The Richmond Health Equity Fund announces open application period for 2023-2024 funding cycle.
Richmond, VA – July 26, 2023 – The Richmond Health Equity Fund (HEF) is now accepting applications for its 2023-2024 funding cycle. The deadline to submit applications is August 13, 2023.
The HEF seeks to fill gaps in funding and resources for vital, innovative, and impactful initiatives that serve the Richmond community. Single organizations, collaboratives, and individual leaders providing services in the following health disparity focus areas are all eligible to apply:
- Access to care and health education
- COVID -19 vaccination, prevention, and treatment access
- Food access and security
- Maternal and child health
- Mental and behavioral health
- Substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery
- Underlying health conditions
Applications may be accessed here or by visiting the Richmond and Henrico Public Health Foundation (RHPHF) website: https://rhphf.org/health-equity-fund/. Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) provides updates about the HEF and other health equity initiatives through its weekly newsletter.
Funding decisions will be made with the HEF Community Advisory Committee (CAC), a group of local community members with professional and/or lived experience with health disparities. The CAC will work to select partner organizations to receive funding and will indicate gaps in the application pool for consideration during future funding cycles. The HEF will host a virtual information session for those interested in applying for funding on Monday, August 7th from 5:00 – 6:00 PM.
In October 2021, Richmond City Council voted to establish the first-ever Health Equity Fund (HEF) in the City of Richmond through an initial investment of $5 million from federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. With the support and leadership of City Administration and the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD), the HEF was established under the Richmond and Henrico Public Health Foundation (RHPHF) – the nonprofit arm of RHHD. Since then, the HEF has funded 15 partners that serve Richmond residents experiencing deep health disparities and the longstanding impacts of racism. The HEF has invested $1.2 million to-date in initiatives that address these historic inequities and will continue to award new projects to support strong, thriving communities across the city.