Microfunding Opportunities

NBCC partners with communities and organizations across the globe in the Mental Health Facilitator (MHF) program. The program is an educational framework that makes globally recognized mental health information relevant to the needs of local communities. Individuals who participate in MHF trainings can support their work with skills that complement existing mental health care resources within a community.

Microfunding (highly targeted, small donations for specific needs), is an ideal way to support our partners in resource-limited communities. Through this type of donation, we can provide much needed support to both establish and expand the MHF program where it is most needed. Below are some common challenges across training locations that would greatly benefit from the supplemental financial support.

Any donated amount is an investment in communities with goals for the MHF program.

Transportation

Based on data by UNESCO, the average monthly wage for Ugandans may be up to $133, depending on education. This breaks down to about $4.43/day. For communities in low resource areas, it is very common for individuals to rely on public transportation, and traveling to an MHF training can be an extraneous cost that is unaffordable for many. $5 USD could provide a participant with transportation funds for at least one day of training and support the growth of mental health awareness and education in a community.

Networking and Connection Opportunities (During Training Days)

According to the United Nations, daily meals in Haiti cost about 34.96% of the average income. For comparison, a typical meal would cost $73.76 in New York State based on the same percentage of income. Because MHF trainings can range from 2 to 5 days, depending on the curriculum, it is often too costly for participants to purchase meals during the training days. In addition to the necessary sustenance, these meals and snack breaks are also valuable networking and engagement opportunities for participants to promote understanding and community in contexts where these networking opportunities are not often available. Therefore, assisting partners to fund meals is not only a training need but will also create an engaging space for the trainees to further connect on how to create impact in their communities.

Trainee Materials

Did you know that communities in low-income countries oftentimes rely on printing services to create the necessary curriculum materials for trainings? Because it is important for all participants to receive a physical copy of the training curriculum, as access to electronic copies is usually not possible, partners often face financial challenges in administering these materials. For example, a training for up to 25 people amounts to printing more than 1,000 pages of curriculum materials. Every dollar provides a meaningful contribution toward this capacity building education training.