Grants for community projects that promote healthy behaviors

Consistent with its overall mission “to improve the health status of Central Louisiana,” the Foundation’s Healthy Behaviors Initiative addresses the importance of healthy behaviors to prevent illness and premature death.

Since 2007, maintaining alignment with its overall mission “to improve the health status of Central Louisiana,” The Rapides Foundation has invested funding in improving two important health behaviors: tobacco prevention and control and nutrition and physical activity with respect to overweight/obesity, among residents of Central Louisiana. In 2014, substance and alcohol abuse prevention was added as another targeted health behavior.

“Being free of tobacco, eating nutritionally balanced food, getting regular exercise, eliminating the use of illicit substances, and limiting or eliminating excessive alcohol consumption are important to living a healthy lifestyle,” said Joe Rosier, President and CEO of The Rapides Foundation.

The Foundation is now offering two Healthy Behaviors grant opportunities that address these important health behaviors within the nine Central Louisiana parishes served by the Foundation.

These competitive grant opportunities are: the Healthy Behaviors Program Grant and the Healthy Behaviors Mini Grant. For both grant opportunities, applicants must be nonprofit organizations classified as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code, or a government organization. Grant proposals should impact residents within The Rapides Foundation’s nine-parish service area: Allen, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Vernon or Winn parishes.

HEALTHY BEHAVIORS PROGRAM GRANT

These are grants of up to $300,000 over a three-year period to support projects that build upon the assets and health needs in local communities. These activities must support one or more of the following: Tobacco use prevention and control; Healthy eating – increasing access to and consumption of nutritious foods; Physical activity – safe places for exercise; Substance and alcohol abuse prevention.

The grant offering encourages the following types of projects:

·       Build on existing resources and successes in tobacco prevention and control, healthy eating and physical activity, and substance and alcohol use prevention in Central Louisiana.

·       Address tobacco, healthy eating, physical activity, and substance and alcohol use using a comprehensive approach.

·       Mobilize the community to create and sustain opportunities that make the healthy choice the easy choice.

·       Development of local strategies that include policy formation, and changing social norms and environments.

Proposals should be based on best, promising or innovative practices to create a comprehensive community-based program.

“Many Central Louisiana communities already have walking trails, playgrounds and other projects that were funded by The Rapides Foundation in the past. We encourage organizations to take those type of assets that they have in their communities and then build upon them,” said Trayce Snow, program officer for the Foundation’s Healthy Behaviors Initiative. “We want them to look at best and promising practices and to go out and see what other communities are doing and try to replicate that and customize it to their own communities.” 

The Rapides Foundation awarded six Healthy Behaviors Grants last year. These projects involve healthy eating and tobacco-free programs in schools, enhanced farmers markets and physical activity programs. They are being implemented throughout Central Louisiana.

Interested applicants are encouraged to contact the Foundation’s Programs Department for guidance before submitting their Letters of Intent, which is the first step of this competitive grant process, Snow said. Complete details about the Healthy Behaviors Program Grant funding opportunity, including links to the online application, can be found here. 

Key dates for the Healthy Behaviors Program Grant application process:

April 14: All potential proposal applicants are required to submit a Letter of Intent using The Rapides Foundation’s online application process only. The deadline for submission is no later than 11:59 p.m., Thursday, April 14, 2016.

May 16: Applicants will be notified if their Letters of Intent are accepted. Only those applicants whose Letters of Intent are accepted will be invited to continue with the application process.

May 26: Mandatory meeting for applicants whose Letters of Intent are accepted and who plan to submit a full proposal.

August 1: Deadline to turn in full proposal. Full proposals will be accepted through the online application process only. Submissions must be turned in no later than 11:59 p.m. Monday, Aug. 1.

October 1: Applicants will be notified if their proposals have been approved by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

November 1: Grant term begins.

HEALTHY BEHAVIORS MINI GRANT

These are one-year grants of up to $25,000 for community projects supporting tobacco prevention and control, access to nutritious food, physical activity, and/or substance and alcohol abuse prevention among residents in Central Louisiana.

Mini Grant funding must be used for tobacco prevention and control projects; to create, improve or repair community accessible healthy food settings (farmers market, community gardens); to create, improve or repair community accessible physical activity settings (i.e. walking or cycling trail, playgrounds, exercise stations); and/or substance and alcohol abuse prevention projects. 

Funds may be used for capital expenses, programmatic and/or promotional expenses aligning with the purpose of the Healthy Behaviors Mini Grant.

“These grant funds can be used for capital infrastructure projects,” Snow said. “Some examples include adding a playground to an existing walking trail, pouring a slab for a farmer’s market, adding exercise stations to a walking trail, or adding lighting to make it safer. We encourage potential applicants to call us with their ideas. Our staff will provide technical assistance to applicants requesting help with their submissions.”

Unlike the Healthy Behaviors Program Grant, the Healthy Behaviors Mini Grant only requires a proposal. No Letter of Intent is needed. Complete details about the Healthy Behaviors Mini Grant funding opportunity, including a link to the online application can be found here.

Key dates for Healthy Behaviors Mini Grant

April 14: Deadline to submit a proposal. Proposals will be accepted using the Foundation’s online application process only. The deadline for submission is no later than 11:59 p.m., April 14. 

June 1: Applicants will be notified if their proposals have been approved by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

June 21: Mandatory orientation meeting for grantees.

July 1: Grant term begins.