Northern Virginia Health Foundation Grant

The Northern Virginia Health Foundation is issuing a Strengthening Communities Grant to support organizational development among nonprofits that advance health and health equity in Northern Virginia. The Foundation’s mission centers on improving the health of Northern Virginia residents, with an emphasis on low-income, uninsured, or underinsured communities. This opportunity is a targeted request for proposals designed to help community-based and resident-led organizations weather current challenges while strengthening their internal capacity to reduce health disparities. The grant focuses on the organization itself rather than program expansion. Funds may be used for staff wellness and development, onboarding, leadership training, scenario and succession planning (including mergers and collaborations), legal counsel to support compliance or restructuring, and assessment plus implementation strategies to adapt to changing health policy. Grants will not support general operating or program costs, program expansion, capital projects, renovations, endowments, or biomedical research. The Foundation also does not fund services excluded by Virginia Medicaid, except those required of community health centers or federally qualified health centers. Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) organizations working to improve health or the conditions that affect health—such as access to care (primary, oral, behavioral), policy and advocacy, food security, or community building—with particular interest in efforts grounded in communities identified as “islands of disadvantage.” Priority is given to organizations that have trusted relationships with residents, work toward systems change, and incorporate community voice in planning and priorities. Current recipients of multi-year general operating support from the Foundation are not eligible, and grants are not available to individuals. Awards will range from $5,000 to $20,000. The Foundation will consider requests that bolster day-to-day operations, develop competencies, and improve systems, especially for smaller grassroots organizations. Applicants should propose clear, time-bound organizational development activities and outcomes that strengthen effectiveness and sustainability. Applications are submitted through the Foundation’s Foundant grants portal. Organizations without a profile must create one, then use the application code provided on the opportunity page to access the form. The Foundation is hosting an informational session in late September; while helpful, attendance is not a submission requirement. The deadline to submit is Friday, October 17 by 5:00 p.m. Eastern. The Board of Directors will meet in mid-December to make final decisions, with notifications to follow soon after. This solicitation appears to be for the current cycle only; no recurring cadence is specified. For questions about the request for proposals or the application process, contact Rachel Ermann Lynch at 703-486-5693 or rlynch@novahealthfdn.org.

Center your request on organizational development (not program expansion); demonstrate trusted community relationships, equity focus, and incorporation of community voice; align with “islands of disadvantage.”