Center for Health Program Management San Joaquin Valley Health Fund 2015 Funding Opportunity The San Joaquin Valley Health Fund is a program managed by the Center for Health Program Management with funding from Sierra Health Foundation, The California Endowment, The California Wellness Foundation, Rosenberg Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The Sierra Health Foundation Center for Health Program Management is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit bringing people, ideas and infrastructure together to create a collective impact that reduces health disparities and improves community health for the underserved living in California. For information about the Center, visit www.shfcenter.org.
San Joaquin Valley Health Fund 2015 Application Instructions and Criteria READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS AND CRITERIA CAREFULLY Background The goal of the San Joaquin Valley Health Fund is to strengthen the capacity of communities and organizations in the San Joaquin Valley to improve health and well-being through measureable and equitable program, policy and system changes. The Funding Opportunity The Center for Health Program Management will award San Joaquin Valley Health Fund grants up to $20,000 to networks and organizations located and working in any of the eight counties of Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tulare. The Center for Health Program Management has a broad definition of health, believing there is much more to health than health care. Health is influenced by many factors, including socioeconomic conditions, environment, education, income and individual behavior choices that have come to be known as the social determinants of health. Where we live, work and play has a significant influence on our health. The Center also believes in the need for health equity, which means achieving the highest possible standard of health for all people and giving special attention to the needs of those at greatest risk of poor health, based on social conditions. 1 Reducing health disparities is a key factor in striving toward better health for all and reflects our commitment to ensuring that people throughout our funding region have the opportunity to lead healthy lives. We are particularly interested in policy and systems change efforts designed to improve outcomes for populations that are disproportionately experiencing poor health. 1 Braveman, Paula. What Are Health Disparities and Health Equity? We Need to Be Clear. Public Health Reports. 2014 Supplement 2, Volume 129. http://www.publichealthreports. org/issueopen.cfm?articleid=3074 San Joaquin Valley Health Fund Page 2
Eligibility Criteria The Center for Health Program Management will fund nonprofit organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and are designated as a 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) organization. The Center for Health Program Management also will fund public agencies, including local government agencies. Fiscal sponsors for entities that are not qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofits or public agencies are eligible to apply. Only one grant proposal per eligible 501(c)(3) organization or public agency will be considered each funding round. If we receive more than one application per eligible applicant organization, we only will consider the first application received. Proposed activities must benefit people living in one or more of the eight counties within the San Joaquin Valley funding region. Note to current grantees: Organizations awarded a San Joaquin Valley Health Fund grant in 2015 are eligible to apply for continuation grants through a separate proposal process but are not eligible for this particular Request for Proposal process. If you have not received this information, please e-mail us at sjvhealthfund@shfcenter.org. Fiscal sponsors that received a San Joaquin Valley Health Fund grant in 2015 may apply for entities that were not funded in 2015. Selection Criteria The most competitive applications will: Support activities that reduce health disparities and promote health equity; Focus on advocacy and policy or systems change; Clearly explain why the applicant organization is best suited to be successful for the proposed project; Demonstrate innovative approaches and partnerships; Address systemic barriers that cause vulnerability for individuals and families; Focus on populations facing significant health barriers, such as low-income populations, boys and men of color, immigrants, persons with disabilities, and geographically isolated communities; Leverage social and financial resources to deepen program impact; Include a reasonable project scope and budget; Create partnerships for long-term changes; and Describe the anticipated difference the project would make, as proposed in the Performance Measures framework included in the application. Additionally, the overall geographic and demographic diversity of the region will be considered in the selection process. Funding Information Applicants may request an amount up to $20,000. The grant term may be up to one year. Grants for equipment will be considered. Up to 15% of direct costs may be requested for indirect costs. Direct costs may include, but are not limited to, staff salaries, consultants, operating costs, meeting costs, travel and equipment. Those receiving awards are required to participate in four grantee learning community convenings. The first convening will be in Visalia on April 14, 2016. Three additional learning community convenings will be scheduled throughout the grant period. Travel costs to attend the convenings are the responsibility of the funded organization and may be included in the proposed budget. Organizations may bring two to three staff, who may be a board member, executive director, project lead or other key staff. Those receiving awards will be required to submit a final report 30 days following the end of the funding period, with a report on performance measures included in the proposal, as well as a financial report. Interim progress also may be shared at learning convenings and during site visits. San Joaquin Valley Health Fund Page 3
