Telligen Healthcare Workforce Development Grant

Overview

_NOTE: There will not be a Health Workforce Development-based funding opportunity in 2025._

Our Mission

To initiate and support innovative and forward-looking health-related projects aimed at improving health, social well-being, and educational attainment.

Healthcare Workforce Development

TCI believes the challenges of healthcare workforce shortages and an aging population (healthcare workforce and general public) will require progressive and a fundamental reshaping of the way in which patient care is delivered, especially for primary care. These challenges have been compounded by the global pandemic. TCI envisions change in the point of care and the roles of the interdisciplinary direct care team being factored into the needs of our future healthcare workforce. This is a multi-faceted issue. As such, TCI is interested in supporting a myriad of solutions and approaches with our philanthropy.

View the complete Request for Proposals for examples of methods we could envision supporting with our philanthropic resources.

Eligibility

_We've imported the main document for this grant to give you an overview. You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's [website]().
_

Application Details

2024 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
DUE MARCH 5, 2024
HEALTH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
The following outlines Telligen Community Initiative’s approach
to providing community-based funding support in 2024. We are
continuing to use a one-step application to allow for a quicker
turnaround time and a better opportunity for applicants to detail
their project application. Telligen Community Initiative (TCI) will
also continue to utilize an online portal to support a streamlined
application process and positive applicant user experience.
The following document outlines our funding approach and
application process. All four (4) states may apply for this
deadline for Health Workforce Development-based applicants.
There are two grant deadlines in 2024 and they will continue
to be staged by funding priority as opposed to targeted states.
There is a single deadline for Health Workforce Development
projects March 5. Our Health Workforce Development priority
and sub-priority approaches are very similar to last year to see
where our applicant pool resonates. Our Social Determinants
of Health approach is focused significantly on avenues to
strengthen children and families. This is intentional to provide
a greater focus of our support and narrow the applicant pool.
Thank you for your valuable community-based work and
comparing our funding interests to your efforts. The Social
Determinants of Health RFP is due on July 2, 2024, and that
application process is highlighted in a separate RFP.
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ABOUT TELLIGEN COMMUNITY INITIATIVE
Telligen Community Initiative (TCI) is a private, non-profit foundation originated by Telligen, Inc. TCI works from a vision
of helping empower organizations and citizens to improve their individual and overall community health. Our mission
is to initiate and support innovative and forward-looking health-related projects aimed at improving health, social well-
being, and educational attainment.
Our philanthropy is done within the strategic funding priorities of:
1. Social determinants of health and health equity (separate RFP due July 2, 2024).
2. Health workforce development as highlighted within this RFP.
OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES TABLE OF CONTENTS
TCI wants to advance a framework that brings together health care delivery systems, public health agencies,
community organizations and health educators to improve health. We seek to be a foundation that works to create About Telligen Community
and sustain collaborations where health responsibility is shared, more equitable, and accountable by all. Initiative ....................................................2
TCI philanthropy seeks to provide catalytic funding to those that share this belief and can spread its adoption. The
2024 Request For Proposals ...............3
following represents guiding principles for our approach to philanthropic support:
e Every person—especially the most vulnerable members of our communities—deserves health education and Health Workforce Development ........4
services.
Technical Assistance ..............................7
e Many factors shape health and health outcomes (social determinants of health), putting a premium on
prevention and integration of health with other community stakeholders and sectors.
Geographic Project Reach ....................7
e Active and intentional collaboration with others that share common ground, views, and beliefs.
Eligibility ....................................................7
e When possible, we would like to support regional health and education efforts that reach multi-county or even
statewide audiences. How To Apply ..........................................8
During our 18-year history, we have funded many worthwhile projects and initiatives. We have learned the most
Contact Information ..............................9
effective way to make change and have the greatest impact is to take a more upstream focus and definition
of health. We are again utilizing a per grant ceiling of up to a $75,000 amount. This view informs our resulting
2024 Grant Schedule ............................9
community support investments. To read about successful previously funded grants, please visit our website
(www.telligenci.org) or you are always encouraged to contact TCI staff to discuss your project idea to see if we have
recently funded similar projects.
2

