding, but when trying to initiate or enhance prevention, wellness, and mental health services and supports for young children and their caregivers, knowing how to access and leverage funding can be important.
Financing Tip: When considering which funding sources to use, the following questions can help guide your planning:
- Is the funding source time-limited? For how long?
- Can the funding from this source be leveraged to bring in other funding?
- Are these funds renewable or one-time?
Depending on the size and scope of the IECMHC initiative or component you are funding you might pursue opportunities through:
- National, state, and local public grants
- Your state’s legislature
- Local property taxes
- Ballot measures (local or state)
- Philanthropy
- Re-prioritizing existing early childhood or mental health budgets
Financing tip: Leverage funds from other programs that have intersecting missions.
Financing strategies can be about dollars but they can also be about getting a needed service or support in ways that use other community resources “in-kind,” such as clinical services from a partner organization or sharing staff or administrative time. In this section we address funding as well as saving on costs through shared resources.
New or emerging IECMHC programs can start by completing the checklist in Strategy 1.
Strategies
If you are a new or emerging IECMHC program, we recommend you start with the checklist in Strategy 1.
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Organizational readiness |
Yes |
No |
In process |
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Can you identify your main objectives and population served? |
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Is it clear to funders what outcomes you want to achieve? |
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Financial management |
Yes |
No |
In process |
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Do you have a clear and realistic budget? |
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Do you have a way of tracking and managing your budget? |
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Are you clear about funding needs/gaps? |
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Do you have a fundraising strategy? |
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Communication |
Yes |
No |
In process |
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Do you regularly communicate with current funders? |
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Do you know what your funders think of the work that you do? |
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Do you believe your funders would provide future funding for your program? |
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Program implementation |
Yes |
No |
In process |
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Is your program clearly defined for funders? |
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Do you have adequate human resources to implement your program? |
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Do you measure program impact? |
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Do you collaborate with other partners? |