Kaiser Permanente Community Fund
2008 Grant Cycle: Call for Letters of Inquiry
Informational Session
10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Tuesday, June 3 at the Foundation offices
Space is limited. RSVP by email to Chris Kabel
ABOUT THE KPCF
The Kaiser Permanente Community Fund at Northwest Health Foundation was established in late 2004 to advance the health of the communities served by Kaiser Permanente Northwest. The Fund intends to achieve this goal by addressing those factors in the social, policy, and physical environment that impact community health. Often referred to as the social determinants of health, these factors have been shown to play a major role in the development of health disparities based on race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status.
2008 GRANT CYCLE
The Fund seeks to support community-based efforts to enhance social supports that promote health equity, and eliminate those factors that contribute to health disparities. Proposals may address topics as diverse as public safety, secure employment, environmental quality, social capital, affordable housing, and community organizing, to name a few. Click here to see a list of the projects funded last year.
Research by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and many others, has found that health status is largely determined by factors outside of our health care system. While high-quality clinical care is important, underlying and chronic stressors such as poverty and racism play a significant role in the development and progression of disease. An approach that prevents the need for clinical services will result in healthier communities and less expensive health care for all. Resources such as The Community Guide to Preventive Services have begun developing evidence-based recommendations for how groups and coalitions can address the social determinants of health in their communities.
The Fund is committed to promoting health equity and social justice through support of community-based organizations. We are particularly interested in supporting efforts that take a preventive or “upstream” approach to improving community health. If your organization is working in the KPCF funding region and you have an idea for a project to improve your community’s health that is innovative, evidence-based, and collaborative, we invite you to apply for a grant in 2008.
While the thematic focus of the Fund’s grantmaking remains the same, this year we are introducing a new option for grantseekers. We will be accepting letters of inquiry along two tracks: Capacity-Building Grants and Implementation Grants.
- Capacity-Building Grants are more appropriate for organizations that are new to the health field; are not yet able to clearly articulate how their work would improve community health; who need time to develop relationships with other partners; and/or need to engage with their community to develop their implementation strategies and goals.
- Implementation Grants represent the types of projects that we have been typically funding. Implementation Grants are more appropriate for organizations (usually collaborations of several organizations) that are ready to implement a defined plan of action, with a clear expectation of goals and outcomes.
A more detailed explanation of each track is provided in our Frequently Asked Questions page.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applying for a grant is a two-step process. We encourage you to call a program officer to discuss your idea by phone prior to application. If you determine that a match exists between your project idea and the KPCF funding priorities, the first step is to submit a letter of inquiry (LOI). Here's what to do:
- First, search by ZIP code to determine if your project will provide benefit in the KPCF funding region. If your search reveals a match, proceed as follows:
- Download and complete an application cover sheet
- Prepare a 2-page LOI following the guidelines below
- 13 copies of your LOI and cover sheet must be received by the Foundation offices by 5:00 p.m. on July 2, 2008. LOIs sent by fax, email or post-marked by the deadline date will not be accepted.
All LOIs that meet our core eligibility criteria will be reviewed by Foundation staff and by the KPCF advisors. If your organization is invited to take the second step and submit a full proposal, the Foundation will provide detailed information about what to include in your application, and the deadline. In most cases, a program officer will call to schedule a site visit. Applicants will be notified, in writing, of their status by mid-September.
Letter of Inquiry Guidelines
Your letter of inquiry should be no more than two pages. If you are applying for an Implementation Grant, your letter should include:
- Problem/Issue/Need to be addressed
- Purpose of project
- Description of project, including how it will address the social determinants of health in your community
- Anticipated impact on the target population/community, and how that impact would be evaluated
- What health outcomes will be addressed
- Amount requested
- Background and qualifications of the organization applying for funds
If you are applying for a Capacity-Building Grant, your letter of inquiry should include:
- Problem/Issue/Need to be addressed
- What prompted your organization to consider moving upstream to address social determinants of health
- Preliminary description of the outreach, research, or partnership-building that your organization needs to do before developing a well-defined initiative or intervention
- Other organizations that you plan to engage during this phase, if relevant
- Methods that will be used to build your organization’s capacity to address social determinants of health in your community
- Amount requested, over how much time
- Background and qualifications of organization applying for funds
To complete the application process, 13 sets of the LOI and application cover sheet must be received by the Foundation offices by 5:00 p.m. on July 2, 2008. The original cover sheet must be signed by your Board chair, executive director, or a suitable designee. Send or deliver to:
Northwest Health Foundation
221 NW Second Avenue, Suite 300
Portland, Oregon 97209
QUESTIONS?
First, read the FAQ and Resources section. Then, join us for an informational session on Tuesday, June 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Foundation offices. RSVP by email to Chris Kabel. Please let us know you are coming-room capacity is limited.
To speak with a program officer, call the Foundation at (503) 220-1955.
To be eligible to apply to the Kaiser Permanente Community Fund, the service area of your project must fall within the geographic region roughly spanning from Longview, Washington to Salem, Oregon and portions of the Willamette Valley.
Use the search tool below to determine if your project falls within the KPCF funding region. Please note that organizations located outside this area may still be eligible to apply for funding if the project will be implemented (e.g. services delivered) within one or more of the ZIP codes served by KPCF.
Enter the 5-digit ZIP code(s) for your project, one at a time: