Long before COVID-19 became a pandemic, America’s mental health system was failing to meet the needs of people requiring care.

Today, more than 1 in 3 Americans report signs of clinical anxiety and depression—and in part because of the pandemic, treatment has become more difficult to access. This mental health crisis is further taxing a mental care ecosystem already struggling with insufficient funding, inadequate access to care, and ineffective treatment options.

Where are the opportunities for philanthropists to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health? What can social investors do to put the country’s mental health system on a better long-term track?

This guide by the Center for Strategic Philanthropy (CSP) identifies the mechanisms through which philanthropy can support mental well-being immediately, and offers a roadmap for strategic philanthropy that ensures solutions to mental health care are interconnected and serve patients’ needs for the long term.