GENERAL INFORMATION
Background
The bi3 Fund, HealthPath, and Interact for Health believe that every person—no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they make—should have a full, fair, and just opportunity for good health. This means that community conditions and environments should promote good health, and no group is exposed to barriers that undermine their health and well-being.
These three local health funders created the Data for Equity Funding Collaborative in response to feedback from grantee partners about areas of organizational capacity they hoped to strengthen. Specifically, grantee partners requested funding, technical assistance, and collaborative learning opportunities to learn about, and deploy, equitable data and evaluation approaches. The inaugural Data for Equity cohort launched in 2023 with a goal of changing mindsets, structures, and practices that align with the principles of Equitable Evaluation. To date, Data for Equity has supported twenty-one organizations each with a one-year, $25,000 grant as well as training, technical assistance, and shared learning opportunities focused on topics such as community engagement, ethical storytelling, and culturally responsive and equitable evaluation.
As a result of their participation in Data for Equity, past cohort members reported:
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Deeper understanding of the potential harm of data collection practices and opportunities for change.
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Greater outreach and engagement of community members in the research process.
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Expanded understanding of mixed methods, and the value of qualitative data in collecting data that reflects the community
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Leveraging new ways to intentionally center equity from start to finish in data and evaluation efforts, from data collection through analysis and reporting.
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Dedicated resources and a supportive cohort community to test, learn, and iterate on data and evaluation projects.
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Building relationships and partnerships across a cohort of diverse organizations.
Based on learnings from the evaluation and continuous feedback grantees, the Funding Collaborative has adapted and expanded the Data for Equity initiative through 2027. This next phase of the initiative includes two additional grantee cohorts; larger, longer grants; support for cohort alumni; and development of a broader community of practice.
The Data for Equity Funding Collaborative is hosted by Interact for Change, a 501(c)(3) subsidiary of Interact for Health.
RFP Goal
To provide funding and learning opportunities to nonprofit and governmental organizations to strengthen their organizational capacity around equitable data and evaluation – ultimately, helping to ensure that everyone has a full, fair, and just opportunity for good health.
RFP Overview
The Data for Equity Funding Collaborative plans to award a third cohort of grants to support up to 10 nonprofit and governmental organizations to shift organizational culture, mindsets, and practices to advance equitable data and evaluation approaches. These capacity building grants will be awarded for up to $40,000 for 18 months and will support participation in the learning cohort and a proposed project to test and apply equitable evaluation principles and practices.
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For example, projects could:
• Align a new or existing practice or program with equitable evaluation principles.
• Engage the voices of those with lived experience in programming and evaluation efforts.
• Analyze data and program information to better understand various populations and the effectiveness of services.
• Build the knowledge and capacity of organizational staff to understand data with an equity lens.
• Engage in continuous quality improvement to ensure equitable practices.
• Execute improvement plans to create better experiences and outcomes for customers and staff.
Grant funds can also be used to support the organization’s participation in convening and learning activities (reimbursement for staff time, travel, etc.).
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In addition to grant funding, ongoing opportunities for technical assistance, training and shared learning will be offered based on the needs and interests identified by the grantee learning cohort.
Optional self-assessment
Strengthening organizational capacity around data and evaluation is an ongoing journey. Potential applicants are encouraged to complete a short self-assessment to reflect on their interest, readiness, and capacity to engage in the learning process with the cohort and apply learnings to their chosen project. The self-assessment is not required with application; it is meant to help guide potential applicants before committing time to submitting an application. If selected, grantees will be asked to complete the self-assessment by the first learning cohort meeting to help identify strengths and areas of opportunity for support across the cohort.
Cohort Evaluation
In partnership with the grantees, the Funding Collaborative will document the process and impact of the grant initiative and learning cohort. The evaluation may take the form of post-event surveys, focus groups with an external evaluator, and ongoing conversations with grantees. The funders commit to creating as little burden as possible for grantee partners—such as not requiring a final written report—and encourage organizations to provide feedback throughout the cohort experience and on the evaluation process.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must:
• Be a public or private nonprofit or governmental organization*.
