Our priority funding areas are: 

• Primary care
• Healthy lifestyles promotion
• Preventive health measures
• Oral Health 

1. Project Planning: Grants between $5,000 and $20,000 are available to support the planning of projects requiring further research/investigation, outside expertise or significant inter-agency collaboration. The goal of Project Planning is to incorporate the required information into a successful, full project-related proposal or to determine that the project should be postponed or not carried out.

Project Planning grants were created in response to receiving proposals that did not include sufficient literature review, environmental scanning (investigation into the best practice models, strategies and success rates of others conducting similar work locally and nationally), baseline data to measure progress, outcome indicators, sustainability planning and input from experts in the given field. Without these components, proposals are declined.

2. Direct Services: Grants are provided to support projects that increase access to preventive, primary, oral and behavioral health service and/or promote healthy lifestyles such as regular physical activity and nutritious eating habits. Proposed projects should be designed to improve individual and/or community health outcomes.

Examples of Direct Services' grants are:

• Start-up primary care or dental clinic
• Adoption of an evidenced based service model for substance abusing adolescents
• Healthy lifestyle promotion initiative within elementary schools
• Primary care outreach and engagement in order to increase clinic patients

This category provides support to organizations with a clear plan for increasing their effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability. This may include, but is not limited to, program design, development and evaluation, business planning for revenue-generating activities, marketing and communications, financial management, board development, executive leadership training, strategic planning as well as technology and information systems.

Examples of Organizational Capacity Building:

• Staff training for certification, licensing and new skill sets.
• Medical and administration equipment, electronic record systems, computer hardware and software, outfitting examination rooms, dental chairs and telephone systems.
• Development of a clinical manual for a behavioral health service providing organization
• Planning consultants for operational, technological or financial.
• Expenses for recruiting, hiring and temporary positions.
• Communications and marketing materials.
• Primary care patient flow redesign
• Renovation of medical examining rooms
• Adoption of electronic medical records

Examples of health system/healthy policy requests:

• Expand eligibility for a public health program
• Increase public awareness about a health issue
• Reduce the inappropriate use of emergency care services

• The organization is a tax-exempt nonprofit under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code or a local or state governmental agency.
• The project serves exclusively the residents of Broward, Miami-Dade and/or Monroe Counties.
• The project's goals, processes and outcomes are clear and measurable.
• The project is aligned with best practice approaches or principles.
• The project's budget will fully explain how the Foundation's funds will be used.
• The project may be supported by other private, public and/or community resources.
• The project will increase the effectiveness/efficiency of health care promotion and services.
• The project's benefits will continue beyond Health Foundation's funding.

Step 1- Preliminary Proposal

Preliminary proposals may be submitted through our new online application process.  Please note that although we welcome proposal applications anytime, they are reviewed on a semi-annual basis. Please refer to the Grant Cycle Timeline for due dates.

The Foundation will review your organizational information and the project description and determine whether the proposed project is appropriately aligned with HFSF goals and objectives. Organizations are then notified in writing of the Foundation's decision. For those projects deemed appropriate, an invitation to submit a full grant proposal is issued.

To begin the preliminary proposal application process, please visit the Applicants' Toolbox located under the Grant Toolbox. This is where you will be able to take an eligibility quiz to see if you may qualify for funding. If eligible, the preliminary proposal application form will be viewable and you will be able to submit an application.  

Step 2- Full Proposal

For those organizations invited to submit a full proposal, corresponding instructions will be provided.

Proposal Review All full proposals are reviewed by Foundation Board members, staff and outside professionals with expertise in the subject area. Site visits are usually a part of the proposal review process. The merits of each proposal are discussed at a Board grant committee meeting and then presented to the full Board for a final funding decision.

For additional information, please send an e-mail to: Jakes Olson at jolson@hfsf.org.