2024 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS CHANGES FOR 2024
In 2024, our funding emphasis will encompass the following approaches:
TCI funding for 2024 will continue to focus on improving the health of communities
within the context of specific funding priority areas. These priority areas were
1. All states are eligible for each of our two (2) funding cycles. The first cycle is
identified to define TCI’s community responsive grant programming more thoroughly
for health workforce development-based projects (due March 5, 2024) and the
to produce more specific themes within our priority areas, and to enhance the
second is for our social determinants of health-based projects (due July 2, 2024).
portability and replication potential of similarly themed projects across Colorado,
Illinois, Iowa, and Oklahoma communities. 2. We are maintaining our Social Determinants of Health funding focus around the
intersection of childhood and family strengthening support. Work within that
e We continue to believe in multiple funding mechanisms that strive to meet
intersection will be the only projects considered. The opportunity is discussed
applicants where they are in their work and evolution. This could encompass
in a separate RFP. This RFP outlines our Health Workforce Development finding
multiple themes or forms of support:
interests.
e First-dollar, programmatic, or seed funding to nonprofit organizations or
3. We are pleased with funding at a slightly more impactful level and will maintain
governmental entities is a powerful contribution TCI can make to positively
the elevated the per grant maximum award size of $75,000.
impact health status.
We hope the combination of the above will help both focus our work further and
e This funding can also be positioned to provide support for critical work of an
intentionally decrease the applicant pool to only those whose work more directly
organization in strong alignment with our funding priorities.
aligns with the project types that the RFP solicits. The following discusses our
Health Workforce Development priority area. This encompasses a brief description
e Expansion or spread of already impactful and successful approaches you are
about the funding areas and a list of ways that projects could be positioned for
doing to other populations or geography.
funding consideration – themes about the types of grants TCI will fund in 2024. You
e This funding could also support meaningful capacity building of an organization will hopefully find significant room to align your work to these strategic areas. We
to better deliver its work or mission that strongly aligns with TCI funding have tried to highlight the response within each sub-category discussion from the
priorities. 2023 applicant pool.
We want to meet you where your work is currently positioned and contribute to the We obviously want to foster innovation and creativity. However, we are expecting
successful advancement of your mission. grantees to follow these strategies, and customize them more around localized
need and spread potential, as opposed to other project types. TCI will prioritize its
philanthropic support within the sub-priorities offered and discussed within this RFP.
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HEALTH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
PRIORITY OVERVIEW AND INTRODUCTION: TCI believes the challenges of health workforce shortages and an aging population
(health workforce and general public) will require progressive and a fundamental reshaping of the way in which patient care is
delivered, especially for primary care. These challenges have been compounded by the global pandemic. TCI envisions change
in the point of care and the roles of the interdisciplinary direct care team being factored into the needs of our future health
workforce. This is a multi-faceted issue. As such, TCI is interested in supporting a myriad of solutions and approaches with our
philanthropy. The following represent methods we could envision supporting with our philanthropic resources:
e Skilled and inclusive healthcare workforce. Economic e Interdisciplinary Education: Interdisciplinary education of
stability – enough monthly earnings to meet current needs health professionals is part of a larger movement in health
and set some aside for the future – is linked to a respectable to scrutinize costs and maximize efficiency of care delivery
job, one that offers steady, safe, living-wage work and the by moving from an environment of competition to one of
possibility of advancement. Good jobs are scarce, educational collaboration between and among different health disciplines
attainment is low, and economic stability is elusive. We believe and roles (that historically might have been more siloed in
that growth in our healthcare sector presents TCI with a real both training and health delivery methodology). TCI funding
opportunity to change the trajectory of these communities could be deployed to advance this way of thinking, education,
while improving health. If we work with nonprofits, educators, and actualizing the tenants of interdisciplinary health
and employers to meet their needs for high-quality, work- development efforts.
ready health professionals, we can encourage local hiring while
improving health care overall. And, if we increase the diversity e Para-Professional Development: Para-professionals are
and cultural competence of our health workforce, we can defined as workers who assist those in a particular profession
improve patient satisfaction, healthcare utilization, and even without possessing the same credentials as the professional
health outcomes in our increasingly diverse society. employees in that profession. Health para-professionals in
school settings provide many services to students and assist
e Career Laddering: A health career ladder is a promotion other health professionals in completing various job duties.
to the next position up. At the beginning of our employment TCI funding could be utilized to advance para-professional
history, we typically start at entry level and move into career pathway development or readiness.
management or even further in some cases. These new
levels tend to have higher levels of pay, more authority, and e First Generation Learners / Student Assistant
in many cases, improved benefits from the organization in Programming: A first generation college student means that
which you are employed. Career ladders in the healthcare neither of the college students’ parents attended college. It
sector tend to provide a wide range of assorted pathways can also mean that no one else in their immediate family has
to achieve a rewarding and exciting career. TCI can help a college degree. For both families and individuals, being a
resource the creation, supports around the establishment, or first generation college student is a major accomplishment.
efforts to assist health professionals to be better prepared and TCI funding could be part of creating the supportive
positioned to make these advances. educational and life structures to help these students
and their families successfully navigate health education
e Practice and Policy Development: Efforts to create programming or efforts to try to offer targeted educational
supportive policies and environments that educate and train supports at particularly vulnerable times during that program
individuals to meet the needs of current and future health pursuit (where students might fall or fail out).
business and industry environments. TCI funding could Continued ›
become part of the effort to develop, research, or advance
policy and practice efforts to grow effective health workforce
approaches.
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e Youth Career Exploration / STEM: The academic e Health Career Degree and Accreditation Planning:
disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and math Accreditation means that a program or institution has gone
(STEM) form a foundation for health. TCI funding could be through a rigorous review and evaluation process by experts
utilized to foster educational excellence, establish a pathway in the field. It is a stamp of approval by an organization
to basic STEM literacy for all students, and inspire the next that reviews and evaluates the quality of an institution or
generation of STEM learners to successfully plan for and health program. TCI support could be positioned to plan for
pursue health careers. TCI support could also be deployed accreditation of a program or determine the feasibility of
to expose young people to the myriad of allied health career pursuing a new health program launch. Consider that TCI
options and opportunities (beyond the known fields of nursing funding could also be used to scale up a recently accredited
or physician pursuits). Students cannot pursue what they are program or position it for accreditation review. Creatively
not even aware of as future health career options. TCI funding consider if or how philanthropic resources (of TCI or other)
can help make the unknown more visible to young people. could be deployed to assist in new health career pathway
creation.
e Community Health Workers, Health Navigators or
Apprenticeships: Community health workers and patient e New Healthcare Workforce Model: As hospitals and
navigators (also called care coordinators or health navigators) ambulatory sites grapple with the challenges of quality
play a vital role on the healthcare team. Community improvement, value-based care, cybersecurity, and more, the
health workers, or outreach workers, work in community size and shape of the workforce is changing as technology and
settings. They link patients to primary care providers, health imperatives evolve. Health workforce planning is a process
information, health screening, financial assistance, or of forecasting the staff your organization will need in the
transportation. Apprenticeship is an industry-driven, high- future to be able to provide the highest quality of care and
quality career pathway where employers can develop and operate with maximum effectiveness. The results of such
prepare their future workforce, and individuals can obtain planning may cause the need for new training, recruitment,
paid work experience, classroom instruction, mentorship, and or supported health employment models to successfully staff
a portable credential. TCI funding could be utilized to advance health delivery. TCI funds could be part of advancing this
these emerging and important health careers, as well as critical work.
advance the creation of health apprenticeships.
e Health Workforce Resiliency: Incorporate mental
e Telehealth / Distance Learning / Rural Access: wellness and professional resiliency skills and support into
Distance learning and telemedicine programming can residency and training programs to equip individuals with
help rural communities use the unique capabilities of awareness, resources, and empowerment to prevent and
telecommunications to connect to each other and to the mitigate burnout at career start. Address mental health
world, overcoming the effects of remoteness and low stigma and burnout culture, fostering access and encouraging
population density. For example, TCI funding could be part utilization of mental wellness supports and working to design
of a braided resource solution to link teachers and medical environments and practices that empower wellness and self-
service providers in one area to student learning opportunities care to preserve the existing health workforce.
and patients in another. Continued ›
5

