Request for Proposal
Supported by Kansas Grantmakers in Health
Overview
The Affordable Care Act Opportunity Fund (ACA Fund) is a $450,000 donor-advised fund administered by the Topeka Community Foundation. The ACA Fund was established by five health philanthropies serving the state of Kansas – the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City, Kansas Health Foundation, REACH Healthcare Foundation, Sunflower Foundation: Health Care for Kansans, and United Methodist Health Ministry Fund.
The ACA Fund was established to provide short-term, focused grant funding to entities and/or partnerships that are positioned to apply for and manage federal grant dollars related to ACA implementation. Grant awards will be in the $5,000 to $30,000 range for a grant term of up to six months (longer-term projects, up to 12 months, will be approved with appropriate justification). Applicants to the ACA Fund must be doing work in Kansas for the benefit of Kansans, and must have identified at least one federal ACA grant opportunity for which they believe they can be competitive.
Background
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a federal statute that was signed into law in March 2010, launching comprehensive health insurance reforms that will roll out over four years and beyond, with most changes taking place by 2014.
The ACA authorizes more than $22 billion for demonstration projects, pilot programs, and other grants to health care providers and non‐profit organizations, state and local governments, and public/private partnerships. These federal funds are intended to support initiatives that improve health care quality, reduce costs, build the health care workforce, diminish ethnic and racial disparities, and promote prevention and wellness. Many of these funding opportunities incentivize multi‐stakeholder partnerships between government and local health care leaders so each can learn from the other about what is feasible given budgetary, personnel, and other constraints. Federally-funded initiatives are designed to test new ideas at the local level and gather evidence about successful models that could improve quality, efficiency, and cost‐effectiveness.
Information about ACA-related federal grant opportunities may be found at the following links:
Center for Health Law and Economics, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Health Reform WA Grant database
ACA Fund Eligibility Criteria
Eligible organizations include
-State agencies and collaborations of state agencies
-Partnerships with an eligible fiscal agent (governmental or 50l(c)(3) organization)
-501(c)(3) organizations
-Local governmental entities (e.g., cities, counties, school districts, public health departments, hospitals)
Examples of activities for which ACA Fund grants may be requested include:
-Grant writing assistance or support for preparing federal grant proposals
-Needs assessments
-Partnership development
-Consumer/stakeholder engagement efforts
-Development of financial accounting and reporting systems
-Legal, actuarial, and public policy technical assistance
-Program design and development
-Evaluation design and metrics selection
-Marketing and communication planning
-Participation in regional and national conferences aimed at increasing understanding and implementation of provisions of the ACA
-Public education (events, publications, other) regarding health reform provisions
-Required matching funds
-Other activities that support effective implementation of health reform.
ACA Fund dollars may not be used for indirect expenses or expenses incurred prior to grant approval.
A limited proportion of the ACA Fund may be available to entities whose intent is to implement provisions of the law without applying for federal grant dollars. Contact Sheldon Weisgrau, Director of the Health Reform Resource Project, (785) 408-8008, to discuss your specific request before you apply online.
Grant Awards
Award amounts generally will range from $5,000 to a maximum of $30,000. Grant funds must be expended within the approved grant period; any funds not spent within the grant period or for the purpose of the project will be returned to the ACA Fund. Notification of award will include a grant agreement which will confirm the scope of the funded project, eligible expenses, and reporting requirements. Grant funds will be released in a single payment upon receipt of the fully executed grant agreement.
Application Requirements
To be eligible for consideration, the grant application must include the following:
-Cover page that provides basic information about the organization, contact information, and signatures of the organization director and lead Board Officer or Trustee.
-Narrative statement of request
-Project budget
-Copy of IRS Letter verifying 501(c)(3) status / enabling statute / legislation for governmental entities
-Copy of the organization’s most recent Form 990 tax return (if applicable)
-Board of directors roster or list of elected officials (if applicable)
The narrative statement should not exceed four pages and should address the following:
-Citation of the federal grant opportunity(ies) for which the applicant plans to apply, including published deadline(s) and prospective size of individual awards.
-Description of applicant organization’s mission and history, purpose and/or responsibilities, including information that explains how the organization is positioned to be competitive in applying for the federal dollars in question.
-Explanation of need for ACA Fund grant to support the entity’s application for federal dollars. If a contractor will be used, provide information on the contractor and relevant experience or expertise.
-Evidence of the inclusion of consumer/health care stakeholder interests. (This element will be a key consideration in the grant award decision-making process.)
To apply, click here. Proposals and all supporting documents must be submitted electronically to the Topeka Community Foundation. Proposals will be accepted on a continuous basis through December 31, 2012.
For More Information: Contact Sheldon Weisgrau, Director of the Health Reform Resource Project, (785) 408-8008, or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
