2014 Community Health Initiatives Grant (expired)

The Greater Lowell Health Alliance of the Community Health Network Area 10 (GLHA of CHNA 10) is comprised of healthcare providers, business leaders, educators, civic and community leaders with a common goal to help the Greater Lowell community identify and address its health and wellness priorities. The Greater Lowell Health Alliance of CHNA 10 is proud to offer grants for the Spring of 2014 to support programs and services to improve the overall health of the Greater Lowell community. The purpose of this RFP is to provide grant funding to increase services and programs to better meet the needs of communities in the Greater Lowell area. Grants will be awarded around the following priority areas:

• Mental health
• Substance abuse
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Respiratory diseases (e.g. asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Cardiovascular disease
• Hepatitis B in the Cambodian community

Grant awards cannot be used to fund capital or overhead expenses. Non-profit organizations or public entities (such as municipalities, schools, health institutions and services) are eligible to apply. Priority will be given to agencies with representatives serving on one of the five GLHA task forces;

• Mental Health Task Force
• Substance Use and Prevention Task Force
• Cultural Competency Task Force
• Maternal/Child Health Task Force
• Healthy Eating and Living Task Force

and whose service area is within the CHNA 10 designated by the Department of Public Health. Those communities include Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Lowell, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro, and Westford. Towns outside the CHNA 10 service area may serve as partners on grants. Organizations not currently participating in above task forces are encouraged to apply and welcome to join the task forces. Preference will be given to projects that serve low-income, vulnerable, and/or at-risk communities.

(Additional task forces may be established to meet priority areas if not currently being met.)

Award Amount and Eligibility

Two hundred thousand dollars will be allocated to address these critical health issues. Grants will be awarded at the discretion of the review committee. Awards will not be given to individuals or be used for scholarships.

Criteria 1 – $100,000 will be allocated to mini-grants ranging from $10,000-$25,000.

Criteria 2 – $100,000 will be allocated to grants ranging from $25,001-$100,000. Up to four proposals will awarded within this range. If there aren’t enough substantial grants in the higher range, those dollars will go towards funding more grants in Criteria 1.

Award Criteria

Completed applications will be judged on the following criteria:

• Well-designed project that fits into the priority areas
• Clear explanation of the proposed project and demonstration of the impact the project will have on increasing and/or improving healthcare services provided to target population
• Clear, demonstrated health need supported by available data
• Clear, measurable goals and objectives
• Realistic timeline for implementation of project
• Explanation of expected outcomes
• Demonstrated plan for evaluation to measure program success
• Demonstrated collaborative efforts with other community organizations that are part of the system of care for the stated target population
• Plan for sustainability of funded program in future years (if applicable*)
• Appropriate budget

(*”Applicable” defined: If this project is part of an effort your organization plans to continue beyond the grant cycle, we’d like to know how you intend to continue the project.)

Application Process

Applicants must complete the following application and may apply for up to $100,000. Funds must be used to advance the objectives of the proposed program and will be reviewed accordingly. An organization may only submit one proposal as the lead organization, but can be listed as a collaborator on others.

Required Pages and Information

In addition to the cover sheet, narrative page, and budget, an application will only be considered complete when it includes the following supporting documents:

• Updated list of your Board of Directors or Board of Selectmen
• Federal tax exempt letter including tax identification number
• Most recent 990 filing (if applicable)

Letters of commitment are preferred to letters of support, but are not required. Please do not include more than 4 total letters of commitment/support.

A grant review committee will review and score all applications based upon the previously stated award criteria.

Scores will be weighted as follows for a total of 50 points.

• Demonstration of Program/Project Need – 10 points
• Target Population – 5 points
• Project plan, objectives, and proposed outcomes – 25 points
• Budget – 10 points

Deadlines

• The RFP will be released on Friday, April 18, 2014 and all grant applications must be received no later than 4:00 pm on Friday, May 23, 2014. Applications can be sent by email (preferred method) to kdentremont@greaterlowellhealthalliance.org or by mailing a hard copy to:Kerrie D’Entremont
  Greater Lowell Health Alliance
  One Hospital Drive, Lowell, MA 01852
• All questions or concerns in regard to this RFP may be directed to Kerrie D’Entremont at 978-934-8368 or at kdentremont@greaterlowellhealthalliance.org until 4:00 pm on Thursday, May 15, 2014.
• Grant recipients will be notified by Monday, June 30, 2014.

Requirements of Recipient Organizations

Successful applicants will be expected to:

• Assign a representative to participate in the GLHA task force aligned with their project, if they have not already done so.
• Submit a progress report six months after receiving the award and a summary report within three months following the completion of the funded project.
• Create a poster display of the project for the 2014 GLHA annual meeting in September.
• Money is to be spent out in a 12 month period or returned to GLHA.
• Successful applicants in the range above $25,000 will only be eligible to apply in that range 2 years in a row.

When filling out the application, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Does the project meet the RFP requirements, including priority areas and service area of the CHNA10?
2. Is your project collaborative?
3. Are program outcomes clearly defined?
4. Are objectives expressed in quantitative terms?
5. Is the timetable feasible in relation to the objectives?
6. Are methods clearly described?
7. Are methods explicitly related to specific objectives?
8. Are the methods appropriate for achieving the desired results?
9. Is the program as described likely to produce the desired impact?
10. Is an appropriate method for evaluating the program clearly described?
11. Is the budget reasonable in relation to the stated objectives of the program?
12. Is the CHNA funding a percentage of the entire budget?
13. Are expenses adequately explained?