Health Disparities and Social Determinants of Health The Center for Health Program Management believes that every person should have an opportunity to develop his or her full potential in order to become a healthy and contributing member of society. This means the opportunity to live in safe and healthy neighborhoods with access to basic needs such as food, shelter and water, and with a sense of belonging, hope and dignity. Furthermore, this means the opportunity to be actively engaged in civic life, helping to identify community issues, working toward solutions and helping reduce overall health disparities. All too often, many are deprived of these basic rights because of the set of circumstances shaped by political, social and economic forces where they live, work and play. Social and economic policies strongly influence whether an individual will be able to grow and develop to his or her full potential or whether he or she will face serious obstacles to achieving a healthy, flourishing life. The San Joaquin Valley Health Fund invests in communities and organizations in the valley to address health disparities and the social determinants of health (issues that impact health such as education, employment, housing, environment, neighborhood safety and other drivers of health outcomes). Strategies of particular interest are capacity building, policy development and community engagement, with an emphasis on advocacy and organizing that have potential to change public policy and increase resources and opportunities to promote health equity for the long term. Examples of What We Will Consider Funding Examples of types of outcomes considered for funding (not limited to these examples): Adoption of policy or a system s practice that promotes health and well-being, especially for populations experiencing health disparities Building conscious commitment of the community to promote the availability of housing/shelter services for low-income or homeless populations Leveraging county indigent care funding to increase access to and quality of health services for undocumented persons Simplifying local enrollment efforts to connect eligible populations to available local, state and federal resources Pursuing infrastructure policy approaches that encourage basic improvements in unincorporated communities (safe drinking water and wastewater systems) Implementing planning policies that create safe and healthy neighborhoods Promoting clean air and preventing pollution through leveraging cap and trade funding or enforcement of relevant air quality policies Strengthening a Sustainable Communities Strategy in a local regional transportation plan that demonstrates how the region will promote active transportation and public transit options, and involve traditionally underrepresented communities in the planning and implementation phases. Increasing access to social and emotional health services for children, youth or young adults through establishing service networks and partnerships Increasing employment and economic development opportunities through new partnerships with workforce development agencies Planning Community Reinvestment Act financing strategies that increase the level of investment in rural communities Promoting entrepreneurship and small business development through economic development strategies A change in a public agency s approach that improves accessibility to high-quality, healthy food in low-income neighborhoods San Joaquin Valley Health Fund Page 4
Examples of approaches that could be used to implement projects (proposed approaches are not limited to these examples): Coalition building/partnership development Policy development Leadership development Community engagement, organizing and advocacy Research/participatory action research Multi-ethnic/multi-racial collaboration Capacity building Communications/outreach and education Youth engagement, organizing and advocacy Peer learning Application Timeline APPLICATION DEADLINE: December 1, 2015, at noon APPROXIMATE AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT: Late March 2016 APPROXIMATE DATE FUNDS AVAILABLE: Early April 2016 To be considered, your proposal must arrive via e-mail at the Center for Health Program Management by noon on the deadline date. Proposals received after the due date/time will not be reviewed. Submission before the deadline date is advised in case you need help with your application e-mail. We may not be able to respond to your requests for help on the deadline date. Proposals for direct services will not be considered. Direct services are those that tend to meet people s more immediate needs, such