The Rhode Island Foundation welcomes proposals to retain a racially, culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse health workforce.
Donor Name: Rhode Island Foundation
State: Rhode Island
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 11/04/2022
Size of the Grant: $150,000
Grant Duration: 2 years
Details:
The Fund for a Healthy Rhode Island (FHRI) was created in February 2008 when Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island contributed $20 million to create a permanent endowment at the Rhode Island Foundation to support “projects designed to have the greatest impact on the provision of quality and affordable healthcare services in Rhode Island.”
Approaches
The Foundation is interested in supporting a broad range of retention approaches focused on varied segments of the workforce in different delivery settings.
- Applicants may include, but are not limited to, large and small health-focused organizations and collaborations between health-focused organizations (which may include other partners such as workforce training organizations; inter-provider organizations; and place-based collaboration (such as Health Equity Zones).
- Applicants may focus on any type of workforce across the continuum of professional, paraprofessional, and nontraditional roles.
- Applicants can focus on new projects or expansion of existing work, and may include time and resources for planning.
- Examples of work could include, but are not limited to, supports for professional development and leadership pathway opportunities; targeted wellness and trauma informed workplace programs; mentorship, sponsorship, and fellowship initiatives; and inter- or intra-organizational affinity group and peer support models.
Priorities
- Connections to broader anti-racist and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. While this funding opportunity does not target stand-alone organizational trainings, they are interested in understanding if and how the project aligns with any broader efforts to create a more inclusive workplace.
- Meaningful design and participation from the workforce served by the project. Respond to the needs and priorities of the workforce impacted by the project by ensuring their voice is part of the process. It is important that there is input and engagement with the workforce targeted through the proposed initiative.
- Responsiveness to the social determinants of workforce retention. There are a number of considerations outside of the workplace that impact retention, for example, childcare/caregiving, housing stability, access to transportation, etc. While proposals do not need to support “wraparound” programming to support these needs, the Foundation is interested in understanding if and how these determinants inform the proposed project.
- Clear demonstration of institutional commitment. Given its connection to sustainability, the Foundation is interested in understanding institutional commitment, within or between organizations to carry out and carry forward the work.
- Commitment to learning. The Foundation is interested in replicability, and grantees are expected to explain how they will understand program effectiveness and their contributions to retention.
Funding Information
Proposals may be for projects that are up to two years in duration and up to $150,000 per year. Approximately 6 to 8 grants are expected to be awarded.
Eligibility Criteria
- Nonprofit, 501(c) organizations located in and serving the state of Rhode Island are eligible to apply.
- The FHRI does not fund individuals, scholarships or research, capital or endowment efforts, or fundraising events.
- Grants may support faith-based organizations for secular programs or projects.
- Research as part of a program evaluation is permitted, however, Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval or exemption must be obtained where human subjects are involved.
- The Rhode Island Foundation believes that community can best be served by charitable organizations that both reflect and serve the diversity of our community. They do not award grants to applicants or for programs that have a policy that discriminates against any person or group in any way that is either unlawful or inconsistent with the mission or values of the Foundation.
- Organizations that are awarded a grant from the FHRI ARE eligible to apply to the Rhode Island Foundation for other grant support, though a pre-application conversation with a Program Officer would be advised.
Please note: Applications will not be considered from organizations with overdue Rhode Island Foundation grant reports.
For more information, visit Rhode Island Foundation.
