Community-Led Wellness Hubs: Microgrants

The Community-Led Wellness Hubs: Microgrants initiative is a competitive funding opportunity administered by the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) under the broader Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). This microgrant program aims to support rural communities in Oklahoma by facilitating one-time, high-impact investments in healthcare access, wellness, and whole-person health. The funding is made possible through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with a financial award of $3.75 million dedicated to this specific NOFO cycle. This grant opportunity responds directly to needs identified during stakeholder engagement for Oklahoma’s RHTP application, where rural communities highlighted challenges in obtaining basic health-enabling resources such as diagnostic equipment and fitness tools. Through these microgrants, OSDH seeks to unlock immediate improvements in rural health outcomes by funding purchases such as telehealth infrastructure, health education materials, clinical diagnostic tools, and fitness equipment. All investments must be one-time expenses with tangible community impact. Importantly, funding is distributed on a reimbursement basis, requiring awardees to front costs and submit documentation for reimbursement afterward. Applicants must be currently operating in Oklahoma, serve communities with populations under 55,000, and be physically located in or have a branch in one of the state’s 75 rural counties (excluding Tulsa and Oklahoma counties). Eligible entities include nonprofit organizations, for-profit healthcare providers, school districts, local governments, and tribal governments. Fiscal sponsorship is allowed if the sponsor organization serves as the applicant and fulfills all compliance requirements. A valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), active SAM.gov registration, and Certificate of Insurance are mandatory for all applicants. Applications are submitted through a designated online form, which cannot be saved mid-progress, requiring all components and attachments to be ready for upload at once. Required components include organizational details, a description of need, use of funds, sustainability plans, and community letters of support (one per county requested). Optional supplemental budget requests (up to $50,000 per county) may be included, bringing the total maximum potential award to $500,000 across five counties. If supplemental funds become available, they will be considered for eligible proposals that have clearly articulated the additive value of these funds. The evaluation process consists of three stages: a basic requirements review, a geographic review to assess applications at the county level, and a merit-based scoring review. Merit scores are calculated using criteria such as organizational capacity, identified need, investment impact, sustainability, and budget justification. Only the top-scoring eligible applicant per county will receive funding, and applications must score at least 55 points to qualify. OSDH reserves the right to redistribute funds among neighboring counties or supplement other compliant applications if no qualifying applications are received in specific counties. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on April 13, 2026. Award notifications are expected in late May or early June. Recipients must expend funds by October 30, 2026, and submit reimbursement documentation by November 30, 2026. A post-award webinar will be held for all grantees. Throughout the grant lifecycle, recipients must adhere to all subrecipient responsibilities, including compliance with OSDH terms and conditions, required reporting, and participation in program monitoring and communications.

Be specific about per-county needs and ensure clarity in budget justification. Avoid supplanting funding.