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT - FOCUS
Below please find a visual graphic that depicts the applicant pool response to this funding opportunity versus these health
workforce development sub-priority areas during the 2023 TCI funding year. The first bar depicts the number of proposals
received during 2023 in that sub-priority area. The second bar depicts the number of finalist proposals (proposals meeting a
high threshold score in that funding cycle – typically above 90% versus our scoring rubric). The third bar depicts the number
of grantees awarded in each funding area.
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TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE
Not only is contact
with TCI staff
acceptable, but it is also
strongly encouraged.
Approximately two-
thirds of our applicant
pool contacted TCI staff
to discuss some facet of
their proposal prior to
submission. This could
take the form of a face-
to-face (virtual) meeting,
GEOGRAPHIC PROJECT REACH ELIGIBILITY
phone meeting, email
conversation, review
As an applicant, TCI firmly believes in your ability to define To request a grant, your organization must be a recognized
of a draft proposal,
what community means to you. For most of our applicants, as a federally tax-exempt section 501(c)(3) charitable
or other desired
this takes on some form of geography. An applicant could also organization, an accredited school, or a public/ governmental
assistance in helping
decide to focus that definition or discussion around a group or agency located in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, or
you or your coalition
type of person(s) or special populations. Oklahoma.
consider an application.
Making contact is not a
From a geographic standpoint, you are free to define Note: a public agency is an organization established and
requirement and your
community in the way you deem best fits your application primarily funded by a unit of government. Examples could
proposal will not be
and proposed grant work. This could be a neighborhood, zip include a public school, public library, local public health
advantaged or hurt in
code, or census track, city, county, multi-county area or even department, or state governmental agency. Note that TCI
the scoring process for
statewide reach. All approaches will be welcomed. does not fund organizations with a pending 501(c)(3) status.
having a pre-submission
discussion (or not). That This could also be positioned from a targeted population
said, staff is in place standpoint (and not geographic). All this to convey, we want
to help you create as to meet you where you are. We also desire to support rural
competitive a proposal as projects more intentionally whenever possible. Regardless of
possible to compete for geographic focus, we want to fund projects that show clear
limited funding support. connection to localized community need and can demonstrate
Consider how you want to clear and demonstratable community or stakeholder
use them. involvement and impact.
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HOW TO APPLY
ONLINE GRANT APPLICATION PORTAL: TCI will continue the use of an GRANT NARRATIVE:
online application portal. All materials will be available and linked from our website
(www.telligenci.org). Summary of your organization: Please give a brief description of your organization,
including your current capacity (knowledge, resources, and/or services to
The portal has a full user guide with instructions. There are character limits, but they successfully implement your strategy). (1,500-character limit).
correspond well to the past length of our one-step application processes. There
are character counters that count down as you develop your responses. There are Synopsis of need: Describe the problem and/or need that you are developing an
save-and-return features that allow you to not have to complete your application in innovative strategy to address. Please include your target population, how many
a single session. It is designed to be both intuitive and user-friendly. people and/or organizations you estimate serving during the project period, and any
localized data. (3,000-character limit).
Upon successful completion, your proposal contact will receive confirmation of
receipt from TCI staff. Project design: Describe the strategy you have created to address this problem
(including methodology and implementation plan). (3,000-character limit).
TCI asks that your narrative be brief, but more importantly, provide a succinct and
thorough presentation of the need or problem you have identified, the proposed The why: Explain how this project relates to your organization’s overall mission.
solution, and your organization’s qualifications for implementing that solution. The Why is your organization passionate about this? (3,000-character limit).
application portal has the following sections/elements:
Uniqueness: Explain the innovation or uniqueness your plan brings to this work to
TCI APPLICANT INFORMATION: try to help ensure successful implementation. (1,500-character limit).
Applicant Information: This will include primary contact information, address, Evaluation template: You will be asked to develop three (minimum) to five
website, and tax status. This will also encompass a brief equity survey of your (maximum) SMARTIE objectives in the framework of an evaluation template as it
organization which is to establish a baseline of our applicant field and not as a relates to your project’s evaluation method and measurement.
decision-making criteria for your proposal.
Budget template: Please complete the budget template as it relates to your
Program/Project Information: This will include project title, TCI funding priority proposed grant request for TCI consideration. This template is available within our
alignment, funding request amount, a brief summary of project, and county of application portal. You will only be expected to complete the portion related to
applicant/geographic reach of the project (by county). This will also ask for a total your TCI funding request. There is a way to demonstrate matching funds within the
number of persons served by your project and a short narrative rationale and budget template, but that is not a funding requirement. Upon completion of the
context for that number. budget template, you can then upload your completed document within the portal.
There is then the chance to offer a brief budget narrative and justification of the
budget you submit. (1,500-character limit).
Organizational capacity: Describe your organizational capacity to manage grant
funding and a discussion of potential sustaining funding (sources/methodology)
regarding the overall funding needs of this program/project. (2,000-character limit).
8

