Grants for Supporting Home- and Community-based Health Services for Chicago’s Medically Underserved

_Note: VNA Foundation is pausing its acceptance of unsolicited LOIs for the remaining cycles of FY 2026 (July 2025 – June 2026). The deadlines above are for invited  proposals only. See more guidelines here._

What We Fund

VNA Foundation awards grants to support nonprofit organizations that provide home- and community-based health services to medically underserved populations in Cook County.

We will consider funding program, operating, and capital grants, including indirect costs and salaries that support core staff. Generally, only grant requests of $40,000 or more will be considered, unless smaller grants are required due to organization size or other identifiable factors.

Within all funding areas, VNA prioritizes organizations that:

• serve uninsured populations and/or Medicaid recipients;
• demonstrate culturally competent services; and
• have staff that reflect the population served.

Access To Healthcare And Preventive Health

• Programs that promote access to care through community-based health care
• Preventive education and outreach that includes linkages to health services
• Health services that integrate healthy food access
• Health + housing services that focus on health improvement and housing stability
• Timely health policy education and advancement
• Programs that improve chronic diseases as part of a broader care plan (not specific diseases)

_Priority Populations & Organizations:_

• Individuals experiencing homelessness
• Families or communities living below the poverty threshold

Mental Health And Support Services

• Efforts focused on early intervention and treatment
• Programs implementing trauma-informed care
• Support of the health and well-being of survivors of violence
• Initiatives that seek to end cycles of interpersonal or family violence
• Catalytic opportunities to improve systems and services

_Priority Populations & Organizations:_

• Survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other acts of gender-based violence
• Children and youth
• Communities with behavioral health workforce shortages
• Individuals experiencing homelessness

Maternal And Reproductive Health

• Health and wellness services for birthing individuals and their families
• Health services that provide birthing individuals choices on reproductive health
• Education and outreach to address health disparities in maternal and reproductive health
• Workforce training and development initiatives
• Collaborative and catalytic efforts that work towards timely systems change

_Priority Populations & Organizations:_

• Black women and birthing people, a population with high maternal mortality and morbidity rates
• BIPOC-led community-based organizations
• Organizations that provide a full range of reproductive options, including abortion care
• Organizations with a smaller budget size

Technical Assistance And Organizational Resiliency

• Initiatives to enhance the organization’s capacity to deliver on its mission; for example, staff development, technology upgrades, and sustainability efforts
• Initiatives that focus on staff retention
• Innovative approaches to improving health outcomes through systems coordination and collaboration

Generally available only for agencies that have received at least one year of VNA funding. Please have a conversation with VNA staff before submitting a request for this funding area.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

• Organizations in the surrounding collar counties (Lake, McHenry, DuPage, Kane and Will) are also eligible for funding, if serving HRSA-designated medically underserved populations in Health Workforce Shortage Areas.
• All grants requests must:
  • Have measurable goals and objectives.
  • Benefit the medically underserved, uninsured populations, and/or Medicaid recipients.
  • Be submitted by an organization exempt from income tax under sec. 501 (c)(3), and designated as a public charity under section 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2), of the Internal Revenue Code.

Ineligibility

• VNA Foundation does not provide grants to section 509(a)(3) “supporting organizations.”
• As of fall 2024, VNA Foundation also does not fund large hospital or university systems.