As part of the Consumer Health Advocacy initiative, this Rapid Response grant opportunity seeks to ensure public policy adequately addresses Colorado consumers’ needs for a health coverage system that is stable, affordable and adequate. The Foundation aims to fund short-term initiatives (three to nine months in length) and are generally limited to requests of up to $75,000. Applicants may submit proposals for work on one or more of the policy priorities listed below as it relates to consumer health advocacy.
Grant Deadline: Not accepting applications. This work is in progress.
Criteria
Preference will be given to initiatives that focus on one of 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.
- Elevating the consumer voice to help drive system-level policy change for cost containment, payment and delivery reform, and integration of care including primary care, specialty care, oral health, behavioral health and substance use treatment.
- Identifying innovative fiscal reform opportunities to address local and statewide fiscal challenges as it relates to health care spending and budgeting.
Consumer Health Advocacy Advocacy Rapid Response grants should fit into one of these two categories:
- Promote a public policy change at the state and/or local level.
- Protect or improve implementation of a current policy or practices related to one of the policy priorities listed above.
Regardless of categories, Rapid Response grants should be:
- Strategic: The proposed activities should align with a long-term, thoughtful and disciplined effort to promote or protect policies and practices related to one of the policy priorities listed above.
- Time Urgent: Quick action must be taken in order to be effective. Applicants must demonstrate a critical and favorable window of opportunity to act that is not likely to be present in the future.
- Systemic Change: Rather than focusing on interventions that address individual behavior or provide direct services, the planned action should promote or protect one of the policy priorities listed above.
- Capacity: The group or organization has the skills and expertise to effectively carry out the proposed action effectively. Applicants must demonstrate they have the vision, leadership and track record to do the work.
- Supported: The effort has the buy-in and support of others, including the people most impacted by the policy and other organizations involved in promoting or protecting one of the policy priorities listed above.
Eligible Activities
The Foundation will provide funding to support organizations in expressing opinions, informing people, and mobilizing constituents around the policy priorities identified above using a wide variety of advocacy activities, including:
- Coalition Building and Management
- Grassroots Organizing
- Influencer Education
- Litigation
- Media Relations and Media Advocacy
- Policy and Legal Analysis
- Policymaker Education
- Public Education
- Public Opinion Research / Polling
- Regulatory Feedback
Ineligible Activities
Funding may not be used for the following:
- Bridge funding (to fill a funding gap)
- Long-term initiatives
- Previously planned Initiatives
- Staff salaries
- Supporting or opposing candidates for elected office or partisan political activities
*Deadline
There is no application deadline or formal grant cycle for Rapid Response Grants. Rapid Response grants are considered on a rolling basis.
All applicants will undergo due diligence with a program officer assigned to the application. Funding decisions will generally be made within 30 days of a proposal being submitted.
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.
The Colorado Health Foundation cannot earmark funds for lobbying or voter registration activities.
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
- Brief 1: Results of the November 2014 Convening
- Brief 2: Results of the May 2015 Convening
- Brief 3: Results of the January 2016 Convening
- Brief 4: Results of the June 2016 Convening
- Brief 5: Results of the December 2016 Convening
- Brief 6: Results of the May 2017 Convening
Consumer Advocacy Funding Opportunity Information
- Advocating for the Consumer in Health Coverage: Funding Opportunity Webinar
(Recorded Wed. Aug. 13, 2014)
Download presentation slides - Consumer Advocacy Funding Initiative: Evaluation Webinar
(Recorded Mon. March 23, 2015)
Download presentation slides - Consumer Advocacy Funding Initiative: Funding Update
- Advocacy Funding Initiative: Evaluation Overview
The Colorado Health Foundation cannot earmark funds for lobbying or voter registration activities.