BACKGROUND

Structural racism is pervasive within the nation’s health and health care systems, and despite progress, still poses significant barriers to health and wellbeing for far too many. Additionally, health and wealth disparities disproportionately affect people of color, as well as older Americans, women, people with low-income, those with disabilities, those from LGBTQ communities, and those who live in isolated rural communities.

As stated by the National Academy of Medicine’s report, The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity, “Over the course of this decade, nurses will face a host of challenges – from addressing the lasting effects of COVID-19 on themselves and their communities to dismantling the racist systems that create and perpetuate inequities. No one is immune from hate and bigotry, but everyone has the capacity for empathy, understanding, and solidarity in a shared hope for a more just and equitable world. The nursing profession is resilient and well positioned to help usher in a new era in which everyone has a chance to live the healthiest possible life.”

We know that our nation cannot address and dismantle structural racism and eliminate health disparities without the partnership and innovation of nurses. We also know that there are nurses at all levels of these systems who are committed to ending racism and are innovating to drive change and build health equity.  This project is designed to identify those “bright spots” and provide seed funding to support such efforts through a Health Equity Innovations Fund.  The awards will be administered by the Center to Champion Nursing in America (CCNA) at the AARP Center for Health Equity through Nursing.

CCNA is an initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and it runs the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, an initiative of the same organizations building a healthier America through nursing. Since its founding in 2007, CCNA has created national and state multi-sector networks to stimulate collaboration, innovation and spur nurse-led action for better health and well-being for all. This powerful network includes the Campaign’s state arms, or Action Coalitions, and is committed to ending systemic disparities in health and health care.

DESCRIPTION

The program will award funds to creative, replicable and promising solutions for eliminating structural racism and other structural inequities within the nursing profession, health systems or community that lead to improved access to care and services for those most disproportionally impacted by health disparities. Projects will require genuine partnership with the community. Projects that demonstrate collaboration with the Campaign’s Action Coalitions will be viewed more favorably. All projects must support the advancement of one or more of the recommendations in the National Academy of Medicine’s report, The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity.

Working together with community partners will enable awardees to more effectively impact systems change. To help achieve the goal of broadening stakeholders, applicants might consider the following strategies:

• Collaborate with partners that have similar goals (e.g. local health departments, housing authorities, schools, businesses),
• Join forces with other effective campaigns or community-based organizations,
• Look for alternative funding sources through corporate giving, state or federal grants, or individuals, and/or
• Work with non-nursing community partners to promote mutually beneficial policies that will lead to greater improvements in health and well-being.

We have many resources available for advancing health equity, including the Campaign for Action’s Health Equity Toolkit. A list of resources can be found on the “frequently asked questions” document that is part of this package.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Applications submitted by a Campaign for Action state Action Coalition or an approved organization affiliated with the state Action Coalition will be viewed more favorably. Applicant organizations affiliated with the state Action Coalition must also:

• Submit a letter from the Action Coalition supporting their application to lead the project and describing the role of the Action Coalition, and
• Show evidence of how they will engage the Action Coalition, as well as the community, throughout the project.

Preference will be given to applicants that are either public entities or nonprofit organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. If your organization does not qualify, we encourage you to partner with a community organization that is a public entity or nonprofit organization that is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S Internal Revenue Code.

Proposals must:

• Offer innovative solutions for improving health equity, including efforts to dismantle structural racism and other structural inequities within the nursing profession, health systems or community that lead to improved access to care and services for those most disproportionally impacted by health disparities.
• Support the advancement of one or more of the recommendations in the National Academy of Medicine report, The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity. 
• Show evidence of the project’s potential replicability and sustainability. 
• Clearly explain the role of each partner identified for this project.
• Show evidence of diverse and genuine community partnerships.
• Comply with application details and formatting requirements.

AWARD DETAILS

Awards of up to $50,000 will be made for projects that can be completed in two years or less. While matching funds are not required, this is a great opportunity to seek partnerships and secure additional funding.  

Funds may be used for personnel, meetings, supplies, project-related travel, and contractors or consultants. Funds may not be used to subsidize individuals for the costs of their health care, to support clinical trials of unapproved drugs or devices, to construct or renovate facilities, for lobbying, for political activities, or as a substitute for funds currently being used to support similar activities.

Awardees will be required to report on the impact of their Health Equity Innovations Fund project at the end of the funding period. For projects longer than one year, a midpoint report is also required.

Leveraging AARP and CCNA’s communication channels and vast networks, we will share learnings and results from the projects so others can learn and use these models to create systems change in communities, health care systems and educational systems. 

HOW TO APPLY

Complete the application template, found here, and submit via email to HealthEquityNursing@aarp.org, no later than 10 p.m. ET on November 15, 2022. In fairness to all applicants, the program will not accept late submissions. All funding decisions will be made by a review team consisting of AARP leadership, staff, and advisers.

For more information on the Health Equity Innovations Fund and proposal requirements, please contact:

The Center to Champion Nursing in America
AARP Public Policy Institute
601 E St. NW
Washington, DC 20049
Phone: (202) 434-2148
Email: HealthEquityNursing@aarp.org
Website: aarp.org/ppi/initiatives/center-for-health-equity-through-nursing

PROGRAM SUPPORT

CCNA at the AARP Center for Health Equity through Nursing will provide technical assistance and direction for those who receive awards. All Action Coalitions and network members, regardless of funding status, may receive technical assistancefor stakeholder engagement, coalition-building, and fundraising.

KEY DATES AND DEADLINES

October 31 (2 p.m. ET)	Webinar for interested applicants
November 15 (10 p.m. ET)	Applicant submission deadline
Early December	Finalists notified of funding recommendations
December	Awards finalized
January 1, 2023	Projects initiated