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Community Health & Prevention
For the past decade, MFH has provided substantial funding for prevention and community health programs to address the two leading preventable causes of death and disease, tobacco use and obesity. In each case, the MFH program has been focused, based on best practices, and directed toward developing replicable models appropriate to the needs of the communities in the service region. In 2012, MFH is implementing a new strategic framework and program structure that is increasingly responsive to community need and encourages partnerships.
One of the strategic framework’s focus areas is Community Health and Prevention (CHP). The long-term goal of CHP is to help “establish communities where good health, healthy behaviors, and the healthy choice are the norm.” To achieve this goal, CHP will support communities in building the capacity to address public health issues, increase knowledge and skills at the local level, and ensure effective investments of scarce resources in communities of greatest need.
CHP will:
• Empower communities to identify, plan for, and effectively address health challenges.
• Ensure an evidence-base is woven into all work including interventions, planning, and policy activities at the local level.
• Address health needs through flexible and responsive community driven funding.
• Encourage and support collaboration and capacity building among partners and across sectors within a community.
• Support advocacy efforts and coalition development to address local health policy changes.
Three MFH programs are part of Community Health & Prevention:
Opportunities in Community Health and Prevention
COLLABORATIVE APPROACHES TO IMPROVING COMMUNITY HEALTH
The intent of this funding opportunity is to encourage prevention efforts to look beyond the individual toward larger changes in the community environment by influencing policies, changing organizational practices, building coalitions and networks, educating providers, and implementing community-wide efforts. Through this effort MFH seeks to provide a set of applicant expectations and potential outcome targets, but leave the specific issue targeted and the means to effect change up to the applicant community. View the Request for Concept Papers
MINI-GRANTS IN COMMUNITY HEALTH AND PREVENTION
The CHP mini-grant program is designed to provide short-term support to organizations conducting small, targeted community health efforts aligned with the CHP goals. One-year grants will range from $1,000 to $10,000 and may be used for community-based technical assistance or program and policy related work.
ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING OPPORTUNITY
Provide responsive funding to support community-based efforts to assess health and needs of a population. Encourage collaboration efforts with local agencies, data collection resources, and groups to combine effort and produce a report to highlight areas of greatest health need and potential impact for future projects or funding. More information will be available in late spring/early summer 2012.
IMPROVING COMMUNITY HEALTH THROUGH POLICY CHANGE
Provide short-term advocacy funding focused on emerging policy needs that align with the Community Health and Prevention Agenda. More information will be available in late spring/early summer 2012.