Transformative Health Equity Fund is Largest in Foundation’s History
The Greater Washington Community Foundation today issued its first competitive Request for Proposals for grants funded by the historic Health Equity Fund. Mindful that health and wealth are inextricably connected, this first round of grants will boldly invest in economic mobility and wealth building in DC’s historically underinvested communities. Future funding will be devoted to policy advocacy, community and multi-sector anchor partnerships with hospitals and health systems, and behavioral health and trauma-informed systems of care. Over the next five years, the fund will support innovative systems-changing strategies as well as existing approaches that improve prospects for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, people of color, and other marginalized populations.
The $95 million fund was created to improve the health outcomes and health equity of DC residents. One of the largest funds of any kind focused on community-based nonprofits that serve District residents, the Health Equity Fund is also the largest in The Community Foundation’s nearly 50-year history.
“The past two years have reminded us that DC’s economic, social, and health systems favor people who already have access to wealth and good healthcare,” said Greater Washington Community Foundation President and CEO Tonia Wellons. “Given that 80 percent of DC’s health outcomes are driven by social, economic and other factors, and only 20 percent by clinical care, we plan to deploy the full resources of the Health Equity Fund to projects that disrupt more traditional approaches to social change with the goal of addressing our city’s persistent health inequities and helping to close the glaring and intolerable racial health and wealth gap.”
“Improving health outcomes and health equity in our communities is critical,” said DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. “Health Equity Fund grants represent significant investments in the well-being of our residents, and continues to promote DC HOPE—health, opportunity, prosperity, and equity. This is an important next step in providing necessary resources and addressing residents’ whole health.”
The Health Equity Fund was established last year as a result of the resolution of litigation among the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB); Group Hospitalization and Medical Services, Inc. (GHMSI) – a CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) affiliate – and DC Appleseed Center for Law & Justice. In establishing the fund, the parties created an innovative and impactful way of addressing DC’s racial health gap.
“The Health Equity Fund builds upon CareFirst’s longstanding mission to improve health outcomes through affordable, accessible, and equitable care,” said Stacia Cohen, CareFirst’s Executive Vice President of Health Services. “Under the leadership of the Greater Washington Community Foundation and the jointly appointed Health Equity Committee, the funds will be distributed to organizations that share our commitment to transforming healthcare and impacting DC community health.”
Request for Proposals
Two-year general operating grants totaling $10 million will be awarded to 40 organizations implementing economic mobility models that increase income and build wealth or that are implementing innovative enterprise development and ownership models. Applications are due by 4 p.m. on July 25. Awardees will be notified in September. A webinar for potential applicants will be held on June 21. Organizations with operating budgets of $750,000 and below are eligible for grants ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 per year and organizations with operating budgets above $750,000 are eligible for grants ranging from $150,000 to $200,000 per year. Click here to view the RFP or see here for additional information or to read Frequently Asked Questions
Fund Oversight
The Community Foundation was independently selected to manage the Health Equity Fund because of its track record of working with individual donors, businesses, and local government to manage effective community investments and create tangible, lasting change in the region. Health Equity Fund goals align with The Community Foundation’s ongoing work and 10-year strategic vision to close the racial wealth gap by eliminating the historic, racialized disparities in our region. The Community Foundation believes that changing the prospects for how Black and Brown people generate, share, and sustain wealth will ultimately improve the quality of life for all of our neighbors.
The Community Foundation is working in partnership with a Health Equity Committee mandated by the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the District of Columbia and GHMSI. The seven-member committee includes Shirley Marcus Allen; Nnemdi Kamanu Elias, MD, MPH; Dr. Tollie Elliott; Jeffrey Franco; Lori Kaplan; Dr. Djinge Lindsay, MD, MPH; and Courtney R. Snowden. Together, The Community Foundation and Health Equity Committee are ensuring the Health Equity Fund is managed according to guidelines outlined in the Memorandum.