Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health

Posted by on April 18, 2011

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Launches First Round of Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health: Community Grants Program
Deadline: April 27, 2011 (Brief Proposals)

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has launched a new community grants program called Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health (MATCH) to jumpstart community efforts to address the many factors that influence health.

The new initiative is designed to help communities work together to translate the Community Health Rankings into action, and to implement policies and practices proven to improve the factors that most affect health outcomes. The program is based on the understanding that social and economic factors such as education and employment can affect health directly and indirectly, and that those negative effects may accumulate over individuals’ lifetimes and continue unbroken through generations. The community grants program will engage local funders and build case examples of communities translating the Community Health Rankings into evidence-informed policies and systems change efforts that address the factors that affect health outcomes in communities.

The first round of the MATCH community grants program is open to communities that are ready to take action to address the social and economic factors that affect health. Proposed policy and systems change objectives must address one of the following social and economic factors that affect health: education; income and employment; family and social connectedness; and community safety.

RWJF seeks proposals from organizations that participate in established coalitions or networks that include a wide range of community stakeholders. For purposes of this program, an eligible community is defined as a municipality, county, tribe, district, state, or region. Although there is no minimum requirement for population size, initiatives focused on individuals or that have limited population impact generally would not be considered competitive. To be eligible for RWJF funding, applicant organizations must be located in the United States or its territories and have nonprofit 501(c)(3) certification; tribal group recognized by the U.S. federal government; or state or local agency.

Through this round of funding, the program will award up to fourteen grants of up to $200,000 for up to 24 months to support the implementation of recipients’ proposed policy or systems change strategy.

Visit the RWJF Web site for the complete call for proposals, program FAQs, match requirements, and application procedures.

http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=21351