2022 Funding Opportunities
This guide describes our funding approach and application process. Our goal is to help you determine a fit with our funding opportunities, save time in the grant application process, and help you submit the strongest possible proposal.
Medica Foundation
Seeks to improve health outcomes by supporting community-led initiatives that advance health equity. We’re committed to building partnerships and engaging our employees in charitable activities.
Supporting optimal health
Building relationships
Engaging in the community Collaborate with nonprofits to improve health and encourage corporate volunteerism.
Address critical community health needs, increase access, and improve quality of care.
Develop strong partnerships with grantees and engage employees to be ambassadors for the Foundation.
About the Medica Foundation
We’re the charitable giving arm of Medica, a Minnesota-based health plan, and we’ve been partnering with communities for 30 years.
Our Mission. Improve the health of those in need by investing in community-led initiatives that advance health equity.
Our Vision. We envision healthy communities free of inequities, where health resources, care, and treatment are accessible and available to all.
Our Approach. We recognize the importance of supporting the unique needs of individual communities.
Overarching principles: •
Benefit communities that we serve
• Improve availability of, access to, and/or quality of health care • Achieve success or demonstrate effectiveness through measurable outcomes
We give priority to programs that: • Support community-led initiatives • Have a strong chance of improving health through sustainable impact • Address community issues and promote equitable solutions that reduce health disparities • Build partnerships and collaborations within their communities
Eligibility
How we fund Grant process for online request for proposals: Our online RFP grant process is open to organizations in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, westernWisconsin, and the Native Nations that share our geography. InWisconsin, funding is available only in the following counties: Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Chippewa, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pierce, Polk, Sawyer, St. Croix, andWashburn. Contact Gina DiMaggio or Taneal Palmer with questions (see contact information on back cover). Grant process for invitation-only proposals: Over the past few years we’ve expanded our philanthropic reach to include funding for organizations located in, and providing services in, Nebraska and for Native Nations in Nebraska, as well as areas in southwestern Iowa. We’re developing community relationships and learning about health concerns in these areas. The process for funding for Nebraska and southwestern Iowa is by invitation only. Contact us to share information about your organization and health programs. We’ll consider funding for organizations in Arizona, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri in future years. Contact Shelly d’Almeida with questions (see contact information on back cover). Who we fund To request a grant, your organization must be a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, a Native Nation, or a public/governmental agency based in our geographic area. A public agency is an organization established and primarily funded by a unit of government. Examples could include a public school, public health department, or state governmental agency. When we fund If your organization received a Behavioral Health or Early Childhood Health grant last year or if you have a current Strategic Initiative grant, you’re not eligible to apply for any of those programs this year. Contact us to discuss your program impact and potential for continued short- term funding. Rural Health grant recipients are eligible to submit an application for funding in consecutive years. We consider single-year grant requests. Nonprofit organizations are eligible to receive one grant within a calendar year. Depending on the needs of the community, these funding areas may be modified from year to year.
ND
Our service area We make grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organizations , Native Nations, and government agencies in our service area.
MN
WI
SD
Key
IA
Open request for proposal (RFP)
NE
Proposals by invitation only
Future funding opportunities to be determined
KS
MO
OK
AZ
We don’t fund
• • General and/or operating support for program grants • Fiscal agents (unless the fiscal agent is an active partner in the program) • Organizations with a pending 501(c)(3) status • Capital campaigns/capital expenditures
Programs for which overhead expenses exceed 10% of the total grant • Religious groups for religious purposes • Lobbying and political activities • Sporting events and athletic groups • Direct support for individuals and families
Our Funding Areas
We focus on promoting improvements in health outcomes and equitable solutions to reduce health disparities. We give priority to proposals that build partnerships and collaborations within communities and embrace trauma-sensitive practices, with a strengths-based approach to care and treatment.
