Community Impact Grant Level One: Engage - Community-Academic Partnership

Community Impact Grant Level One: Engage - Community-Academic Partnership

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: University of Wisconsin - Madison
Amount: Up to US $250,000
Last Updated: May 13, 2025

Summary

The Community Impact Grant Level One: Engage supports community-academic partnerships aimed at addressing social determinants of health and advancing health equity in Wisconsin. Open to small to medium organizations, grants offer up to $250,000 over three years, promoting initiatives that tackle health inequities through authentic community leadership. Collaboration with academic partners, while encouraged, is not mandatory. The program emphasizes sustainability, evaluation, and a commitment to creating systemic change for affected populations.

Overview

Notes: Now Open! Applicants may submit a Letter of Intent at any time. The Opportunity Grant Program has a three-stage submission and review process.In the cycle, the Letter of Inquiry refers to the Letter of Intent which is open to all and can be sent any time. The Pre-proposal refers to the Full Application which is required if invited. The Full proposal refers to the Finalist Video Presentations which is through an invitation as well. Community Impact Grant Level One: Engage Goal and Description Social determinants of health — economic stability, social and community context, access to health services and healthcare, neighborhoods and the built environment and education — have a strong and scientifically proven impact on human health and well-being. The structures, policies, systems and environments that guide individual’s daily lives shape these determinants and thereby enhance or impede health. As such, many of the complex health issues are rooted in structural inequities that affect the health status of disproportionately affected populations. Through the Community Impact Grant Program, the Wisconsin Partnership Program’s Oversight and Advisory Committee (OAC) supports evidence-informed, community partnership initiatives that address the social determinants of health to advance health equity in Wisconsin’s urban, rural and tribal communities. These partnerships require substantial and authentic community leadership to make progress toward sustainability and a commitment to evaluation supported by the WPP evaluation team (see technical assistance), academic partner or evaluation consultant as applicable. Proposals must address health inequities and their root causes and be informed and implemented by those who are most affected by these inequities. In addition, proposals should focus on the services being delivered and the personnel providing those services. Community partnerships strengthen our ability to successfully address and influence health and advance health equity. Funding Scope and Duration The Community Impact Grant Level One: Engage awards are designed for small to medium-sized organizations with annual expenses less than $1,000,000. An academic partner is not required, although an existing partnership or goal of academic partnership development during the grant period should be described in the proposal. Awards are for up to $250,000 for up to three years. There are no renewals allowed at the end of the initial award; however, organizations may apply for a new award during the annual competitive application process of their final year. The OAC anticipates allocating up to five Level One: Engage awards during this grant cycle depending on the availability of funds. In addition to the funding through this grant, the Partnership Program offers a Learning Collaborative that provides in-person and virtual learning and networking opportunities for grant recipients alongside their academic and community partners to maximize the impact of collective efforts to address health and health equity and to optimize sustained success. Participants learn from, engage and problem-solve with each other as each grantee team works toward systems and structural changes for health equity. We believe that experiencing this work together — and looking for mutually beneficial opportunities — will increase the ultimate success and sustainability of these grants.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Community-Academic PartnershipFor Level One: Engage grants, academic partners are not required.If the proposal includes a Community-Academic Partnership:Academic Partners must have a paid appointment of 0.5 FTE or higher in a faculty or staff position at the Universities of Wisconsin, UW–Madison Extension, Wisconsin Technical College System, or Wisconsin Tribal College. Academic Partners must submit documentation to verify appointment status at their institution.Academic Partners must have the ability to submit the project to their Institutional Review Board (IRB) should the project be deemed human subjects research.Organizations with established academic partnerships with higher education institutions, or who plan to develop an academic partnership should describe their work together in the proposal.Academic Partners may contribute in any way that is best suited for the project including but not limited to evaluation, program design and implementation, or project leadership.For this level of grant, there is no requirement regarding the eligibility or FTE contribution of an Academic Partner.For organizations without an established academic partnership, WPP will provide partnership support.Allowable and Unallowable ExpensesFunds must be used for project-related costs.These may include:Personnel expenses(i.e., salaries and benefits)Salary support for academic partners (if applicable)Consultant and contract services(e.g., training)TravelOffice supplies and participant incentives directly related to the scope of workServices that are not otherwise available or reimbursable

Ineligibility

Please note, the Wisconsin Partnership Program does not allow its funds to be used for lobbying activities and does not allow recipient organizations to regrant funds. Organizations serving as fiscal sponsors for an implementing organization will not be allowed.A fiscal agent/sponsor is defined as an organization which meets at least one of three criteria:Lends credibility of its 501(c)3 or nonprofit status and/or organization capacity to a smaller project partner or a for profit entityPerforms administrative functions for a project, typically for a feeProvides little to no programmatic oversight of the project and acts primarily as a passthroughCommunity Lead Organizations with a Community Impact Grant award that is active beyond June 30, 2026, are not eligible to apply.A Community Lead Organization is ineligible to apply if they have had a grant terminated by WPP in the past 48 months or have received a formal notice of suspension from WPP in the past 48 months.Funds may not be used for:Patient care with the sole purpose of providing clinical services related to treatment or follow-up for specific health conditions, such as funded or reimbursable clinical servicesGeneral overhead expenses(i.e., general administrative support, office space and cost-allocations for expenses not directly related to the project)GrantmakingLobbying(see terms and conditions)Pre-award or proposal costsCapital expenditures costing $5,000 or more with a useful life of one year or more;exceptions may be made for capital expenditures if such equipment is crucial to the primary objectives of the project;Wisconsin Partnership Program pre-approval is requiredProjects outside the state of Wisconsin