BHF Innovation Grants

The Better Health Foundation (BHF) offers Innovation Grants aimed at enhancing community health in the 9-county Quad Cities region. These grants encourage nonprofit organizations to explore new ideas, partnerships, and methods to address health issues. Eligible applicants include local nonprofits focusing on community health, with a strong emphasis on creativity and collaboration. Grant cycles begin with Letters of Inquiry each January, with awards made in late May. This initiative seeks to foster impactful health improvements through innovative approaches.

Note: 1) Innovation grants will be considered in the spring cycle. 2) The cycle will open with Letters of Inquiry in January. Grants will be awarded in late May.
Innovation grants are intended to bring new players, new methods, or new partnerships to community health priorities to improve community health results. The focus is on identifying and trying new ideas and new approaches, either created anew in the region or replicated in the region from elsewhere in the nation where success has been experienced.
Focus
We seek partners that will use our grant investments to produce concrete, material results for the betterment of health in communities within the region.
What are examples?
Examples might include a new pathway for reaching or impacting a community not usually engaged in health prevention (e.g., mosques to engage Muslim women in diabetes prevention), an innovative technological approach to a problem (mood focused smartphone apps to prevent suicide), an initiative to test an approach to a community health problem whose origins are poorly understood or appreciated (e.g., adjusting health approaches for culture).
The emphasis is on creativity and ensuring that there is true community partnership in concepts, actions, and results.

Eligibility

Eligible organizations
Nonprofit organizations providing services that address community health in our 9-county region are encouraged to apply for funding.(IA COUNTIES: Cedar, Clinton, Louisa, Muscatine, Scott; IL COUNTIES: Henry, Mercer, Rock Island, Whiteside) While affiliates in the region tied to national organizations are welcome to apply, the services and the funds must be wholly focused on the region.
Collaborations
We recognize that innovative partnerships may involve organizations or associations who are not 501(c)3 organizations. We encourage and welcome such partnerships, but the grantee should be a designated 501(c)3. If the proposal involves partnerships where funds are flowing to other partners from the core grantee, co-signed Memoranda of Understanding must be included in the proposal between the core grantee and each of the partners indicating the level and purposes of resource transfer.

Ineligibility

Grants are not awarded to individuals or to fiscal agents (pass through organizations) The Foundation does not consider proposals for the following:Political campaigns or lobbying effortsSponsorships or eventsConferences and ConveningsEndowmentsBuilding or Capital projects and campaignsDebt ReductionExclusively religious purposes, although service-providing, faith-based organizations are welcome to apply regarding those service purposesLaboratory or clinical research or individual academic support (e.g., dissertation support)Competitor organizations to the Genesis, MercyOne, or Trinity Health Systems