It’s Here! Upper Valley Project Funding to Address Health Inequities

The first round of projects under the Upper Valley Community Health Equity Partnership have been selected.

In October 2022, the Upper Valley Community Health Equity Partnership  (UVCHEP) sought proposals from local entities in the White River Junction District of the VT Department of Health who seek to reduce health disparities the UVCHEP Steering Committee has described in the Problem Statement:

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) as well as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual and plus (LGBTQIA+) community members have higher levels of mental health challenges and substance use disorder, diagnosed and undiagnosed. These conditions are both caused by and contribute to isolation, other chronic health conditions, and not feeling safe.

We invited applications for projects that could be completed in the 7-month time frame of this grant period, ending May 31, 2023, and that address the Root Causes of the health disparities mentioned above. We awarded grants ranging from $5,000 to $28,000 and have a total pool of $150,000.

A summary of funded projects will be posted in January 2023.

More Equitable Grantmaking:

Our goal is to reduce the barriers that traditionally prevent groups and organizations most closely connected to the people who experience health disparities from getting funding and other resources to address health disparities in their own communities.

How was this application process more equitable and accessible?

1. Eligibility requirements have been set to create as few barriers as possible for informal, small, and new entities to apply.
2. We accept applications in several different formats.
3. The application was intended to be short and simple. We estimated it would take about 2 to 4 hours to complete once you have developed a clear idea of what you want to propose.
4. We provided several options to learn more about the application and get your questions answered. This included live Webinars with recordings available online and “Office Hours” with our Equity Facilitator.
5. If you needed support completing the application, someone from the Steering Committee would help you.
6. While the grant program is based on reimbursing grantees for actual expenses, and not providing grant funds at the beginning of the award, the Public Health Council (PHC) will provide up to 10% of the total award to grantees at the beginning of the award. PHC will also work with grantees on a case-by-case basis to address cash flow concerns for large grant expenses.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligible Applicants were those who could demonstrate a clear and convincing plan to address concerns raised in the Problem Statement above, especially with projects that address one or more of the identified Root Causes.

• Individuals
• Grassroots Organizations (If you need a Fiscal Sponsor, we will help you find one.)
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Businesses
• Federally (and non-federally) recognized Native American Indian tribes and Alaska Native entities
• Governmental Entities
• Funding can support organization(s) not located in VT, as long as they serve people in the White River Junction District of Vermont and can demonstrate ability to address the Problem Statement.

To learn more about how applicants were supported?

RFP Webinar Series:

Tuesday, October 4, 2022                          Health Equity Grant Purpose & Eligibility Requirements
6:30 to 7:30 pm                                            Recording Link: https://youtu.be/HOhbJmtF_4w

Thursday, October 6, 2022                        Health Equity Grant: Completing the Application
6:30 to 7:30 pm                                           Recording Link

Tuesday, October 11, 2022                       Health Equity Grant: Developing a Budget
6:30 to 7:30 pm                                           Recording Link

Questions: Contact Alice Ely

Please note that we may find it necessary or beneficial to post corrections, clarifications, or responses to frequently asked questions. These updates will be posted on this webpage, so please check the page periodically to ensure you have the most up to date information.