Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Cities & Towns Campaign Implementation Grants 2015 Request for Proposals Funded by the Institute for Public Health Innovation in partnership with Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States DATE ISSUED: May 4, 2015 DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: June 25, 2015 CONTACT PERSON: Marisa Jones mjones@institutephi.org (202) 803-6121 1
HEAL CITIES & TOWNS CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW The Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Cities & Towns Campaign is an initiative to support local elected officials and their staff to create communities where all residents can make healthy choices about physical activity and nutrition. Since 2012, the Institute for Public Health Innovation has partnered with the Maryland Municipal League, the Virginia Municipal League, and Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States to provide technical assistance and training to local governments to adopt policies that improve their communities nutrition and physical activity environments. For more information about the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign, please visit www.healcitiesmidatlantic.org GRANT PROGRAM The HEAL Cities & Towns Small Grants Program provides a total of $40,000 to HEAL cities and towns to implement policies that increase opportunities for healthy eating and/or active living in the community and/or government workplace. Two types of grants will be made: Kick-Off grants in the amount of up to $500 will be awarded to 6 communities and Implementation grants in amounts of $5,000-$9,000 will be awarded to 4-6 communities. These grants support the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign s goal to support local leaders efforts to create communities where residents and employees can eat better and move more. These grants are intended to provide resources for cities and towns to implement an adopted HEAL policy in their community and increase access to nutritious food choices and/or opportunities for physical activity. Grant recipients will have approximately six months to complete the grant-funded project. All activities must take place in or directly impact incorporated cities, towns, or counties in Maryland and/or Virginia. I. HEAL PRIORITIES All funds awarded under the Grant Program must be used to implement an adopted HEAL policy that uses a policy, systems change, and/or environmental approach to increase access to healthy, affordable foods and opportunities for physical activity for residents and employees of Maryland and/or Virginia s cities, towns, and counties. This means that rather than educating individuals about what health choices to make, funds should be used to improve the community context to make healthy choices practical and available to all community members. The HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign has identified a menu of evidence-based HEAL policies that can improve healthy eating and increase physical activity. HEAL policies are organized into three categories: Active Communities, Healthy Food, and Workplace Wellness. Cities, towns, and counties are welcome to select one of these policies to implement or may recommend a different strategy tailored to their community s specific needs. Applicants request should clearly specify which policy the project plans to implement. Included are examples of how funds can be used to implement HEAL policies for the two types of grants. Applications should not be limited to these examples. 2
Kick-Off Grants (up to $500) HEAL Policy Implement Policy by using Kick-Off Grant Funds to: Adopt a nutrition standard for catering for Plan a training event for staff who order city/town meetings and events food/catering, identify appropriate vendors (Workplace Wellness) and meal options, and order and set-up lunch according to the nutrition standards for the training Adopt an active stairwell policy Improve lighting, purchase posters and (Workplace Wellness) Adopt a policy promoting consumption of water in the workplace (Workplace Wellness) Include walkability goals in Comprehensive Plan/Adopt a policy to install wayfinding signs in city/town (Active Community) stair risers Install a water bottle filling water fountain in a place where free drinking water is not currently available Develop walking trail map and install temporary signs to prototype permanent installation (i.e. https://walkyourcity.org) Implementation Grants ($5,000 - $9,000) HEAL Policy Implement Policy by using Implementation Grant Funds to: Adopt a Complete Streets policy that Conduct a capacity building workshop for encourages biking and walking staff in Planning and Public Works (Active Community) Departments on how the Complete Streets policy changes their current approach to street and road design. Develop priorities and development plans for sidewalks and bike lanes in areas of greatest need. Add sharrows to an existing road to create a shared use lane. Adopt guidelines for provision of Community Gardens to increase food access. (Healthy Food) Adopt connectivity policies to link existing sidewalks and trails to create a more walkable city (Active Community) Adopt policies to support expanded urban agriculture sites and uses to increase access to fresh food (Healthy Food) Purchase the materials necessary for the city to provide water to the community garden. Promote use of connected walkway by seniors, families, and people with disabilities by installing benches. Create walking maps that show path from residential areas to parks and recreation facilities, farmers markets, and other points of interest in a community. Support staff time from council of governments or other city planning resource to amend zoning or development code. 3
