Application Open Date: Friday, May 20, 2022
Application Due Date: Thursday, June 30, 2022 – 5:00 PM
ABOUT THE VOICE Mini Grant Program:
The VOICE Mini Grant Program is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initiative to build community capacity surrounding vaccine education rates among underserved populations including youth and adults. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine rates have declined. This mini grant is intended to help increase awareness, access, and confidence in vaccines in our community, especially among underserved populations.
The priority population to be impacted by this funding opportunity via the Shiawassee Family YMCA in partnership with the Shiawassee County Health Department are inspired by community health opportunities. Key activities of this program include 1) provide insights to the CDC detailing barriers to vaccine uptake, 2) equip influential messengers, and 3) increase vaccination opportunities and enhance provider partnerships. The CDC defines ‘influential messengers’ as “any spokesperson identified as being recognizable, trusted, and credible within the community and encouraged by a program recipient to share or otherwise distribute information or resources related to VOICE with other members of the community.
REQUIRED APPLICANT ORGANIZATION ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
- To be selected for funding, applicants must be one of the following
- legally incorporated with IRS 501©3 status or be
- governmental organization
- educational organization
- religious organization
- an organization committed to community health
- a community organization that is partnered with a fiduciary organization
- Organizations can be state, tribal, local, and/or community organizations.
- This funding opportunity does not grant to individuals.
- Funds cannot be used for partisan efforts.
- Funds cannot be sub-awarded or re-granted
Eligible Target Audiences
- Racial and/or ethnic groups
- High Health Disparities (limited access to healthcare)
- Low economic status
- Underserved
ELIGIBLE COMMUNITY PROJECT OPTIONS:
ALL proposed projects must focus on improving community education, distribution, administration, and/or uptake of vaccines in underserved and/or under-vaccinated populations in Shiawassee County.
Proposed projects may implement promising practices to improve vaccine coverage (COVID-19, flu, childhood, and/or senior immunizations) in this priority population:
- Identify and train trusted community level spokesperson (e.g., faith leaders, teachers, community health workers, radio DJs, local shop owners, barbers, etc.)
- Public health/education campaigns to communicate and educate about the decline of vaccination rates throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as provide education on the importance of vaccination through local media outlets (e.g., television, radio, print media etc.)
- Social media campaigns to communicate and educate about the decline of vaccination rates throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the importance of vaccination
- Community specific or culturally specific education campaigns to communicate and educate about the decline of vaccination rates throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as provide education on the importance of vaccination. This will be accomplished through community-based strategies (e.g., neighborhood-based, faith based, community events, and other community-based, culturally appropriate venues)
- Health care system immunization champions and administrative staff engaged in promoting vaccination and increasing referrals of individuals to vaccination locations
- Patient Navigators, Community Navigators, or Community Health Workers engaged in promoting vaccination and increasing referrals for vaccination
- Increased vaccine access to community locations through organized events and mobile and or temporary vaccination sites for as long as vaccines are available
- Healthcare Provider Partnerships to increase provider understanding of the populations of interest and interventions to increase vaccination rates for these populations and facilitate an information exchange between partners
ALL selected project partners and their associated project team members must participate in vaccine hesitancy training, which will be offered during the first 30 days of the project period.
PROJECT PERIOD:
Proposed projects can begin June 2022 and must end no later than March 31, 2023.
FUNDING AVAILABLE:
Funding request with a minimum of $5,000 and a maximum of $7,000 will be considered. A total of 15 awards will be made via an independent grant review committee.
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS:
Selected project partners will be required to 1) document and share relevant learnings from events, conversations, or meetings; 2) document and share tangible insights, common challenges, and key lessons learned; 3) document influential messengers engaged and/or trained as a component of project activities; and 4) report quantitative data collection relative to the selected promising practices activities implemented. Completion of all monthly reporting is a requirement for all selected project partner organizations.
USE OF FUNDS (ALLOWED EXPENSES):
Project funds may be used for direct costs associated with organizing/conducting projects.
- Allowable Expenses:
- Personnel (salary, wage, fringe)
- Travel (local mileage, etc.)
- Supplies
- Contractual services
- Unallowable Expenses:
- Funds may not be used to supplant existing immunization program activities
- Indirect costs
- Paying the salary of an individual at a rate more than the Executive Level II ($199,300 effective January 2021)
- Advocating gun control
- Distributing sterile needles for the hypodermic injection of any illegal drug
- Alcoholic beverages, marijuana, entertainment cost
- Advertising and public relations design solely to promote the applicant entity
- Bad debts, including losses, arising from uncollectible account and other claims
- Contributions and donations, including cash, property, and services, from the non-Federal entity to other entities
- General purpose equipment, buildings, and land
- Interest payment of any type
- Lobbying
- Shelling and marketing any products or services
HELPFUL RESOURCES:
PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS:
- Please submit completed applications by Friday, June 3, 2022, 5:00 PM
- Completed applications must be submitted by email to Laura Archer at larcher@shiawasseeymca.org
KEY CONTACTS: