Please note: we are not currently accepting LOIs.

The Rx Foundation announces a new funding cycle in this grant program that aims to (1) boost the capacity and infrastructure of local, state, and national non-profit organizations in the US to champion issues that promote social justice through better health and better health care, and (2) build enduring networks that can sustain advocacy, organizing, and civic engagement on issues that impact health and health care in their communities. Based on a commitment to health justice, and the belief that every person should have access to affordable, high-quality healthcare, the Building Capacity for Health Advocacy grants program is open to qualified 501(c)(3) applicants nationwide.

The Rx Foundation seeks to build partnerships with applicants that function as hubs or anchor organizations for building advocacy, organizing, and civic engagement capacity and infrastructure among networks and coalitions of non-profit organizations. A hub or anchor organization must have a clear vision for impacting health and health care, a pragmatic plan for strengthening technical skills and infrastructure, and a track record of effective collaboration with non-profit partners. 

The Rx Foundation recognizes that a wide variety of factors impact health and health care, and seeks to create capacity that will sustain advocacy, organizing, and civic engagement efforts as priorities evolve. These factors include equal access to coverage and care, health equity, social and economic needs (e.g., food, housing), links between environmental determinants and health disparities, racial justice, and income inequality.

Grants will be awarded for one to three years and range from $50,000 to $150,000 annually. Applicants are permitted to budget up to 10% of the total grant as internal general operating support. Applicant organizations are encouraged to budget an additional percentage of the total award as general-operating-support field grants to non-profit partners or coalition members that engage with the hub in the capacity-building work.

The capacity building and technical assistance portion of the grants are not intended to cover recurring general expenses. The general-operating-support field grants for non-profit partners are intended to offset the staff time and organizational resources required to effectively engage with the hub organization in capacity building work. This grant program does not support event sponsorship or capital campaigns.

Capacity-building and technical assistance priorities under this grant program include:

• Power Analysis and Strategic Impact Planning: Developing an understanding of the current landscape and a detailed strategy and plan for achievable health-policy change that improves lives.
• Leadership Development: Training and development not only of staff and board leadership, but also of constituency-based leadership, to create champions for social justice through better health and better health care.
• Coalition Building: Building, or improving and expanding on existing partnerships to (1) articulate shared goals, (2) develop and execute consistent communications strategies, (3) set attainable milestones, and (4) track performance.
• Training: Hosting or participating in training to understand policy-making systems (e.g., legislative process, local government) and to build advocacy and organizing skills (e.g., power-mapping, canvassing, phone banking), including advocacy training for direct-service organizations.
• Communications: Training, strategy, and resource development in communications, including peer-to-peer, traditional media, and social media.
• Data & Technology Resources: Improving access to and utilization of databases, data analysis, digital organizing, and other technology tools/strategies.
• Civic Engagement: Building, improving, and expanding grassroots organizing and other constituent- and community-engagement strategies.

Letters of interest will be accepted from March 1st through March 31st, 2023. The Rx Foundation will invite a full proposal from applicants with a high-scoring letter of interest.

Grant awards will be made beginning in September 2023.

• The LOI should be no longer than 4 pages with a minimum 12-point font.
• The LOI should be submitted in PDF format.
• The LOI should be submitted by email to [email protected].

• Overview of the applicant organization, leadership, and mission;
• Summary of the number and nature of non-profit groups that would participate in the capacity-building work;
• Summary of goals for using this funding to build capacity and infrastructure to promote social justice through better health and better health care over time, and your interest in participating in the learning community of organizations and leaders who are working toward similar goals across the country;
• Summary of the specific strategies and tactics that will be used to achieve these goals, demonstrating an understanding of the components needed to impact health priorities and policies in your area(s) of geographic focus;
• Clearly define the results you believe you can achieve as a result of these capacity-building activities. How will this work impact people’s lives? Note: We are especially interested in how this grant program will improve your ability to advocate for social justice through better health and health care in the long term, rather than focusing only on short-term policy outcomes.

• The proposed work will lead to meaningful advocacy, organizing, and civic engagement for improving health and health care in specific areas of geographic or demographic focus.
• A clearly defined vision and achievable goals for building capacity and/or infrastructure among organizations working toward social justice through better health and better health care, and a feasible path for meeting those goals.
• That the capacity building investments will help advocates and organizers to sustain on-the-ground advocacy, organizing, and civic engagement to improve health and health care over time.

The Rx Foundation supports collaborative initiatives to promote health justice, healing and wellness in communities throughout the United States. We do so by engaging with diverse partners committed to a future in which all communities build their connections, capacity and power to address the root causes of poor health.

The Rx Foundation was founded by Serena M. Hatch in 2002 with the goal of improving health care in the United States. Since its inception, the Foundation has made grants of more than $35 million to more than 100 organizations: hospitals and medical centers, other nonprofits focused on health and healthcare, community organizations, and research entities working on solutions to problems impeding the delivery of safe, high-quality, humanistic health care to all citizens.
The Rx Foundation’s initial focus was on improving the delivery of care within hospitals and clinics. It supported innovators and approaches to systemic change, and scaling that change. It funded initiatives in diverse areas including childbirth, eldercare, and patient safety.

Because improving health care includes improving who has access to care, the Rx Foundation broadened its grantmaking to support community-care models, health insurance reform outcomes, and the social determinants of health. It has thereby provided substantial support for the development, piloting, and implementation of community health models and to increasing access to preventive and primary care for historically disenfranchised and marginalized populations.

That grantmaking has led in turn to a recognition of the vital role of advocacy, organizing, and civic engagement in enabling communities – especially those historically marginalized – to empower themselves to champion change that improves their health care, and their health and wellbeing. That focus is now the Rx Foundation’s primary area of grantmaking.