• Provide services in at least one of 20 counties listed on this map.
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*Organizations that are not nonprofits or governmental entities may still seek funding through fiscal sponsorship. A fiscal sponsorship is a relationship between a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization (the sponsor organization) and charitable project that does not have a tax-exempt status (the sponsored organization).
Grantee Requirements
Awarded grantees will be convened quarterly over the 18-month period to build relationships, share learning, problem-solve with peers, and engage in training on specific topics. The Funding Collaborative seeks to co-design the implementation of Data for Equity with grantees as much as possible. In addition to the cohort meetings, the Funding Collaborative will provide optional training and technical assistance opportunities based on the goals and needs shared by the grantee cohort. Grantees will be asked to participate in evaluation activities to capture feedback and learnings that will allow for immediate changes to initiative design and implementation as well as for potential replication to a new cohort of grantees.
PROPOSAL
Proposal Selection Criteria
The most competitive applications will demonstrate:
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An organizational commitment to learning and a desire to shift organizational culture, mindsets, and practices to advance equitable data and evaluation approaches.
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The proposed project is working to advance or strengthen equitable data evaluation principles and practices and will enable the organization to engage in continuous improvement.
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That equity is core to the organization’s mission and is central to the thinking and processes of the organization, including and beyond evaluation.
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How the organization is helping build a healthier community for all.
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That the organization can achieve the goals outlined in the proposal with the budget, timeline, and staff capacity indicated.
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The Funding Collaborative is interested in supporting a cohort of grantee organizations with diverse leadership, including board members. We strongly encourage organizations whose leaders identify as Black or Hispanic to apply.
Proposal Timeline
RFP webinar
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Thursday, December 12, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. – virtual
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Office hours
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Wednesday, January 15, 2-3:30p.m. at Interact for Health
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Monday, January 27, 10-11:30a.m., virtual
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Proposal deadline
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Friday, February 7 by 5:00 p.m.
Application review by Community Advisory Board
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February 10 – 28
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Follow up calls (as needed)
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Week of March 3
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Notification of grant award
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March 10
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Grantee learning cohort kick-off meeting
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Thursday, March 20, 2025 (Save-the-date with more details to follow once applicants selected.)
RFP Webinar and Office Hours
A proposal webinar will be held to answer questions about the RFP and application process on Thursday, December 12 from 11:00 to 12:00 p.m. Registration is required. The webinar recording will be available on the Data for Equity website after December 12.
Office hours will also be held to answer questions about the RFP and application process. Office hours will be held on Wednesday, January 15 from 2:00-3:30pm in person at Interact for Health and Monday, January 27 from 10:00-11:30am on Zoom. Registration is required for the virtual office hours. You are welcome to drop by either office hours at any time during the scheduled time block.
Attendance at the RFP webinar and office hours is optional and not required in order to submit a proposal.
Proposal Submissions – due February 7, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.
Completed applications must be submitted no later than Friday, February 7 at 5 p.m., via the Funding Collaborative’s online grants management system through Interact for Health. To begin the application process click here. To access a PDF of the required application questions click here.
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If you have an open grant or have received a grant from Interact for Health in the past two years, your email address may already be registered in the system. For assistance with the application process, please contact Interact for Health’s Director of Grants Management, Kristine Schultz, at kschultz@interactforhealth.org.
Community Advisory Board
Grant applications will be evaluated by a panel of community reviewers comprised of past Data for Equity grantees and experts in equitable data and evaluation practice in partnership with the Funders Collaborative.
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Follow Up Calls: On a case-by-case basis, the Funders Collaborative will schedule a brief call with applicants to ask clarifying questions that emerge from the Community Advisory Board review.
Questions
For any questions regarding the RFP or process, please contact Michelle Lydenberg, Interact for Health’s Senior Manager of Data and Learning, at mlydenberg@interactforhealth.org or 513-458-6626.