To-date, the HEF has invested $1.6 million in 17 organizations working to improve health and address root causes of health disparities in communities across Richmond. Additional investments are being made ongoing in community organizations and initiatives filling gaps to address health disparities.
The Richmond Health Equity Fund invests in community-led programs, initiatives, and leaders to improve health and quality of life for Richmond residents experiencing deep health disparities and the longstanding impacts of racism. The HEF welcomes both solutions that provide direct programming to address immediate health outcomes and broader strategies that address the root causes of poor health in communities across Richmond (housing, transportation, economic stability, community support, etc.).
Gaps in funding and resources too often create or exacerbate disparities in our health outcomes. The HEF seeks to fill these gaps for vital, innovative, evidence-based initiatives.
Single organizations, collaboratives, and individual leaders are all eligible for funding. Organizations that have applied for HEF funding previously are eligible to reapply.
The HEF is not currently accepting applications, but will open in June 2024.
Consistent with the Mayor’s Equity Agenda, the HEF invests in new work — or supports expansions or enhancements to existing work — led by nonprofit and community organizations that directly addresses a range of health disparities, including:
To prioritize where the HEF makes investments, a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) of Richmond residents informs and leads these decisions. CAC members have a combination of both lived and professional experience in the health disparities of focus for the HEF.
The CAC has helped to shape the process, championing community-based nominations, as well as the selections for funding, weighing complex questions of how the HEF can best fill gaps to address community needs.
Cultural and language supportive services to ensure access to testing and treatment and connections for broader follow up care.
Personal follow up and support for unstably housed patients to ensure access to up to date vaccination and connections to primary care.
STI/STD testing and emergency support services.
Vaccine and other resource access and referral services for Spanish-speaking clients.
Three-season youth farming program and online urban farm fellowship.
Culturally relevant emergency nutrition services.
Access to community doulas for Richmond families and training and certification support for doulas.
Maternal hub program providing an allotment of diapers to families in need.
Doula services and perinatal programs that support justice-impacted birthing people in prison, jail, rehabilitation facilities and on probation in the community.
Mental and behavioral health care support for those experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.
Expanding community and individual mental health services in three RRHA community resource centers.
Community based, healing-centered case management program for youth touched by the criminal legal system.
Love Cathedral Education Academy (LCEA) curriculum implementation and recovery-centric services to assist those in treatment or in recovery for substance use disorder.
Transitional housing support and case management for residents returning from incarceration settings with a history of substance use.
Transitional housing support and case management for residents returning from incarceration settings with a history of substance use.
Transitional housing support and case management for residents returning from incarceration settings with a history of substance use.
Community-engaged design and planning for holistic healing space.
We add updates and information to this site to inform our communities and partners on the HEF’s activities.
For additional information, contact Shaleetta Drawbaugh, the Program Officer for the HEF.