Behavioral Health Individual grants up to $50,000
We seek proposals for new or expanding programs that provide support for people of all ages around serious mental illness and chemical addiction recovery. This includes programs that address service delivery gaps; integrate physical and mental health care; address co-occurring disorders; attend to the mental health needs of children experiencing homelessness; and provide supportive and intensive case management services.
Early Childhood Health Individual grants up to $25,000
We seek proposals for new or expanding early intervention programs that focus on developing healthy families to foster optimal growth and development for children from birth through age 12. Programs should embrace the needs of the whole-child/whole-family and may incorporate the two-generation approach that’s central to supporting children and parents. Eligible programs include those that improve access to prenatal and postpartum care; address preventive health and dental care; enhance parenting skills; support developmental, social, and emotional health, and/or improve maternal health outcomes and birth equity for women of color.
Note: Non-health-related education and lifestyle programs, including physical activity and nutrition, are ineligible.
Rural Health Individual grants between $5,000 and $10,000
We aim to fund nonprofit, community-led solutions that address health concerns in rural communities. That allows us to support the specific health needs of people in the community and to address the social determinants of health. Funding is available to organizations outside of the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and westernWisconsin; and to any organizations outside of the Omaha metro area in Nebraska, and in southwestern Iowa.
Esther Tomljanovich Strategic Initiative One grant awarded up to $200,000
Strategic initiatives allow us to make community investments on a larger and more impactful scale to advance health equity. We seek “big ideas” that are transformational, innovative, and catalysts for systemic improvements in health outcomes. Successfully funded past proposals have been on a larger scale than our typical program grants. The goal is to provide more flexibility for our grant partners to implement longer-term projects and evaluate their impact. We may award a strategic grant over the course of two or even three years.
Proposals should address one of the following focus areas: • Community outreach to increase pediatric immunization rates • Mental and/or chemical health needs for youth ages 12-19 • Mental health needs due to historical trauma and racism
To be eligible, organizations must: • Have received a Medica Foundation Behavioral Health, Early Childhood Health, or Esther Tomljanovich Strategic Initiative grant in the last five years • Be in good standing with a successfully completed grant • Have an organizational budget with revenue of at least $1 million • Be located and operate in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, or westernWisconsin
If you want to submit an application for an Esther Tomljanovich Strategic Initiative grant, contact Gina DiMaggio, ProgramManager, to discuss your proposal, confirm eligibility, and request a link to the application form.
HOW TO APP LY
Getting started
Submitting an initial application Visit our website at MedicaFoundation.org to learn about us and to access our online grant applications. You’ll find detailed instructions for this process on our website. Application assistance Please read this document and listen to the webinar on our website before you contact us. If you still have questions or need help, contact our staff via phone or email. We provide assistance in the form of a phone meeting or email conversation, and appreciate the opportunity to learn more about your project and ensure it’s a fit with our focus areas.
Application tips
These suggestions will help you develop a proposal that addresses the most important factors in our grant review process.
