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 by investing 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.
The HEF is not currently accepting applications for funding. Individuals, organizations, or collaboratives that are interested in applying for an HEF investment, a new application round will open in the Spring of 2025.
The Health Equity Fund was established to decrease health inequities and make measurable improvements in health outcomes in Richmond by funding community-informed and community-based initiatives directly addressing 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 as well as the selections for funding, weighing complex questions of how the HEF can best fill gaps to address community needs.
Current CAC Members:
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.
Sustain and increase communicable screening for HCV, Syphilis, and/or TB.
Increase colorectal cancer screening for low-income and uninsured residents
Expanded hotline services for Spanish-speaking individuals.
STI/STD testing, educational resource linkage, emergency support services referral, and harm reduction services offering.
Vaccine and other resource access and referral services for Spanish-speaking clients.
Expanding feeding program into comprehensive health fairs
Community-engaged design and planning for holistic healing space.
12-month urban agriculture and skill-building program for East End Richmond families.
Expansion of mobile market program.
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.
Access to community doulas for Richmond families and training and certification support for doulas.
Holistic, wraparound support for new and expecting parents with children ages 0-5.
Access to community doulas for Richmond families and training and certification support for doulas. Also, 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.
Mental health skill building program for the uninsured
Expanding community and individual mental health services in three RRHA community resource centers.
Community based, healing-centered case management program for emerging adults touched by the criminal legal system.
Mental health and emergency services for LGBTQ+ survivors of violence
Love Cathedral Education Academy (LCEA) curriculum implementation and recovery-centric services to assist those in treatment or in recovery for substance use disorder.
Case management and peer-led workshops for justice-involved individuals 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.
Transitional housing support and case management for residents returning from incarceration settings with a history of substance use.
Substance use disorder treatment program for residents returning from incarceration settings with a history of substance use
We add updates and information to this site to inform our communities and partners on the HEF’s activities.
For additional information, contact hef@rhphf.org