Strengthening Oral Health Advocacy Infrastructure to Sustain Improvements in Oral Health Access For Low-Income Families

WebinarMarch 3, 2016

Agenda

CT Health Presentation • Welcome • Who is CT Health?• What is systems change in health reform?

Overview of Oral Health Advocacy RFP Grant Opportunity • Rationale & Objectives• RFP Applicant & Criteria• Grant Award & Time Frame• Participant Questions, Answers & Discussion

The Connecticut Health Foundation: Changing Systems, Improving Lives

• The Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health) is the state’s largest independent health philanthropy.

• Since 1999, the foundation has supported innovative grant-making, public policy research, technical assistance and convening to achieve its mission – to improve the health of the people of Connecticut.

• Over the past 15 years, CT Health has awarded grants totaling nearly $57 million throughout the state.

• Our theory is that by investing in systems change, we will make a more sustainable impact for more people

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Our Toolkit for Expanding Health Equity

Strengthening the Advocacy Infrastructure to Sustain Improvements in Oral Health Access

For Low-Income FamiliesRequest for Proposals

Background and Eligibility

• Broaden the base of advocacy for oral health

• Looking for “non-teeth” people!

• Eligibility:– Capacity and history of general health advocacy

– Participates in groups that support policy/administrative change to improve health care access

– Able to mobilize stakeholders including consumers

– Can utilize opportunities and events to increase visibility of oral health access challenges

Key Objectives are to Increase/Implement:1. Create and implement an oral health advocacy agenda that is both

defensive (protecting current levels of oral health access) and proactive (setting incremental benchmarks towards a larger policy change goal).

2. Increase the support of oral health access through coordination, collaboration and mission alignment among community and system partners, including nontraditional alliances in support of oral health access.

3. Increase the number of credible health advocates working to improve oral health access and quality, including legislators, consumers, and health care providers.

4. Increase responsiveness of new and existing health advocates to unique opportunities to bring attention to oral health access challenges and solve problems.

You must address ALL FOUR objectives

Focus of Oral Health Advocacy Projects

• Grant funding should be directed to growing advocacy within an organization and embed it into its overall health advocacy agenda.

• CT Health will not fund consumer education on oral health awareness.

• CT Health will not fund original research on oral health given that multiple resources already exist. Foundation staff can help direct grantees to these resources.

Funding Level

• Up to three grants of $40,000 over two years

• Detailed budget is for year one only

• We want this initiative to be sustainable:

– No new hires!

Grant Resources• Working with existing oral health entities and advocates

Timeline

Successful Applicants Will Clearly:

• Demonstrate that they meet the eligibility criteria

• Articulate how they will successfully achieve the RFP objectives

Activity Date Webinar to Address Questions March 3 at 1:00 p.m. Applications Due April 4 at 5:00 p.m. Notification of Successful Award June 22 Grant Period July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2018

WE ARE LISTENING

Your Questions and Reactions

Additional Questions about RFP?

Please contact:Tiffany DonelsonVP of Program

tiffany@cthealth.org860-724-1580 ext. 18