• Access to Health Care
• Healthy Lifestyles through physical activity and nutrition
• Oral Health

• Achieve universal access to health care in Kansas
• Support Kansans in increasing physical activity and making healthy food choices through the engagement of organizations that serve targeted populations
• Strengthen the Kansas infrastructure to support continued and sustained improvements and expansion in oral health access, prevention and awareness

More details about the background and ongoing work of the Health Fund can be found on its website at www.healthfund.org

Innovation Funding

Seeking new opportunities to improve the health of Kansans in the three areas of focus beyond the specific goals identified in its strategic plan, the Health Fund established Innovation Funding in 2007 and is again offering this grant opportunity in 2008. Innovation Funding is designed to attract and support new approaches to oral health, access to health care, and healthy lifestyles in Kansas.

Applicant-initiated proposals that complement the Health Fund's focus on access to health care, healthy lifestyles, and oral health are invited. Projects should address one or more of these three areas, but need not be limited by the goals, objectives, and strategies already identified by the Health Fund's strategic plan. Projects may involve direct service delivery (treatment and prevention), advocacy, public health education, awareness, or some other approach. Innovation Funding is intended to support projects that generate action beyond the routine and aim at specific outcomes delivering:

• Creative and innovative approaches to addressing needs at state, regional, or local levels;
• Partnerships to address these issues with new strategies; and
• New mechanisms to put evidence-based solutions in place.

Preferences

Preference will be given to proposals that demonstrate:

• Evidence of collaboration and broad-based support
• Commitment of other sources of funding -- cash and/or in-kind
• Secondary benefits (shared learning, sustainable program, etc.)
• Service within the boundaries of the Kansas West Conference of the United Methodist Church (roughly the western two-thirds of the state), including projects with statewide reach.

Restrictions

The following requests will not be considered for Innovation Funding:

• Health professional recruitment/recruiting packages;
• General organizational (rather than specific program) capacity building; and
• Indirect expenses exceeding 10% of grant funding [definition in footnote]

Note: Indirect expenses are those costs which are not directly attributable to or affected by the conduct of a project but are necessary for the project to succeed. Indirect expenses may include general administrative and accounting support, allocable space, allocable equipment usage, and similar resources which are part of the organization's regular operating environment.

Eligible Applicants

• 501(c)(3) organizations
• Governmental entities
• Professional associations for educational and public benefit projects permitted by IRS rules for charitable grantmaking

Request Amount

A total of up to $500,000 has been committed to Innovation Funding for 2008. Although minimum or maximum amounts of funding have not been established for a single grant request, it is expected that at least ten grants will be awarded through Innovation Funding.

Grant Period

Grant awards can support work continuing for up to three years. There is no expectation that grants from Innovation Funding will be renewed.

Application Process

Innovation Funding involves a two-step process beginning with a Letter of Intent. Based on the Letter of Intent, invitations will be extended to those selected to submit a proposal. These invitations will be made no later than May 26, 2008. Proposals will be reviewed by the Health Fund's Programming and Evaluation Committee, which submits recommendations to the Board of Trustees. Final decisions are made by the Board.

Those interested in applying may go to the Health Fund website (www.healthfund.org) and complete an online Letter of Intent. The initial Letter of Intent must be submitted to the Health Fund by April 7, 2008.

A sample of the online LOI form may be viewed here.

For those invited to submit a full application, authorization will be given to an online proposal form. Applications will be due on July 7, 2008, with funding decisions made in early September 2008. Funding for the successful projects can begin as early as November 10, 2008 or as late as March 10, 2009, at the request of the successful applicant.

Dates

Letter of Intent	Due April 7, 2008
Notice of Invitation	May 26, 2008
Application (by invitation only)	Due July 7, 2008
Site Visit (by appointment)	July-August, 2008
Health Fund Decision	September 15, 2008
Funding Available	November 10, 2008

Health Fund staff are available to discuss your proposal and Innovation Funding prior to submitting a Letter of Intent. Please see Contact Information for details.

Mission

Healthy Kansans through cooperative and strategic philanthropy guided by Christian principles.

Contact Information

For more information about this Request for Letters of Intent, please contact:

Virginia Elliott, Vice President for Programs or
Kim Moore, President

United Methodist Health Ministry Fund
PO Box 1384
Hutchinson, Kansas, 67504-1384
620.662.8586 or 800.369.7191 (voice) | 620.662.8597 (fax)