Drivers of Health Grants

The Physicians Foundation has released a Request for Proposals titled Drivers of Health, which seeks to support five medical associations in developing resources, capacity, and data collection to assist physicians in addressing social and environmental factors influencing patient health. These factors, referred to as Drivers of Health, include food insecurity, housing instability, transportation challenges, utility difficulties, and interpersonal safety. The program is designed to enhance physicians’ ability to integrate Drivers of Health into regular patient care, aligning with broader public health goals to improve population health and reduce preventable disease. Proposals will be funded up to $75,000 and may be implemented over one to two years:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}. The background for this initiative stems from ongoing evidence that physicians recognize the major impact of non-medical factors on patient outcomes. According to recent survey findings, 79 percent of physicians reported that access to healthy food prevented patients from effectively managing chronic disease. Furthermore, 80 percent of physicians believe that the United States cannot improve health outcomes or reduce health care costs without addressing these factors. Physicians identified the need for investments in community capacity, screening, resource navigation, administrative relief, and financial incentives as top strategies to address these challenges:contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}. The program will fund medical associations and related nonprofit foundations that can recruit groups of physicians willing to integrate Drivers of Health screenings and related resource navigation into their practices. Applicants must also be able to compile a guide of existing community resources, such as organizations addressing food insecurity, and participate in virtual sessions and cohort meetings sponsored by the Physicians Foundation. Grantees are encouraged to design proposals that integrate physician input and consider both practice-level and policy-level impacts. This ensures that outcomes from the funded projects are sustainable and strategically impactful:contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}. Applications must include a description of the project, a plan of activities, a budget, and biographical sketches of key staff members. The total funding request must not exceed $75,000, and the project period cannot extend beyond two years. The evaluation criteria emphasize field relevance, urgency, and strategic impact, with preference given to organizations situated in regions where timely interventions could catalyze significant progress in integrating Drivers of Health. The Foundation specifically notes the importance of supporting smaller practices, which often face unique barriers:contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}. The timeline for this opportunity begins with the release of the RFP on August 11, 2025. Proposals are due by September 8, 2025, at midnight Eastern Standard Time. Funding decisions will be announced by October 31, 2025, and projects are expected to begin January 2, 2026. Award disbursement follows a structured schedule: 40 percent at grant agreement execution, 40 percent after a satisfactory interim report showing at least 75 percent expenditure of initial funds, and the final 20 percent upon approval of the concluding report. Any funds spent outside of approved activities will need to be returned:contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}. Eligibility is limited to nonprofit medical associations and foundations, though organizations currently holding a Physicians Foundation grant addressing Drivers of Health are ineligible. Organizations with other active grants from the Foundation not focused on Drivers of Health are eligible. Applications must be submitted via the Foundation’s online portal using the access code DOH25. For inquiries, applicants may contact the Senior Program Officer, Rachel Rifkin, at 617-391-3076 or rrifkin@gmafoundations.com:contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}. The Physicians Foundation is a public charity committed to strengthening the physician-patient relationship, ensuring sustainable medical practice operations, and supporting physician leadership. Its mission is pursued through grantmaking, research, and education that address systemic issues in health care delivery, physician well-being, and social factors influencing health outcomes. This Drivers of Health initiative aligns with that mission by directly empowering physicians to address barriers to care beyond traditional clinical settings:contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}.

The Foundation emphasizes alignment with physician needs, urgency, and strategic impact. Applicants should integrate physician input and consider both practice-level and policy-level outcomes