Missouri Foundation for Health’s Opportunity Fund

Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) is inviting organizations to submit concept papers for systems change projects that will positively impact the health of Missourians.

Donor Name: Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH)

State: Missouri

County: Selected Counties

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 10/03/2023

Details:

The Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) is interested in community-driven work that challenges and disrupts inequitable systems.

The goal of this systems change work is to improve health equity in the state. Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. To achieve health equity, obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences, including a lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments, and health care must be removed.

Reviewers evaluate concept papers based on the following criteria. Successful projects often include at least two of these elements:

• Far-reaching: Focuses on broad impact that extends beyond one organization’s client base
• Community-informed: Generates solutions that engage those negatively impacted by the issue (Work that moves beyond engagement toward being led or driven by community is preferred)
• Timely: Addresses an issue that has recently surfaced in the environment (or exists in a recently changed context) with a systems approach
• Connected: Creates or builds on existing collaborative networks and fits within the broader landscape of what other organizations are doing to address the issue
• Strategic: Develops internal or sector-wide planning and preparation efforts focused on systems change
• Innovative: Tests unconventional and creative approaches to disrupt systems

Eligibility Criteria 

MFH uses three funding mechanisms to implement the strategy and accomplish the mission:

• Grants, which primarily benefit the grantee by furthering their own exempt purposes and programs. The majority of the target population served must be located within the MFH service area and applicants must be registered to conduct business and in good standing with the state of Missouri. The following types of organizations are eligible to seek grant funding from MFH:
  • Organizations granted tax-exempt status under provisions of Sections 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Service Code
  • State or local government agencies, including educational institutions, and branches of the federal government serving Missouri
• Contracted services, which primarily benefit MFH’s grantees or strategy directly. Common examples of contracts for services involve hiring consultants to provide technical assistance to grantees or evaluation of a MFH programmatic strategy. Individuals, nonprofit organizations, and corporations are eligible to apply to a Request for Contracted Service Proposals.
• Program Related Investments, which consist primarily of low-interest rate loans to seed formation or growth of an organization or program which demonstrates mission and values alignment with MFH. Nonprofit organizations, corporations as well as coalitions and collaboratives are eligible to apply for consideration.

For more information, visit MFH.