Steinberg Institute

Dear friends,

Spring is here and I join you in the joy of warmer weather in Northern California. My family is excited to spend more time outdoors in nature, visiting rivers, beaches, and campgrounds across our gorgeous state. For thousands of fellow Californians, the changing seasons bring no peace or home.  This is as unacceptable as it is important and changeable.  

I’m proud to work on a team of true experts who are dedicated to ensuring that the mental health, substance use disorder, and housing needs of our community are addressed with the same urgency, care, and quality as all health issues across California. 

For this Big Day of Giving 2024, I’d like to ask you to consider making a financial contribution in support of our worthy mission. 

Founded in 2015 by current Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and supported by a nationally recognized Board of Directors, the Steinberg Institute has had an outsized impact in improving California’s approach to mental health and substance use disorders care, through educating decision-makers and advancing sound policies that make a real impact. 

Unlike any other mental health public policy organization in California, the Steinberg Institute is truly independent - we do not accept federal funding and are not a membership organization. That independence means we are able to apply much-needed pressure on a system that is currently not serving the most vulnerable among us.  

There is much more to do, and we have big plans for 2024 - 2025. 

In order to maintain our bold and independent status, we need your backing!  

All levels of support are critical - no donation is too small.

Here’s a snapshot of some accomplishments in the past 9 years: 

• Commercial health insurers are now required to pay for medically necessary treatment of any mental health and/or substance use disorder defined by the American Psychiatric Association, impacting millions of Californians who receive this care.

• Tens of thousands of Californians who live with a serious mental illness and are homeless, or at great risk of becoming homeless now have access to permanent housing with services attached, due to the Institute’s multi-year effort which, in the end, leveraged $2 billion and created the No Place Like Home Initiative.

• Californians who find themselves experiencing a mental health crisis can dial 9-8-8  and will receive a  compassionate response from trained mental health professionals rather than a response from law enforcement.

Your contribution will allow us to continue to do this important work, will help us maintain our non-profit status, and will go toward our efforts to improve people’s lives. It would be our honor to make progress with you as an ally..  

In partnership,

Tai Batov

Fundraising Manager

The Steinberg Institute team; Mayor Steinberg, Karen, Jason, Tara, John, Cory, Mary, Carmen, Tai, & Maggie