Funding Opportunity:
Funding Opportunity: Consumer Health Advocacy

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The goal of this funding opportunity is to ensure public policy adequately addresses Colorado consumers’ needs for a health insurance system that is stable, affordable and adequate. The four-year initiative employs multiple types of funding, including general operating grants, awarded in 2014 and 2016, program and project grants awarded annually in June, and rapid response grants throughout the year, designed to adjust to the shifting health care political terrain. More information on the work underway can be accessed below.

Grant Deadline: Not accepting applications. This work is in progress.

Associated Measurable Results: N/A (Grantees will not be asked to provide data on Measurable Results.)

Evaluation Activities: The consumer advocacy funding opportunity is designed to be an adaptive strategy. To support this adaptive approach, the evaluation balances accountability around progress towards policy targets with real-time information to inform ongoing adaptation. The evaluation is designed to engage grantees, other advocates and the Foundation in directing what information is needed, interpret the results of data collection and use the information to inform strategy. The evaluation includes several types of activities. Grantees are required to participate in twice-yearly learning convenings (along with other interested advocates). Grantees will be asked to engage in yearly reporting customized for this funding opportunity. In addition, grantees may be asked to participate in further data collection throughout the year (e.g., interviews) as needed. The evaluation will be conducted by an external evaluator. In addition to participation in the evaluation, grantees will be required to submit progress on agreed upon grant milestones. 

Criteria

To be considered for funding, applicants demonstrated within the grant application how they meet the following criteria:

Program and project grants are intended to provide support to consumer advocacy organizations or organizations serving safety net clinics that are well-positioned to represent consumer interests or engage the consumer voice on the following policy priorities:

  • Protecting our statewide health coverage and access gains, while maintaining a commitment to our values of equity, addressing social determinants of health and securing coverage for uninsured and underinsured populations.
  • Organizing, educating and building leadership in local communities – and among historically marginalized populations – in an effort to unite communities on health coverage-related policies.
  • Driving cost containment, payment and delivery reform, and integration of care (including primary care, specialty care, oral health, behavioral health and substance use treatment) policy change that better meets consumer needs and elevates their health outcomes. 
  • Identifying innovative fiscal reform opportunities to address local and statewide fiscal challenges as it relates to health care spending and budgeting.

These policy targets were identified by engaging Colorado consumer advocates in a scenario development process, documented in the December 2016 Advocacy Convening Brief

Preference was given to organizations with:

  • Established strengths in messaging, public-will building, coalition building and advocacy skill building, including deepening the bench of advocates.
  • Experience engaging new voices in advocating for policy priorities.
  • Focus on equitable implementation of reform and coverage improvements that are in consumers’ interests.

We often partner with third-party evaluators, contractors and other organizations over the course of our work with applicants and grantees. Your application and its attachments may be shared with these individuals or entities during the review process and grant cycle. All third-party organizations partnering with the Foundation have signed a confidentiality agreement and will not use or share the information for purposes outside of the scope of work specific to the grant application or grant award. If you have any concerns or would like additional information, please email [email protected] or call our senior director of Grantmaking Operations at 303-953-3600.

Resources

Advocacy Tools:

  • Consumer Advocacy Funding Initiative: Advocacy Field Map 
    Fifty-three Colorado consumer health advocacy organizations were surveyed to map which policy targets they are focused on and what advocacy strategies they are using to address those targets. The resulting Advocacy Field Map spreadsheet allows advocates to search for organizations working on each of the Foundation's policy targets based on level of involvement and strategies used. Results also indicate contact information for each organization.

Bi-Annual Convening Reports

Consumer Advocacy Funding Opportunity Information


The Colorado Health Foundation cannot earmark funds for lobbying or voter registration activities.

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