"Roadmaps to Health" Community Grants Announced

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has announced the Roadmaps to Health Community Grants program – an initiative that will help communities address the policies and/or local systems that influence health outcomes in their community. Using County Health Rankings as a guide, the Roadmaps to Heath grant encourages communities to address the social and economic factors that impact health. Unemployment, education, community safety and access to health clinics, for example, can influence the health and well-being of a community and its residents. As a result, policies or practices that influence these factors can be shaped to ensure that residents have access to healthcare services and that communities are healthy places to both live and work.

Recognizing that improving public health requires broad community support, eligible applicants must be part of coalitions and networks that have broad representation from various sectors of the community, including representatives from business, education, public health, community safety and policy advocates. In addition, the Roadmaps to Health grant recognizes the critical role that residents play in improving their community and requires that residents are part of the planning and implementation of projects.

A series of conference calls has been scheduled to provide more information for interested applicants. The first call will take place on March 20 from 12:00-1:30pm and the second will take place on April 10 from 12:00-1:30pm. Registration is required and can be found here.

Up to 20 Roadmaps to Health grants will be awarded with grantees receiving awards of up to $200,000 for up to 24 months. Applicants must secure a 100% match for awarded funds, including a 50% cash match. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations and state/local government agencies that are part of local coalitions or networks and have expertise in improving the health of the public. For more information about eligibility and the application process, please click here.  Applications are due May 2.