Community Resilience Fund RFP set to be released soon

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Background:   

Better Health Together (BHT) was founded on the principle that when we step back and let the local community lead, we find the best and most sustainable solutions to some of our most complex problems. We recognize the history of systemic and institutional racism and its impact historically and currently on underrepresented and oppressed populations. We acknowledge we are living in a culture of white privilege and dominance. We continue to see white voices prioritized in leadership positions that far out balances the voices of people of color and impacted* communities. We know this presence of white-supremacy culture is apparent in patterns of funding and philanthropy towards nonprofit and community-based organizations.  

In 2020, BHT adopted a Board policy acknowledging racism as a public health crisis and deepening our commitment to equity and anti-racist work. With this statement we released and funded $1.5 million dollars from our Community Resiliency Fund to address and prevent the impacts of racism as a public health crisis. To play a part in closing the gap between inequitable funding patterns, the BHT board voted to prioritize awarding dollars to organizations led by and serving Black, Indigenous, people of color, and LGBTQIA2S+ people.  

BHT received 34 letters of interest. BHT staff facilitated a team of community evaluators consisting of 50% BIPOC panelists that reviewed each project and made final funding recommendations. At the recommendation of the community evaluators, we capped funding to any given applicant at $100,000 and prioritized projects with the most immediate readiness to make an impact in a -1-year period. We did our best to support all projects through free coaching and technical assistance in project development and organizational capacity.  

In early 2021, we funded 23 organizations. We received clear feedback from the funded partners that this kind of dedicated and flexible funding evaluated through a community process based in trust was highly needed and valued. 

Opportunity:  

To further support our commitment, BHT is releasing an additional $2,000,000 of our Community Resiliency Fund in a Request for Proposal process to address Racism as a Public Health crisis and prioritize awarding dollars to organizations led by and serving impacted populations.* 

BHT is expecting to fund up to 20 organizations, at a maximum of $100,000 per proposal for up to two years.  

*BHT uses the term impacted communities to refer broadly to all groups that have been impacted by systems of oppression, such as Black, Ingenious, people of color, LGBTQA2S+, rural, disability, justice-involved, low income, undocumented, refugee/immigrant people, and more groups that face inequity. Recognizing how our intersecting identities connect, it is important to call out that while white people may experience some of these forms of oppression, this experience is not the same as racism and cannot be racialized for them. A white person experiencing discrimination because of their disability does not have to consider how their race might have influenced their treatment (although if they are doing their anti-racist work, they should). In contrast, a black person with a disability in this example does not get the privilege of separating their experience of racism and the experience of ableism.  

Goals:  

BHT will place priority on funding proposals that: 

  • Address, mitigate, and/or prevent impacts of systemic racism  

  • Strengthen organizations led by and serving communities impacted by systems of oppression, specifically prioritizing those organizations supporting impacted populations. 

  • Ensure diverse and meaningful participation from community voice to shift power, guide decision making, support self-governance and direct funding  

  • Leverage our privileged position to draw more funding and resources to the region in sustainable and equitable ways 

  • Increase investment and technical assistance as identified by BIPOC and impacted community organizations to meet critical community needs 

  • Invest in BIPOC and impacted community organization to support health transformation 

In an effort to provide flexible funding; project specific goals to be determined and defined by contracted organizations; trusting the organizations closest to the issues to decide what is best. 

 

What should proposals address?  

This funding can be used for either new or existing programs or ideas. These programs or services could be be, but not limited to, focused on reparative justice, prevention, and mitigation. 

The following criteria will be used to determine how funds are distributed: 

  • Anti-Racism & Equity: Organization and project goals are in alignment with promoting anti-racism 

  • Target population: Project serves impacted communities 

  • By and for: Project addresses identified needs in the community they serve 

  • Project clarity: Shows alignment between requested funds and intended goals and outcomes 

  • Impact: Funding increases community and/or organizational capacity 

  • Proximity: Organization/group has a direct role in meeting needs of impacted communities 

Timeline and Process: 

September 

The Board approves an additional $1m in Community Resiliency Fund to be added to the December 2021 schedule. 

October

The Board approves the RFP Process. 
The RFP is released for public comment – any needed changes are made based on feedback. 

November

The RFP is released & panelists selected. BHT will recruit 2-3 community leaders to participate in selection panels with a staff member  
It is not expected that the same panels will evaluate all proposals, however, all panels must consist of at least half BIPOC individuals. 

January

The panels review proposals. 
Initial review of eligibility will include “By & For” organizational prioritization; with 50% or higher leadership and/or staff comprised of individuals from impacted groups.  

Panelists review proposals using a 1-5 ranking system with comments for every section: 

  • Anti-racism & Equity: Organization and project goals are in alignment with promoting anti-racism 

  • Target population: Project serves impacted communities 

  • By and for: Project addresses identified needs in the community they serve 

  • Project clarity: Shows alignment between requested funds and intended goals and outcomes 

  • Impact: Funding increases community and/or organizational capacity 

  • Proximity: Organization/group has a direct role in meeting needs of impacted communities 

Interviews will be conducted in late January.  

February

Decision and announcement of decision. 

March

One or two year contracts start.  
 

Additional Considerations: 

Please reach out to bhtequityteam@betterhealthtogether.org for language translations and additional support with your application.