II. ELIGIBILITY Proposals will be accepted from: Incorporated cities and towns in Maryland and Virginia that have joined the HEAL Campaign by June 25, 2015 Counties within Maryland and Virginia that have joined the HEAL Campaign by June 25, 2015 If your community would like to apply for a grant and is not already a HEAL City or Town, the first step is to join the Campaign. What does it mean to join the HEAL Campaign? To join the Campaign, a community must adopt a resolution with at least one specific policy goal that aims to increase opportunities for healthy eating and active living. Draft HEAL Resolutions are available here. For assistance developing a HEAL Resolution for your community, contact Marisa Jones at mjones@institutephi.org or 202-803-6121. In order to be eligible for 2015 funding, localities have until June 25, 2015 to join the HEAL Campaign. III. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS AND FORMAT Applications will be reviewed according to the established criteria below and the associated scoring system with a maximum of 25 points. Each proposal should be no more than five singlespaced pages for Implementation grants and two single-spaced pages for Kick-Off grants, not including attachments or letters of support. Proposals exceeding the page or budget limits will not be considered. 1. Cover Page a. Applicant Info b. Eligibility Determination c. Project Description 2. Project Narrative a. Project purpose and HEAL outcomes (5 points) b. Project addresses area/communities of greatest need (3 points) c. Qualifications of applicant (3 points) d. Cross-departmental approach/community support (3 points) e. Sustainability (3 points) 3. Proposed Work Plan (5 points) 4. Proposed Budget (3 points) 5. Supplemental Materials (scored as part of Cross-Departmental Approach/Community Support) The application form is attached as an appendix to this document. 4
IV. BUDGET EXCLUSIONS & REQUIREMENTS Every project must implement an adopted policy that helps to create a community or government workplace where residents and employees can make healthy choices about physical activity and nutrition. However, implementation projects will not be considered if they consist of: One- time events or programs such as youth or adult teams, travel costs, runs, walks, classes, fairs, fundraisers, conferences, competitions, or memberships; Endowment or general capital improvement expenses (but a proposal to fund a specific capital improvements is acceptable); Debt retirement; Grant writing; General or operating funds; or If you are unsure about allowable uses of the grant funds, please contact us. IPHI reserves the right to determine other disallowable uses of funding not listed above. V. GRANTEE ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIREMENTS Grantee will be awarded 100% of project funds at the start of the project and will be responsible for providing a mid-term update and a final report. Grantee and its community partners will provide resources that amount to at least 50% of the total grant funds requested. These resources may be cash or in-kind. Grantee will complete the project and submit a final project report by February 12, 2016 Grantee will return any unexpended grant funds to Institute for Public Health Innovation on or before February 12, 2015 Failure to meet accountability requirements will jeopardize future HEAL Campaign funding opportunities. VI. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS Grantees will be required to provide a mid-term update update to the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign in the form of a written or phone call progress report. Grantees must arrange for at least one site visit by HEAL Campaign staff (paid for by HEAL Campaign, not grantee). A final report will be due to the Institute for Public Health Innovation on February 12, 2016. VII. SUBMISSION DEADLINES Applications must be received by 5:00 PM ET on Thursday, June 25, 2015. Late applications will not be accepted. Applications must be submitted via email to Kate McGrail (kmcgrail@institutephi.org) in PDF form. 5
VIII. SELECTION PROCESS Your application will be reviewed by a team of funders, national experts, and local advocates. No staff from the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign will be involved in the grant selection process. The estimated selection/award process timetable is as follows: Applications due: June 25, 2015 Application Review Process: July 2015 Award Notification: Early August 2015 IX. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION For questions regarding the grant application process or eligible activities, please review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document and/or contact Marisa Jones at mjones@institutephi.org or (202) 803-6121. 6