The Health Fund’s 2022 grantmaking has officially launched—57 Community Health Impact projects are receiving over $4.5 million in support, with grant awards ranging from $34,000 to $100,000. The grants support health-focused, community-driven initiatives taking place in every region of Michigan.
“We take a bottom-up approach with our Community Health Impact program,” said Megan Murphy, program director for the Health Fund. “By trusting Michigan communities to expand capacity, drive collaboration, and spearhead solutions, we can help them plant the seeds for lasting health impacts.”
One organization is taking that ‘planting seeds’ message to heart—Keweenaw Bay Indian Community is committing to the growth and sustainability of its Debweyendan Indigenous Gardens program in the Upper Peninsula’s Baraga County. A food systems specialist will help the program increase community engagement, connect with national food sovereignty groups, and develop a long-term plan for sustaining the work. The initiative will be co-funded with the Portage Health Foundation for the first year.
Another organization, the Sanilac County Health Department, aims to address healthcare workforce shortages through a long-term youth outreach pipeline. Working with Central Michigan University undergraduates, medical students, and health professionals, students from underserved areas will explore career options, engage in hands-on clinical simulation experiences, learn how to navigate the post-secondary environment, and become more observant of their own health and wellness.
Strengthening and supporting Michigan’s communities
The Health Fund’s Community Health Impact awards are distributed through three tracks: collaboration planning, community-based implementation, and capacity building. Most projects in all three funding tracks promote health equity by giving special attention to the needs of those at greatest risk of poor health.
The collaboration planning track aims to increase or improve collaboration among providers, service agencies, the business community, and community-based organizations within a community. One example: the Michigan State University Flint Center for Health Equity Solutions will join Genesee County partners to create a Health Equity Report Card, which will disaggregate health outcomes data to expose the area’s most pressing disparities. 12 collaboration planning proposals received awards, totaling $1,110,516 in funding.
The goal of the community-based implementation track is to provide resources to help empower communities to solve their most pressing health issues and successfully implement health-focused, community-driven interventions to address health issues in a sustainable way. For example, Eastside Community Network is bringing Detroit residents to the table to co-design group services and activities, identify unmet health and wellness needs, and support continuous improvement. 31 community-based implementation proposals received awards, totaling $2,723,556 in funding.
Lastly, the Health Fund’s capacity-building grantmaking seeks to assist health-focused community-based organizations in becoming stronger, more effective institutions within their communities by meeting basic organizational needs, allowing them to spend more time and energy focused on their mission and collaborative efforts. For example, Child and Family Charities will train their staff in the All Children-All Families model, allowing the organization to ensure their internal policies and practices are inclusive not only to their staff but also to the children and families they serve who identify as LGBTQ+. 14 capacity building proposals received grants, totaling $689,324.
“More than ever, we’re seeing Michigan’s nonprofit organizations working collaboratively and seeking input from community members to make their programs stronger,” Murphy said. “We can’t wait for these initiatives to be underway.”
The full list of grants is provided below.
2022 Community Health Impact Grants
COLLABORATION PLANNING PROJECTS
Birth Detroit
Community Based Birth: A Strategy for Healthcare Access | $99,661
District Health Department #10
North Central Network: Expanding Capacity for Collaboration | $100,000
Generations United
Ypsilanti Intergenerational Community Solutions Institute | $65,346
Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation
Voices Integrated, Informed, and Amplified | $100,000
Lansing School District
Strategic System and Service Alignment | $99,338
Michigan Breast Feeding Network
Sacred Bundle Birthworker Collective | $100,000
Michigan Public Health Institute
Southeast Michigan Alliance for Addiction-Free Communities | $83,173
Michigan State University
Health Equity Report Card | $100,000
Midland Area Community Foundation
Equitable Access to Wellbeing across Midland County | $100,000
Pontiac Community Foundation
Expanding Access to Transportation Services in Pontiac | $100,000
Spectrum Health Foundation
Advancing Breastfeeding Justice in Kent County | $95,578
United Way of Southwest Michigan
Building a Network of Turned Outward Organizations | $67,420
COMMUNITY-BASED IMPLEMENTATION PROJECTS
Access to Healthy Foods, Wellness, and Fitness Projects
Advancing Macomb Foundation, Inc.
