The MA COVID-19 Community Grants Program focuses on 20 cities and towns with the greatest COVID-19 case burden, considering social determinants of health and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
Donor Name: Health Resources in Action (HRiA)
State: Massachusetts
Cities/Towns: Boston, Brockton, Chelsea, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Framingham, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Methuen, New Bedford, Randolph, Revere, Springfield, and Worcester
Type of Grant: Grant
Type of Entity: CBOs and FBOs
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 01/07/2022
Size of the Grant: $50,000
Grant Duration: 5 months
Details:
This program is administered and managed by Health Resources in Action (HRiA), a non-profit public health organization that helps people live healthier lives and create healthy communities through prevention, health promotion, policy and research.
The goal of the MA COVID-19 Community Grants Program is to reduce COVID-19 infections, morbidity, and mortality among Asian, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other people of color in hardest hit cities and towns, as well as to support education and awareness of vaccination efforts in Massachusetts.
This program has also extended to include Tribal and Indigenous Peoples Serving Organizations (TIPSO) serving Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, Hawaiian Natives, Pacific Islanders, and Indigenous Peoples throughout the state who experience multiple barriers to vaccine access in support of the Commonwealth’s efforts to vaccinate its residents, while continuing to promote practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Funding will support to do the following:
- Provide education to prevent and reduce the spread of COVID-19, including messages about vaccines, physical distancing, mask wearing, testing, and other harm-reduction behaviors and activities.
- Engage local communities in conversations and education about COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy, and address questions and concerns.
- Link people directly to vaccination opportunities and/or reduce barriers to access (including, for example, through addressing health and other needs, making referrals to services, etc.).
- Collaborate and coordinate on these activities with various partners (as applicable).
- Engage parents and guardians of children (including those under 12 years old) through the above activities (while continuing to engage people of all ages).
- Focus on promoting the “primary series” vaccine (both first and second doses, where appropriate), through the above activities, while also promoting booster shots (as applicable).
Funding Information
- Total of up to $~1.4M available; they expect grants will be up to $50,000
- Organizations should provide evidence of their readiness to respond to the identified need and their plan to implement approaches within the five-month grant period through June 2022.
Who is eligible to apply?
- Massachusetts-based CBOs and FBOs serving BIPOC in the 20 priority cities/towns and/or priority populations in other Massachusetts communities or statewide and with an emphasis on the following populations disproportionately impacted by COVID-19:
- People who do not speak English, or who prefer to speak in another language
- People who do not have access to transportation, either personal or public, or who face barriers getting to a vaccination location
- People who do not feel comfortable receiving the vaccine in a traditional healthcare setting
- People with disabilities and those who have access and functional needs
- People experiencing homelessness
- People who identify as LGBTQ
- People with mental illness and/or residents with substance use disorder
- HRiA and the MA Department of Public Health (MDPH) recognizes the intersectionality of these identities and lived experiences, and CBOs/FBOs should respond to the holistic needs and preferences of individuals and communities.
- Additional cities/towns and regions are welcome and encouraged. Additionally, priority will be given to applicants that work with BIPOC populations that are not already being served by the current grant recipients.
For more information, visit Health Resources in Action.
