Deadline approaching for 2022 Orlando Health Community Grant Program

By

Nicole Pasia

|

Local Florida health equity organizations have until the end of the week to apply for Orlando Health’s 2022 Community Grant Program. During last year’s grant cycle, Orlando Health, which operates 15 health facilities across central Florida, including the nation’s largest neonatal ICU, awarded over $350,000.

 

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Grant recipients that previously received funding provide services that support vulnerable communities’ social determinants of health, such as food insecurity and access to health care. Lainie Fox Ackerman, assistant vice president at Orlando Health External Affairs and Community Benefit, highlighted the program’s cross-silo impact: 

“This program is just one of the ways we’re able to further support the impactful work organizations are doing to improve the health of our communities throughout Central Florida. By joining forces with partners to address important health needs, we can ensure a healthier future for the communities we serve.”

Prospective grant applicants must complete a two-phase submission process. First, they must complete a letter of intent by Sept. 17 on the grant program website and email it to [email protected]. If chosen to advance to the second phase, applicants must submit a grant proposal, amounting from $500–$50,000 by Oct. 29. Grant awards will last 12 months, and organizations must provide Orlando Health with progress reports on their community impact. 

The program used findings from the 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) to identify previous grant recipients. Orlando Health, several county health departments, and other health organizations compiled the CHNA under the Central Florida Community Collaborative. 

Key takeaways from the CHNA included affordable primary care, lack of access to mental health and substance use services, and affordable housing. At the time of the survey, almost half of respondents indicated deferring preventative care until they became sick.

In March, Orlando Health awarded $75,000 to the Florida Department of Health in Seminole County. DOH-Seminole used $50,000 to add Spanish-speaking staff to their Diabetes Prevention Program. The other $25,000 expanded the department’s Community Integrated Mobile Health Services Program (CIMHS), which provides screening, testing, and referrals to communities with limited access to health care.

See the full application timeline for the 2022 Orlando Health Community Grant Program below: 

Tuesday, September 7, 2021:                 Letter of intent process opens for external organizations

Friday, September 17, 2021:                   Letter of Intent due

Monday, October 4, 2021:                       Organizations will be notified whether they have been selected to submit a full grant proposal

                                                                           Team member application opens on SWIFT

Friday, October 29, 2021:                        Full proposal and team member application due

November 2021:                                          Notification of award or denial

January 2021:                                              Start date for funded projects