Demonstrated community need • Provide data to demonstrate the community need for your project and the population served by it • Information from local or state sources is preferred over national statistics Clear project explanation • Explain any existing models that your project may be based upon, including outcomes and why the model was selected • Spell out the program or model name before using an acronym • Avoid using specialist language that a layperson may not understand Demonstrated collaboration • Identify the partners involved in your project, if applicable • Include letters of support that demonstrate commitment from partners (for full proposals only) Measurable impact • Identify measurable outcomes and describe the benefits to program participants (improved health status, behavioral change, new knowledge, etc.) • Provide realistic forecasts of the grant’s projected impact • Describe the evaluation and measurement plan you’ll use to capture needed data; if you’ll measure behavior or health changes, identify a plan for it • We require a plan to measure and evaluate the impact of your project or programwith full proposals; up to 10% of the total grant amount may be used for measurement and evaluation expenses, incurred internally or from outside resources Accurate and complete project budget • Clearly explain each line item, indicating how you’ll use Medica Foundation funds • Use the Medica Foundation Budget Form, and don’t modify formulas or delete template fields • Round the request amount to the nearest $1,000; we suggest you request the maximum grant amount if your project and budget demonstrate the need Strong performance on Medica Foundation grants • We consider past grant performance in the application process; if applicable, provide a brief summary of Medica Foundation grants completed or in progress
Grant process
Medica leaders from across the organization volunteer their time and expertise to support our grant review process. We use a scoring methodology to inform our discussion and decision-making process. Submitting a proposal We use a two-step application process for Behavioral Health, Early Childhood Health, and Strategic Initiative grants. We first review applications to determine which proposals move forward in the process. We require applicants to use our budget template to expedite grant review. The application for these funding areas isn’t a letter of intent or a concept paper, and it is fairly detailed. See Medicafoundation.org for documents and forms required for your proposal. If you’re selected to submit a full proposal, we’ll email you with instructions. If we select your application to submit a full proposal, our staff and/or volunteers will do a site visit. We make every effort to do these in person; however, depending on the situation or location of your organization, we may do a phone call instead. In 2021, we invited an average of 47% of initial grant applicants to submit a full proposal. We awarded funding to nearly 77% of the applicants invited to submit a full proposal. The Rural Health grant application is a shorter, one-step process intended to limit resources needed to complete the application. We’ve scaled this application to an appropriate length based on the amount of funding provided. In 2021, 69% of Rural Health applicants received a grant. As a reference, the grant funding chart on the right displays the competitiveness of our funding last year. Receiving a grant If you’re awarded a grant, one of our staff members will contact you to establish a mutually agreeable schedule for grant dates, payment(s), and reporting. If you’re awarded a Behavioral Health, Early Childhood Health, or Strategic Initiative grant, one of our staff members will partner with your organization. Grant performance and oversight Medica employees volunteer their time and talents to support the work of the Foundation and nonprofits in the community. You may have a chance to meet and work with them during your grant project.
2021 grant funding As a reference, this chart gives you an idea of howmany proposals we received and granted in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, andWisconsin:
2021
Behavioral Health Early Childhood Health
Rural Health
Totals
Initial applications received
178
45
46
87
43
Full proposals invited
20
23
N/A
93
Grant awards
15
18
60
2022 grant schedule Open Request For Proposals (RFPs) —Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, andWisconsin
Behavioral Health
Early Childhood Health
Strategic Initiatives
Rural Health
Maximum grant award Initial applications accepted Invitations extended to finalist applicants
$50,000
$25,000
$5,000 - $10,000
$200,000
February 1 - April 1 February 1 - April 29 July 1 - August 31 February 1 - May 27
N/A —One-Step Application
Mid-June
Early August
Mid-August
N/A —One-Step Application
Presentations — Early September
Full proposals due
July 15
September 2
Grant award announcements Grant period begins / Funding released
Mid-September
Mid-October
Mid-December
Mid-October
October 2022 - January 2023
November 2022 - January 2023
To be decided mutually
January 2023
Proposals by invitation only —Nebraska and southwestern Iowa. Applications will be requested and funded on a rolling basis throughout the year.
Contact information If you’re considering a grant request or have questions about the grant process, please contact a Medica Foundation staff member for further assistance.
Heather Craig | Foundation Coordinator Heather.Craig@medica.com | 1 (952) 992-3321
Provides technical assistance with your online login and application process.
Gina DiMaggio | Program Manager Gina.DiMaggio@medica.com | 1 (952) 992-3386
Supports behavioral health and strategic initiative grantmaking in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, andWisconsin.
Taneal Palmer | Program Manager Taneal.Palmer@medica.com | 1 (952) 992-1436
Supports early childhood health and rural health grantmaking in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, andWisconsin.
Shelly d’Almeida | Program Manager Michelle.dAlmeidaAraujo@medica.com | 1 (952) 992-3324 Support for organizations in Nebraska, Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma
JoAnn Birkholz | Executive Director JoAnn.Birkholz@medica.com | 1 (952) 992-3318
© 2022Medica | MXC710001975-5-00921A
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