The Alaska Community Foundation, in partnership with GCI, is accepting grant applications for the GCI Suicide Prevention Grant Program. The deadline is July 15. Its aim is to fund projects and organizations whose goal is to reduce the rates of suicide in Alaska and promote mental wellness through strengthened community and personal connections.
Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofits or equivalent organizations located in the state of Alaska. This may include tribes, schools, churches, local government agencies, and programs.
Organizations seeking project or operational support are encouraged to apply. Funding for capital projects are ineligible. Preference will be given to projects that are located in rural Alaska or programs that reach rural communities in Alaska (defined as outside of Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau), and which are focused on activities that will:
- Result in long term change by creating family, school and community support systems;
- Help grow or support programs that have already demonstrated success in Alaska or in small communities in the Lower 48;
- Support programs that have been embraced and that will be sustained by the community;
- Support work that is happening on multiple levels including prevention, intervention, and crisis response;
- Conceived or managed by local entities or by and entity that demonstrates a willingness to work with the local community or be advised and/or guided by local planning;
- Reflects Alaska cultural considerations.
Since 2017, the GCI Suicide Prevention Fund has provided more than $400,000 to Alaska organizations and non-profits to help prevent suicide and promote healthy communities across the state. In addition to funding applications that focus on nationally recognized strategies, like Sources of Strength, GCI encourages grant proposals that are grounded in Alaska Native culture and identify innovative ways to increase connections in at-risk communities.
GCI selected nine recipients of the $100,000 Suicide Fund in 2017, programs that encompassed school, community, training and cultural programs. This grant is one of the largest issue-based contributions GCI has ever made. Due to its success in 2017, GCI continued the program into 2019, contributing another $100,000 to the cause.
To apply, an online grant application portal has been established.