On February 28th 2012, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Community Catalyst issued a call for proposals for the second round of funding under the Roadmaps to Health Community Grants program. The goal is to issue up to 20 new grants in 2012 to organizations who are working to create positive policy or system changes that address social or economic factors that impact the health of people in their community.

The County Health Rankings and the Roadmaps to Health Community Grants The Roadmaps to Health Community Grants are part of the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program that is led by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI). This program builds on the County Health Rankings, which are published online by UWPHI and RWJF. Ranking the health of nearly every county in the nation, the County Health Rankings illustrate the factors that influence the health of our communities. The Roadmaps to Health Community Grants show what communities can do to create healthier places to live, learn, work, and play.

An initial round of Roadmaps to Health Community Grants was awarded in 2011 to 12 organizations. Those organizations are working with diverse coalitions to address social or economic factors – such as education, income and employment, family and social support, and community safety – that we know have a direct influence on the health of their communities.

For example, Rhode Island KIDS COUNT and its partners are using their current Roadmaps to Health Community Grant funding to increase access to high-quality early learning programs and to help Providence youth successfully enroll in and graduate from college—helping to ensure that they lead long, healthy lives. The coalition includes leaders from education, health, other nonprofits, and local elected officials. Their project is using the RWJF funding to engage in non-lobbying education and advocacy to increase funding for public pre-kindergarten, change the state’s education funding formula, expand the availability full-day kindergarten, develop an early warning system to identify students at risk of dropping out of high school, implement a more rigorous high school curriculum, and increase support for students applying to colleges and universities.

Expanding the Roadmaps to Health Community Grants to new communities Grantees in this program will receive up to $200,000 over two years to demonstrate how a range of partners from multiple sectors in their communities can work together to translate the County Health Rankings into action and work towards improving health. Grantees will be established coalitions or networks that span multiple sectors and may include representatives from business, education, public health, health care, community organizations, community members, policy advocates, foundations, and policymakers. Applicants must engage community members in the planning and implementation of projects, and must collaborate with organizations having expertise in improving the health of the public. Ultimately, these grants will support communities using data and evidence to pursue policy or system changes that address the social and economic factors that most strongly influence health. Applicants must secure 100 percent matching support, including a cash match of at least 50 percent with the balance as in-kind support. Applicants must submit brief proposals by May 2nd using the RWJF online application system.

The call for proposals and more information is now available on the RWJF website. Interested individuals should review the call for proposals, which outlines the goals, selection criteria, and application process for this grant opportunity. On March 20 and April 10, Community Catalyst will host a series of two informational web conferences so that interested individuals can learn more about this grant opportunity and the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program.

Community Catalyst is excited to be working with the grantees in the Roadmaps to HealthCommunity Grants program. We are providing the grantees with technical assistance and other supports as they work to address the root causes of poor health in their communities. We believe everyone should have a say in the decisions that affect their health – and that includes decisions on issues like education, income and employment, family and social support, and community safety.

— Phillip Gonzalez,  Program Director Roadmaps to Health Community Grants