as food, shelter, clothing, literacy, life skills, individual development or physical or mental health care, rather than activities designed to result in policy and systems change. For example, a proposal that aims to purchase and provide meals to individuals is considered a direct services proposal. A proposal that expands access to the federal Supplemental and Nutritious Assistance Program or SNAP is an advocacy or systems change proposal. What We Do Not Fund The Center for Health Program Management does not fund: Debt retirement Operational deficits or partisan activities Individuals Religious organizations for explicit religious activities Activities that exclusively benefit the members of sectarian or religious organizations 509(a)(3) supporting organizations 501(c)(4) organizations or lobbying activities Proposers Conferences and Webinar We have scheduled three proposers conferences and a proposers webinar to review the San Joaquin Valley Health Fund opportunity and application process and answer your questions. Proposers conferences will be held on October 6, 8 and 9. A proposers webinar will be held on October 15. Attendance at a conference or participation in the webinar is strongly recommended, though not required. The content at each conference and on the webinar will be the same. Register for a proposers conference by October 1. The proposers conference/webinar registration links are posted on the Center for Health Program Management s web site, www.shfcenter.org/sjvhealthfund. Please review the application materials prior to registering for a conference or the webinar. October 6, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Community Partnership for Families of San Joaquin Diamond Cove Family Resource Center 5506 Tam O Shanter Drive Stockton, CA 95210 October 8, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Madera County Office of Education 1105 South Madera Avenue Madera, CA 93637 San Joaquin Valley Health Fund Page 5
October 9, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Kings County UC Cooperative Extension 680 Campus Drive, Suite F Hanford, CA 93230 Proposers Webinar register by October 13 October 15, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Important Application Guidelines To help us process your application, please follow these submission guidelines. We encourage you to submit your application before the deadline date in case you need help with any of the guidelines below. Submit the application by e-mail, attaching all required documents, no later than noon on the deadline date. There should be no more than three attachments: application, 501(c)(3) letter (if applicable) and financial statement. Do not combine into one document. Include the name of the applicant organization and the name and telephone number of the person sending the application e-mail in the body of the e-mail so we can contact you if we have questions. Submit all materials listed under Application Materials Checklist below. Download, complete and submit the Microsoft Word application form posted on the San Joaquin Valley Health Fund web page, www.shfcenter.org/sjvhealthfund, as an attachment to the e-mail. Submit 501(c)(3) letter and financial statement in PDF or Excel format as attachments to the e-mail. materials are complete and accurate before submitting them. Revised application materials will not be accepted. Do not put the application content information in the body of your e-mail message; attach the application materials as requested above. Do not include any materials not requested, such as letters of support, MOUs or photos, etc. Printed applications will not be accepted. If you need help submitting your application materials by e-mail, send an e-mail to sjvhealthfund@shfcenter.org with the subject line: E-Mail Help. If you are not a 501(c)(3) incorporated nonprofit organization, you may identify a 501(c)(3) entity to apply as your fiscal sponsor. Early submission is advised. We may not be able to respond to your requests for help on the deadline date. Send application materials to sjvhealthfund@shfcenter.org Subject line: SJV Health Fund You will receive an e-mail within three business days acknowledging receipt. Send questions about this grant program and the application process to sjvhealthfund@shfcenter.org with the subject line: SJVHF Question Send all attachments in one e-mail. If the total size of attached files is greater than 8MB or your submission e-mail bounces back to you, contact us at sjvhealthfund@shfcenter.org. Do not scan documents in color as this will greatly increase file size. Do not attach Zip files. Do not attach jpeg, tiff, gif or any other picture file formats. Submit application materials only once. Be sure your San Joaquin Valley Health Fund Page 6
Application Materials Checklist Download the application form at www.shfcenter.org/sjvhealthfund. Completed San Joaquin Valley Health Fund Grant Application form (use the Microsoft Word form), which includes: - Application Cover Sheet form - Proposal Narrative - Proposed Project Budget and Budget Narrative - Performance Measures table (example Performance Measures tables are posted at www.shfcenter.org/sjvhealthfund) 501(c)(3) determination letter (if applicable) PDF format Most recent statement of financial activity that shows revenue and expenses for a full fiscal year (not IRS form 990) PDF or Excel format San Joaquin Valley Health Fund Page 7