How to Apply
Who Can Apply
To be eligible for a community partnership grant, a prospective organization must:
- Demonstrate tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code or be recognized as an instrumentality of state/local government; or have identified a fiscal sponsor with demonstrated ability to manage administrative and financial grant requirements.
- Be located in Arizona.
- Be able to demonstrate statewide impact if applicant is outside Maricopa County, as preference is given to organizations within Maricopa County.
Who or What is Not Considered for Funding
- Capital and endowment campaigns.
- Programs without a demonstrated focus or impact on community health issues.
- Requests for general operating funds.
- Projects or programs of fraternal, veterans or religious groups when the primary beneficiaries are their own members.
- Individuals who are members of a particular beneficiary class, such as scholarship or medical assistance recipients.
- Organizations soliciting contributions for advertising space, tickets to dinners and fund-raising events, and promotional materials.
- Lobbying activities.
- Indirect costs, as it is the policy of St. Luke’s Health Initiatives not to fund overhead fees which are not directly related to the work of the grant.
What Should Be Included in a Full Proposal
- Cover Letter: Include contact name, full address and email.
- Executive Summary: In the first paragraph, state what you propose to do and the amount of funding you are requesting.
- Project Narrative: Be Brief and Concise. The Project Narrative should be no longer than 8-10 pages. Your narrative should answer the following questions:
- Who Are You? Describe your organization.
- How Do You Describe Your Community? Describe your community.
- What Do You Want to Change? Describe the health issue that you are trying to change in your community.
- How Have Community Members Been Involved? Demonstrate how community members have been involved in the thinking and planning for this work.
- What Are You Proposing to Do? Provide a detailed description of your proposed methodology for this project including objectives, a work plan and the rationale for selecting this approach.
- Is Prevention Part Of The Solution? Demonstrate how prevention is a part of the solution.
- How Will You Measure Success? Describe the change you hope to see happen and what indicators you will use to determine if you are on the right track.
- Project Budget: Take time to prepare a persuasive budget with a narrative justification that supports the requested funding.
- Evidence of your tax-exempt status.
- Financial statements for two years for the applying organization including a management letter or a letter from the auditor stating that they do not provide management letters.
- Completed SLHI Business Operations Survey.
Project Timelines
Proposals are due no later than September 2, 2011 for October approval and no later than February 10, 2012 for approval in March. Our experience with the Health in a New Key Grantees has led us to a community partnership model which extends our working relationship beyond that of funder and grantee to joint learners and innovators. The project timelines assumes continued participation in a “Community of Practice” which, in our experience, has the potential to greatly leverage the scope and the impact of the individual proposals.
| Initial Conversations* | Grant Proposal Development | Proposals Due | SLHI Board Approval | Communities of Practice (CoP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present – August 16, 2011 | Present – September 2011 | September 2, 2011 | October 27, 2011 | Bimonthly Grantee Gatherings |
| November 2011 – January 2012 | February 2012 | February 10, 2012 | March 22, 2012 | Bimonthly Grantee Gatherings |
*Community-Based Ideas, Strategies & Innovations
Note: Although all proposals received may not be funded, all those who submit proposals will be invited to participate in the HNK Community of Practice for that grant cycle.
Last but not least… We’re looking for good ideas, not just good grant writers. Don’t fret if you’ve never written a grant before. We care more about what you have to say than how you say it. We are more interested in knowing that you are engaging your community, and thinking through your strategy. Everything begins with community connection.
