08 Apr Funding Alert! Community Health Workers for COVID Response and Resilient Communities Grants
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Does your government agency work with Community Health Workers (CHWs)? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now accepting applications for its 2021 program, Community Health Workers for COVID Response and Resilient Communities (CCR), which supports the goals of the CARES Act in preventing COVID-19 and protecting individuals from the public health implications of the pandemic. This program supports the training, deployment, and engagement of CHWs across the country to support COVID-19 response efforts. Applicants may propose a variety of strategies for scaling up the capacity of CHWs, with a focus on communities and populations that have been most affected by COVID-19. CCR proposals are due May 24, 2021.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants are state, county, territorial, and Native American tribal governments with agency experience (at least one year for Component A or three years for Components B and C) in working with CHWs.
Recipients are required either to establish a new or expand an existing community coalition as part of the project activities. The coalition should include diverse representation from multiple community sectors, including representation from the recipient agency, CHW network, healthcare organization (one that serves the priority population identified in the proposal), local public health department, and the community.
What are the program activities?
The CCR program uses three high-level strategies to accomplish its goal of supporting the COVID-19 public health response:
- Train CHWs to increase their knowledge/skills/capacity for serving priority populations;
- Deploy CHWs to deliver services and manage the spread of COVID-19; and
- Engage CHWs to build and strengthen community resilience and mitigate COVID-19’s impact on priority populations.
Applicants may apply under the following component areas:
- Component A: Capacity Building
- Funding of up to $350,000 for populations up to 50,000; up to $600,000 for populations of 50,000-200,000; or up to $1 million for populations of 200,000+.
- Intended for organizations with some experience with CHWs that want to improve training and oversight plans to expand capacity.
- Applicants may apply for Component A only or Component B only, but not both.
- Component B: Implementation Ready
- Funding of up to $1 million for populations up to 200,000; up to $2 million for populations of 200,000-600,000; or up to $3 million for populations of 600,000+.
- Intended for organizations with significant experience with CHWs that want to expand CHW deployment activities to address the pandemic.
- Component B applicants may also apply for Component C.
- Component C: Innovation – Demonstration Projects
- Funding of up to $2 million per project.
- Only applicants approved and funded for Component B will be considered for Component C.
- Intended for innovative projects that focus on policy, systems, or environmental changes; CHWs will work to improve socioecological conditions and address health disparities and social inequities by the pandemic.
The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), available for download at Grants.gov, includes a detailed list of potential strategies and outcomes for each component. The funder expects to award a total of 75 CCR grants across all three components (35 Component A, 35 Component B, and 5 Component C projects). The CCR program has a three-year period of performance.
What makes a project a good fit?
CCR applicants must identify and focus on priority populations who are at increased risk for COVID-19 (especially those affected by poverty) or who may be at risk for experiencing poor health outcomes from COVID-19 due to existing health disparities.
The applicant’s identified “catchment area” (defined as a county, metropolitan statistical area(s), or a group of contiguous counties) should allow the applicant to reach significant numbers of people, have a significant COVID-19 disease burden, and have evidence of health disparities as evidenced by poverty rates. Applicants will be required to use specific references to document poverty rates and COVID-19 case and/or death counts.
What if I am ready to apply? To move your project forward, take the following action steps as soon as possible:
- Download and review the full NOFO from gov for additional program details.
- Visit the CDC’s program page for this opportunity, where you can learn more about the CCR program and view related funding announcements, FAQs, and data.
- Make sure your System for Award Management (SAM) registration is active and be sure you have agov profile. You can check your SAM status here: https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/searchRecords/search.jsf.
What if I need help with this application?
Contact Assel Grant Services (AGS) today! Our team can help with all aspects of preparing the application and managing the grant if you are awarded. If you would like to discuss this possibility, please contact AGS as soon as possible. Rosie Brennan, Community Engagement Specialist, will be happy to talk with you about this opportunity and provide you a quote for grant services.
What if I am not ready to apply this year?
Start preparing for the next opportunity! The CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) page also has a variety of other programs and funding opportunities available that might be a good fit. The office’s webpage provides additional resources, webinars, and descriptions of available or upcoming opportunities.
How do I learn more about federal grant opportunities?
AGS is excited to offer a new Federal Grants Training Series coming in 2021! The series is designed to support nonprofit professionals before and during their first federal grant. AGS also offers several on demand webinars on a variety of topics to support the full grant cycle. Check out our website to learn more and sign up for our training newsletter.
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