Breaking Barriers to Play | $60,000
Eastside Community Network d.b.a Warren-Conner Development Coalition, Inc.
Stoudamire Wellness Hub | $100,000
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
Nurturing Aki and Community to Reclaim Tribal Well-Being | $80,683
MGH Family Health Center Muskegon Heights
FARMacy For Health | $50,000
Midland County Cancer Society, INC.
Eating Right for your Cancer Fight | $100,000
Sanilac County Health Department
Health/Human Service Workforce Development- Youth Programs | $99,870
Spectrum Health Foundation
Core Health Smart Homes | $100,000
The Regents of the University of Michigan
West Willow Community Partnership: Wellness Center & Clinic | $99,942
The Wayne County SAFE Program
The Avalon Institute: Protecting Athletes, Preventing Abuse | $100,000
Access to Behavioral Health Services
Bethany Christian Services of Michigan
Refugee Health Navigation: Community Health Education Series | $100,000
Brilliant Detroit
Brilliant Detroit Child and Family Wellness Project | $100,000
Catherine’s Health Center
Behavioral Health Without Barriers | $100,000
Crim Fitness Foundation
Engaging Flint BIPOC Leaders as Ambassadors | $100,000
Michigan State University
Empowering providers to address child pain in rural schools | $100,000
Safe Haven Ministries
A Community-Based Response to Human Trafficking | $100,000
The Regents of the University of Michigan
Implementing Depression Treatment for Mothers in HeadStart | $100,000
Wayne State University
Parenting Young Children Check-up Promotes Behavioral Health | $99,941
Health-Related Transportation
Four County Community Foundation
Imlay City Micro-Transit Pilot | $48,000
Healthy Aging/Caregiving
Alzheimer’s Association Michigan Chapter
Veterans Health System Dementia Capable Care Initiative | $89,013
Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
MI Community Outreach to address financial Toxicity: MI-COST | $100,000
Bridging Communities, Inc
Senior and Community Emergency Preparedness (SCEP) | $100,000
Calvin University
IP Support Groups for Adults with Dysphagia and Caregivers | $57,448
Chaldean Community Foundation
Arabic Language – A Matter of Balance | $99,786
Otsego County Commission on Aging (OCCOA)
Remote Evolunteering Motivating Older Adults To Engage | $99,873
Region II Commission On Services to the Aging
Wellness Through In-Home Physical Activity Partnering | $45,000
The Shul
Smiles on Seniors | $100,000
United Community Housing Coalition
How Are You? Detroit Senior Health + Housing Assessments | $100,000
Maternal-Infant Health
Henry Ford Health System
Heart Healthy Families | $100,000
K-Connect
Actionable Data to Drive Healthy Development | $60,000
Oakland Family Services
Maternal Infant Health Program | $100,000
Region 9 Perinatal Collaborative
Building a Diverse Doula Workforce in Southeast Michigan | $34,000
CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECTS
Adoption Option Inc
Capacity Building Through Increase Annual Planning | $50,000
Challenge Mountain of Walloon Hills Inc
Next Steps: Implementing Feasibility Study Recommendations | $50,000
Child and Family Charities
All Children-All Families (ACAF) | $50,000
Focus: HOPE
One Focus Technology Platform | $50,000
HOPE Hospitality & Warming Center, Inc.
De-Congregating HOPE’s Shelters | $50,000
Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County
JFS Certified Medical Interpreters for Refugee Populations | $50,000
Michigan Community Health Worker Alliance
Ground and Grow – Increasing MiCHWA’s Internal Capacity | $50,000
Michigan Farmers Market Association
Improving Data Collection & Utilization at Farmers Markets | $49,337
Residents in Action
Building Capacity for An Effective Black Led Organization | $50,000
Ruth Ellis Center, Inc.
Ruth Ellis Institute Income Generation Model | $50,000
Sturgis Area Community Foundation
SACF Quality of Life Dashboard | $40,000
The Family & Youth Institute
Reducing behavioral health barriers for Muslim Americans | $50,000
Wayne Children’s Healthcare Access Program
KHC Data Interchange & Interoperability Development | $50,000
Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels
Interactive Online Training Platform for Volunteers | $49,987