Call for Proposals for Three-Year Grants

Call for Proposals for Three-Year Grants

Healing Across the Divides is in its fourteenth year of funding innovative community efforts to improve health within a community framework. We are pleased to announce a new call for proposals for community-based organizations that seek to improve health in any manner within a community framework. Please see our annual report for examples of initiatives we have funded (www.healingdivides.org).   In this cycle of funding we are particularly interested in initiatives directed at any of the following three areas (or combination): elderly, mental health, women/girls. We are also interested in joint ventures between initiatives in Israel, the West Bank and/or Gaza.

Healing Across the Divides, an American charitable organization (www.healingdivides.org), aims to improve the health of marginalized populations (both citizens and non-citizens) living in Occupied Palestinian territory and Israel that will result in:

• Documented improved health status of the population in the context of empowerment of individuals and communities; and,
• Increased awareness, on the part of policymakers and other interested parties, of the obstacles to improvement in the health of marginalized populations.

Introduction:

Health is influenced by a wide range of factors, many of which can fall outside the health care sector. These determinants of health include, for example, the characteristics of how people live, work, learn, play and worship. The health care system generally functions to provide care to those who have become sick. Yet it is where people live, work, learn, play and worship that most influences their opportunities and chances for being healthy. Layered on these issues, which impact individuals in every country in the world, is the issue specific to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza which is, simply put, the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.

Connecting changes in health status of the communities with improvement in the health system can be a significant organizational challenge.  Examples of successful initiatives from past grantees include:

• Addressing chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes by improving the availability and safety of physical activity environments (e.g., parks, sidewalks).
• Addressing violence, against women and other vulnerable groups, by implementing prevention programs and practices for these communities,
• Addressing violence between Israelis and Palestinians by funding and providing technical advice to organizations that both seek to improve the health of the particular group they serve while simultaneously trying to reach across the divides and encouraging groups to work with each other.      

To be successful in improving health, social determinants of health must be addressed by individuals, by community-based organizations and by the health care system.

Grant Application Process

There are 2 phases to the application process:

1. Preliminary proposal of no more than one page; and
2. Full proposal from organizations selected by Healing Across the Divides.

Application Guidelines:

Length of Grants: All grants are for a minimum of three years, provided satisfactory progress is evidenced during each time period. However, each grant needs to be renewed on an annual basis and must demonstrate the results of a formal rapid cycle evaluation and continuous cycle improvement process. We are particularly interested in sustainability of the initiatives we fund; and if the possibility of long term sustainability is at hand, we will consider a fourth year of funding

Size of Grant Awards; in the first year, grants will typically range from $5,000 to $50,000.  The average grant is $30,000/year.

Healing Across the Divides will provide organizational consulting to groups receiving funds and facilitate meetings between funded organizations.

Healing Across the Divides will provide grant money that may be supplemented with money from other foundations.  In general, Healing Across the Divides does not give grants to organizations already receiving funds from other foundations on the same exact topic.

About the programs we are looking for:

Healing Across the Divides believes that year 1 should concentrate on a pilot around an innovative model, year 2 on the dissemination of the model improved by the lessons learned from year 1, and year 3 around partnership with institutions with the aim that these organizations consider adopting the model.

Healing Across the Divides expects the program funded to be evaluated in order that both funders and the organization will be able to learn from the model, leading eventually to an article to be published for the good of the community. We are committed to adequately funding an appropriate evaluation.

Grant Review Process. All Grant Applications must be reviewed by the Healing Across the Divides' board of directors and technical advisory committee.  

Geographic Distribution of Grants:  Grants are only given to nonprofit community- based organizations within Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. As we are hoping to expand our grant giving to include Gaza, we welcome proposals from organizations based in the West Bank with offices in Gaza.

Sum requested: Healing Across the Divides strongly recommends that no grant requested be more than 1/4 of the organization's annual budget. The grant requested should not be more than ½ of the sum needed for the project itself (the applicant should supplement the grant requested with other funds).

Timing of fund distribution: In general, 1/3 of the grant will be funded on receipt of a signed agreement. Up to another 1/3 will be given after a six-month evaluation approved by the funder. The remainder will be given upon satisfactory completion of the year-end report by the funder.   

Details of Application Guidelines: in English

There is a two-step application process:  

1.Letter of Intent application (one page-double-sided) should be one page and include

• A summary of your organization’s mission (2 – 3 sentences)
• A one-paragraph summary of the project for which you are seeking funding, specifically identifying the social determinant(s) of health that your project will be addressing 
• A one-paragraph description of how your organization works to develop and enhance the health of underserved and/or marginalized individuals.

What is your experience in this area? Note: your experience does not have to specifically be in health. But you must have some experience working with building community strength, broadly defined.

• Number of people to be served by project.
• Overall estimated cost of the project
• A one-paragraph summary of your approach to project evaluation and background in this area (measurable objectives, or in other words how will you measure your impact).
• Appendices can be included documenting organizational strengths in the above areas. Note the entire Letter of Intent must be on the one page double-sided. Material included in the appendices should be extremely relevant and illustrate your organizational strengths, including, for example, (but not limited to) governmental registration and your annual reports

2. If selected, a full proposal- will be requested, upon orientation of the possible grantees and with the support of our representative in the field.

Qualified candidates are kindly requested to send Letter of Intent with relevant supporting documents by September 23, 2018 to [email protected]

Only short listed candidates will be contacted and requested to submit a full proposal.