CONTACT
INFORMATION
If you are considering
a grant request or have
questions about the grant
process, please feel free
to contact TCI staff for
further assistance.
Upon release of the RFP,
please feel comfortable and
encouraged to reach out
to TCI staff to discuss your
proposal idea further and 2024 GRANT CYCLES:
determine if you’ll proceed in
developing an application for
This TCI funding opportunity encompasses support for projects within Iowa, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Colorado. These
one of our deadlines and/or
four (4) states represent our primary states of focus. Applications from all four (4) states will function with a per grant
how to make your concept as
request maximum of $75,000. We see this level of funding being more necessary to achieve most scopes of work
competitive as possible.
coming to us for consideration, yet still be an amount that can hopefully be absorbed, or additional funding secured to
meaningfully sustain beyond the life of our initial TCI grant period. All current TCI grants are for periods of one year.
Please see the below funding calendar for 2024 with all four states able to apply in each deadline grouping – based on
funding priority alignment begin pursued.
Health Workforce Strengthening Families and
Development-based applications Community Health-based applications
($75,000 per grant request ceiling) ($75,000 per grant request ceiling)
Proposal due date to TCI
March 5, 2024 July 2, 2024
(portal completion)
Matt McGarvey Grant period begins /
July 1, 2024 December 1, 2024
Executive Director funding received
mmcgarvey@telligenci.org
515/554-2908
9