Frequently Asked Questions

The following are excluded from funding consideration:

• Health-related emergencies (though in some situations, the Health Fund might consider support to address longer-term rebuilding or other needs following emergency situations)
• Clinical research
• Tuition costs and related fees. You may include salaries or wages for students who will contribute to the project.
• Capital projects
• Loans
• Litigation
• Lobbying activities
• Existing operations and staffing costs for ongoing programs
• Organizations that discriminate based on age, race, ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or gender

Please refer to specific RFPs for additional information on allowable costs.  

Yes! You can sign up for email communications at the bottom of our home page, and we’ll add you to our distribution list to receive an email whenever a new RFP is released.

We’ve created a searchable grant database that provides details about every grant the Health Fund has made. You can also see how our grantmaking has impacted communities across the state by viewing our grant map. Note that some grants may reflect prior funding priorities, so it’s always important to review the current RFP for any program you’re interested in, to ensure our current priorities align with your project.

Some of our grant programs require concept papers, while others strongly recommend them. Please refer to each program’s RFP to confirm current requirements and deadlines. If you wish to submit a concept for review outside of the normal grant cycle, please contact [email protected] for additional information.

Requests for feedback about specific project ideas are best addressed through our concept process, but Health Fund staff are available to answer questions about our process and the types of projects we are able to support. Please email [email protected] to be connected to a staff member.

No, there is not a limit on the size of an organization’s budget.

Yes! Organizations may submit multiple applications. However, it’s less likely that the Health Fund will make more than one grant per organization in a single grant cycle. If you have multiple project ideas, we recommend that you utilize the concept paper submission process; our program team will provide feedback to help you identify which project(s) would be most competitive. Note: for some programs, organizations are required to submit a concept and be invited to apply.

Yes. If your organization will put any in-kind funds toward the project budget, please enter that information in the “Applicant In-Kind Contributions” field. Please enter the amount from external supporters (like other grants specific to the project) in the “Revenue from Other Sources” field. Matching funds are not required but are viewed favorably especially when the applicant is a health system, university, or a nonprofit with a significant operating budget. 

You may use our recommended budget template or your own, but it must be an excel or PDF file. Whichever format you choose should include a detailed budget as well as a budget narrative with a breakdown of costs within each budget category

Beginning with the 2026 grant cycles, all applicants may request indirect costs of up to 30% of the total grant budget. For example, for a $100,000 grant, up to $30,000 could be used for indirect expenses. Grants awarded prior to 2026 are subject to the indirect cost limits listed in the RFP for the grant round in which the grant was funded. All indirect costs included in the grant budget, including those charged by project partners, subcontractors or consultants, count toward the indirect cost limit.

The Health Fund recognizes the importance of supporting indirect expenses and encourages organizations to request the maximum amount to support those costs.

We consider overhead or indirect costs to include costs associated with a project that are not in direct service of the project, such as administrative support, general business expenses, rent and occupancy expenses, and utilities. Some examples:

• Administrative office functions: finance and accounting support, human resources, general IT services, and fundraising
• General business expenses: hardware, software, or equipment necessary for normal business operations; bank and credit card fees; and corporate insurance policies
• Subcontractor or consultant management fees, outside of the necessary costs to directly oversee or guide the subcontractor or consultant’s work on the project

No. The page limit does not include the supplemental attachments such as the detailed budget, budget narrative, workplan, or any other required materials. Note: While the grantee portal does not limit the number of words, we request that applicants keep the total narrative within the page limit identified in the RFP. Generally, one page is equivalent to 500 words, assuming standard formatting such as 12-point font and one-inch margins.

The Health Fund allows nonprofit organizations to serve as a fiscal sponsor, or fiduciary, for other nonprofit organizations whose annual operating budgets limit the proposed project budget or who do not have the bandwidth or resources to administer a grant. Fiduciary organizations must submit the application, and if the grant is awarded, the Health Fund will issue the grant to the fiduciary organization. However, the organization using a fiduciary (sponsored organization) must provide a letter of commitment from an authorized signer, the organization’s tax ID/EIN, and contact information. Fiduciary organizations may apply for another grant in the same program.

Yes.