2024/2025 Community Health Initiatives Grants

The Greater Lowell Health Alliance of the Community Health Network Area 10 (GLHA of CHNA 10) is proud to offer grants for the fall of 2024 to support initiatives that improve the wellbeing of the Greater Lowell community. The purpose of this RFP is to provide grant funding to increase support for services and programs to better meet the needs of communities in the Greater Lowell area.

WHO CAN APPLY: Non-profit organizations or public entities (such as municipalities, schools, health institutions and services) with service areas within CHNA 10 are eligible to apply. 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.

FUNDING OBJECTIVE: Implementing the 2023 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), which provides a goal-based framework for addressing the needs identified in the CHNA.
Grants will be awarded to organizations to implement projects or services that are aligned with a specific objective(s) described in the 2023 CHIP, included in the application.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT REQUIREMENTS: All proposals MUST incorporate a plan to meet the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Health and Health Care.

AWARD AMOUNT AND ELIGIBILTY: This grant cycle will award a total of $135,000 to support efforts of these critical health issues. Individual grant amounts will range between $5,000 and $50,000, at the discretion of the review committee. Awards will not be given to individuals or be used for scholarships. Grant awards cannot be used to fund capital or overhead expenses.

All grant applications must be received no later than 4:00pm on Thursday, June 27, 2024.

FY 2024 COMMUNITY HEALTH INITIATIVES MINI-GRANT REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Community Health Initiatives Mini-Grants

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 mini grants throughout 2023 to support programs and services that improve the overall health of the Greater Lowell community. The purpose of these mini-grants are to provide funding to address the health disparities listed within the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment.

Section 1: Identifying the Need

In partnership with Lowell General Hospital and the University of Massachusetts Lowell the Greater Lowell Health Alliance conducted a community health needs assessment to identify the unmet medical and public health needs within the Greater Lowell Community.

Grants will be awarded around the following health priorities. These funds are designed to support the infrastructure of the task force work. (Examples: surveys, data collection, translations, policy work, networking materials, etc.)

• MENTAL HEALTH
• CHRONIC HEALTH & WELLNESS
• SUBSTANCE & ALCOHOL USE
• COVID-19 & OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES
• REPRODUCTIVE, SEXUAL & PREGNANCY HEALTH
• LUNG & BREATHING HEALTH
• CANCER
• INFANT HEALTH
• ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
• VIOLENCE

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 projects and proposals developed through the GLHA Task Forces and Subcommittees;

• Behavioral Health Task Force
• Substance Use and Prevention Task Force
• Health Equity Task Force
• LGTBQ Subcommittee / PRIDE
• Maternal/Child Health Task Force
• Wellness & Chronic Disease Task Force
• Asthma Coalition of Greater Lowell
• Housing & the Built Environment 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, minority and/or at-risk communities.  (*Additional task forces may be established to meet priority areas if not currently being met.)

 Award Amount and Eligibility

A total of fifteen thousand dollars will be allocated to support efforts of these critical health issues.  Grants will be awarded at the discretion of the GLHA Steering Committee. Awards will not be given to individuals or be used for scholarships. 

Criteria – $20,000 will be allocated for mini-grants in FY2024; Awards ranging up to $2,000.

2022/2023 Community Health Initiative Grants

In the fall of 2022 the Greater Lowell Health Alliance of CHNA 10 offered $355,000 in grant funds to support programs and services to improve the overall health of the Greater Lowell community.

2021/2022 GLHA COMMUNITY HEALTH INITIATIVES GRANT

The Greater Lowell Health Alliance of CHNA 10 is proud to offer grants for the fall of 2021 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 support for services and programs to better meet the needs of communities in the Greater Lowell area.

2020/2021 Community Health Initiatives Grant

In the fall of 2020 the Greater Lowell Health Alliance of CHNA 10 offered $155,000 in grant funds to support programs and services to improve the overall health of the Greater Lowell community.

2019/2020 Community Health Initiatives Grant

The Greater Lowell Health Alliance of CHNA 10 offered grants for the fall of 2019 to support programs and services to improve the overall health of the Greater Lowell community.

2018/2019 Community Health Initiatives Grant Request for Proposals

The GLHA is proud to announce the request for proposals for the Fall of 2018 grants. $185,000 will be allocated to support community-based organizations to address critical health issues in the Greater Lowell area. Grants will be awarded around the following priority areas: Cultural competence/cultural responsiveness, mental health, substance use and prevention, access to healthy food, physical activity, asthma, and social determinants of health.

2017 – Grants

The GLHA is proud to announce the grant awards for the Fall of 2017. The GLHA awarded ten grants totaling $150,000 to community-based organizations to address critical health issues in the Greater Lowell area. Grants were awarded around the following priority areas: Cultural competence/cultural responsiveness, mental health, substance use and prevention, access to healthy food, physical activity, asthma, and social determinants of health.

2016 Community Health Initiatives Grant

The GLHA is proud to announce the grant awards for the Fall of 2016 to support programs and services to improve the overall health of the Greater Lowell community. The GLHA awarded eight grants totaling $200,000 to community-based organizations to address critical health issues in the Greater Lowell area. Grants were awarded around the following priority areas: mental health and mental disorders, substance abuse (including tobacco use), chronic disease (e.g. asthma, obesity, diabetes), and prevention and screenings (e.g. cancer, children’s nutrition).

GLHA 2015 Community Health Initiatives Mini-Grants

The Greater Lowell Health Alliance of CHNA 10 was pleased to offer mini-grants for the Fall of 2015 to provide grant funding to increase support for services and programs to better meet the needs of communities in the Greater Lowell area.

GLHA 2014 Community Health Initiatives Grant

In 2014, the GLHA distributed nearly $200,000 to support programs and services to improve the overall health of the Greater Lowell community.