Health Equity Fund – Policy, Advocacy & Systems Change (District of Columbia)

The Greater Washington Community Foundation is accepting Letters of Intent for the Health Equity Fund to support organizations working to develop or advance a Health Equity Policy Agenda for the District and organizations working to implement systemic change through legislative, regulatory, and budgetary means.

Donor Name: Greater Washington Community Foundation

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 01/20/2023

Details:

This effort will leverage the work of policy and advocacy organizations, academics, think tanks, and local government, and offers the opportunity to influence both public and private policy in the District for the entire region.

Partners must have specific expertise in one or more of the following areas

• Economic Mobility Policies
• Community Wealth Building Policies
• Reparative Justice Policies
• Other policies impacting health inequities, and the social and structural determinants of health more broadly

Letters of Intent must address one of three available tracks: Policy, Advocacy, and  Systems Change.

Track One – Economic and Health Policy Agenda Development

Eligibility

All organizations must submit a LOI. Up to four (4) organizations from Track One will be invited to apply after a careful review of all LOIs. Track One organizations must demonstrate the following criteria:

• Experience developing policy and regulatory agendas both locally and federally that impact the residents of the District and that have led to substantive changes in social and economic policy.
• A deep understanding of the social and structural determinants of health, economic mobility and community wealth building, strategies, and reparative justice and the role policy plays in mitigating health inequities in the District.
• Expertise and successful experience in strategy and policy design.

Specific Opportunity

The purpose of this strategic opportunity is to create economic and health policy and regulatory agenda(s), both locally and federally, that transform the lives of District residents with the greatest economic and health disparities. The policy and regulatory agenda(s) should also address the social and structural determinants of health, eliminate health disparities, and promote the economic mobility and progress amongst District residents who are the furthest away from the experiences of equity and prosperity. The selected recipients will become a key partner of the Health Equity Fund.

Partners must have specific expertise in one or more of the following areas:

• Economic Mobility Policies
• Community Wealth Building Policies
• Reparative Justice Policies
• Other policies impacting health inequities, and the social and structural determinants of health more broadly.

Track Two – Advocacy Campaigns

Eligibility

All organizations must submit a LOI. Up to six (6) organizations from Track Two will be invited to apply after a careful review of all LOIs.

Track Two organizations must demonstrate the following criteria:

• A track record of implementing advocacy efforts in the District that have led to substantive changes in social and economic policy and regulations.
• A deep understanding of the social and structural determinants of health and the role advocacy plays in policy, legislation, and budget development. Specifically, efforts that will mitigate health inequities, support economic mobility and reparative justice, and create wealth for communities in the District who are the furthest away from equity and prosperity.

Specific Opportunity

The purpose of this strategic opportunity is to support the organization of advocacy efforts that result in transformative economic and health legislation and funding that address the social and structural determinants of health, eliminate health disparities, and promote the economic mobility of District residents who are furthest away from equity and prosperity. The selected recipients will become a key partner of the Health Equity Fund.

Partners must have specific expertise in one or more of the following areas:

• Advocacy and Community Organizing/Mobilization
• Governmental Affairs
• Issue Campaign Development and Implementation
• Community Leadership

Track Three – Systems Change

Eligibility

All organizations must submit a LOI. Two (2) organizations from Track Three will be invited to apply after a careful review of all LOIs.

Track Three Organizations must demonstrate the following criteria:

• A focus on the reformation of systems and practices that impact the residents of the District.
• A deep understanding of the social and structural determinants of health, economic mobility, community wealth building, and the role systems and their practices play in mitigating health inequities in the District.
• Expertise and successful experience in strategy and systems change

Specific Opportunity

The purpose of this strategic opportunity is to support the development of cross-sector practices and process improvements that create coherence and eliminate systemic fragmentation that reinforces barriers to health equity and economic mobility of the District residents who are furthest away from equity and prosperity. The partner(s) selected will become a key partner of the Health Equity Fund.

Partners must have specific expertise in one or more of the following areas:

• Economic Mobility Practices
• Two Generation Practices
• Social and Structural Determinants of Health & Health Inequities

Common Eligibility Requirements

Grants will be awarded to select organizations that meet the following minimum eligibility criteria:

• The respondent (defined as the organization that will receive the grant agreement and funds, if awarded) must have current status as a 501(c)(3) public charity designation. Organizations that have not yet received a 501(c)(3) designation must have a fiscal sponsor that serves as the respondent (an entity will need to have an EIN or the EIN of their fiscal sponsor in order to access the LOI in the online portal). The fiscal sponsor must meet all eligibility requirements at the time of submission. For profit entities such as LLCs and sole proprietorships are not eligible to apply for funding.
• The organization must not be listed on the Office of Foreign Assets Control Specially Designated Nationals or the Southern Poverty Law Center Hate Group lists.
• Organizations must be both based in and primarily implementing in the District of Columbia.
• The organization should approach their work through a racial equity lens.
• The organization’s staff and board leadership should reflect the communities served by the organization and have a demonstrated track record of community engagement as demonstrated by the existence of community advisory boards, community listening sessions, community representation on the board of directors, or other measures defined by the organization.

For more information, visit Health Equity Fund.