2017 Grantmaking Kicks Off With Capacity Building Mini Grants, Application Period for Grants Opens Today
The Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg is encouraging proposals for projects that will deliver needed improvement for organizations working to improve the health of residents in South Pinellas County. The first of three planned funding rounds in 2017 launches today with a published RFP, open application, and a webinar to guide nonprofits interested in applying.
The Foundation anticipates making from 20 to 30 Capacity Building Mini Grants of between $10,000 and $15,000 each to support one-time projects. The types of projects considered for funding include but are not limited to such things as staff training, conference attendance, use of a consultant to enhance efficiency or operational capacity, or the testing of a new service or program. However, organizations are encouraged to think creatively and propose something that best suits their own needs and those of the community.
“To improve our community’s overall health, certain tools and infrastructure are needed to fully support the nonprofit organizations that strive day-in and day-out to improve the lives of our citizens. The Capacity Building Mini Grant opportunity was inspired by feedback we received from the local nonprofit community last year,” said Randall H. Russell, President and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg. “Organizations requested flexible resources to pursue small but impactful projects and ideas that can move their work forward. The wisdom of what is needed lies among those doing the work, and we are happy to respond to their request for these one-time grants to support organizational capacity.”
The Request for Proposals (RFP) is available on the Foundation’s website at healthystpete.foundation/2017grantmaking. Applicants may register and submit applications through the Grants portal at https://healthystpete.fluxx.io. The Capacity Building Mini Grants application period opens today, March 1, 2017, and closes March 31, 2017 at noon EST. As with all Foundation grants, external reviewers will review and prioritize applications that demonstrate why this funding will further build their capacity to improve social determinants of health.
A webinar discussing the grants and how to apply is being held this morning at 10:00 a.m. EST. Registration is open at healthystepete.foundation/events. The webinar will be posted on the Foundation’s website for those who cannot attend.
Future Grant Cycles Also Announced
Two additional rounds of grantmaking will follow the Capacity Building Mini Grants.
Transformative Grants—These are multi-year or single-year grants of between $50,000 to $500,000 to support ambitious programs or advocacy initiatives that will improve population health outcomes through larger-scale efforts that involve collaboration and systems change. A detailed RFP for Transformative Grants will be available May 1.
Empowerment Grants— Grants of between $50,000 and $100,000 are targeted to organizations with annual operating budgets of less than $1 million to support new initiatives, new collaborations, expanding or sustaining a current activity, or improving organizational capacity in such a way as to improve community health in substantial ways. A detailed RFP for Empowerment Grants will be available July 7.
The Empowerment Grants give organizations with smaller budgets the ability to seek funding that will help them take their work to the next level. This is another programmatic response to community feedback received by the Foundation. A video animation offering a preview of all 2017 funding opportunities: https://vimeo.com/203911472
Curtis Holloman, Senior Director of Grants and Programs, said: “An important aim of the Foundation’s 2017 grantmaking is to help nonprofits in South Pinellas County achieve new levels of effectiveness in our community. We believe these three grant programs provide opportunities for potential funded partners to pursue new and innovative approaches to improving community health.”
All proposals for funding must link to the mission of the Foundation, which is to achieve health equity and improve population health in its geographic area of focus.
In an effort to strengthen public understanding of health equity, population health and the social determinants of health framework that guides grantmaking and other work, the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg offers definitions and resources on our website.