Advancing Black Maternal Health Equity is a grant from the Health Foundation for Western & Central New York that funds projects addressing racial disparities in maternal health care and outcomes for Black New Yorkers and other New Yorkers of color.

Administered through the New York Health Foundation's statewide RFP, the program supports high-quality primary care, preventive care, and community linkages across clinical and community-based settings. NYHealth anticipated awarding approximately $1 million across 5–8 projects, with individual awards up to $200,000. Eligible activities span before, during, and up to one year after pregnancy.

Clinical-community partnerships between health providers, social service agencies, and public health departments are encouraged. Eligible applicants include clinical practices, community health organizations, and partnerships in New York.

Advancing Maternal Health Equity Through Primary and Preventive Care - New York Health Foundation Advancing Maternal Health Equity Through Primary and Preventive Care Advancing Maternal Health Equity Through Primary and Preventive Care The New York Health Foundation (NYHealth) is launching a statewide Request for Proposals (RFP) to support projects that advance maternal health equity for Black New Yorkers and other New Yorkers of color.

Funded projects will address racial disparities through high-quality primary care, preventive care, and/or community linkages to care. They will meaningfully engage communities and patients. NYHealth anticipates awarding approximately $1 million across 5–8 proposals, with individual projects funded up to $200,000.

Download the full RFP here. The funding opportunity will support projects that identify racial disparities in maternal health care and outcomes, use primary and preventive care to reduce those disparities, and measure progress to improve racial health equity . Project activities can occur before, during, and/or up to one year after pregnancy.

P rojects can take place in various clinical settings (e.g., family medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics-gynecology, behavioral health), as well as in community-based settings with strong primary care linkages. Clinical-community partnerships—formal connections between health care providers, community-based social service agencies, other community- or faith-based organizations, and/or public health departments—are encouraged to apply.

Step 1: All applicants must first complete a letter of inquiry form (LOI) through our applicant portal. Deadlines for the LOI are below. For detailed guidelines, please review the L OI submission instructions .

Complete and Submit an LOI here . Step 2 : After reviewing all LOIs, NYHealth staff members will invite selected applicants to submit a full proposal. Selected applicants will be e-mailed specific submission instructions.

Deadlines for the full proposal are below. NOTE : All updates and notifications will come from noreply@salesforce. com.

Please make sure to check your junk/spam folders and edit your filters , as these e-mails often get redirected. Important Dates and Deadlines LOI Due Date : January 10, 2025, by 1:00 p. m.

Full Proposal Invitation/LOI Declination Notification : February 18, 2025 Full Proposal Due Date (invited applicants only) : March 19, 2025 Award/Declination Notification: End of May 2025 A For e word to the Funding Opportunity While pregnancy and childbirth can be a time of joy when families have the care and support they need to thrive, too many women and birthing people of color have limited access to empowering, whole-person care that promotes safe and healthy pregnancies.

These disparities are unacceptable, and this RFP reflects our commitment to advancing racial health equity by addressing them.

To ensure that we incorporated feedback from community into our primary care goals and strategies, we engaged in a collaborative, iterative learning process with experts and community stakeholders, which included: Forming a 3-member advisory board consisting of a nonprofit leader, a health system OB/GYN leader, and a community doula to provide strategic direction; Consulting and interviewing more than 10 key informants from diverse lived and professional backgrounds—including researchers, clinicians, doulas, funders, policymakers, and community-based organizations—to refine our strategy; and Attending maternal health events and participating in a national convening of statewide maternal health funders.

These efforts reflect our commitment to listening, learning, and integrating diverse perspectives into our work, ensuring that the U.S. birthing care system is grounded in equitable, community-based solutions.

We specifically acknowledge our three advisory committee members: Tamara Wrenn, Founder, Kingdom Birth Services and Member, New York Coalition on Doula Access; Ashanda Saint Jean, Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Health Alliance Hospital: and Darcy Dreyer, Director of Maternal and Infant Health Initiatives, March of Dimes NY/NJ Market, as well as participants of the inaugural Birth Equity Funders State Exchange.

For more information on this funding opportunity and the application process, please consult the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below. Additional programmatic questions about this funding opportunity should be e-mailed to: PCRFP@nyhealthfoundation. org.

If you have questions or difficulties using the grantee portal, please check out our portal resource to help troubleshoot common issues. If you have additional questions or technical issues regarding the online application system, contact the Grants Management department at gm@nyhealthfoundation. org .

How does NYHealth define “primary and preventive care”? We define “primary and preventive care” broadly, based on widely accepted definitions and feedback from stakeholders in birth equity. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services defines primary care as “health services that cover a range of prevention, wellness, and treatment for common illnesses.

” In its 2021 report on Implementing High-Quality Primary Care , the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine goes further and defines primary care as “continuous, person-centered, relationship-based care that considers the needs and preferences of individuals, families, and communities.

” Primary care providers have ongoing relationships with patients and connections to community members and organizations, and they are well-positioned to coordinate care before, during, and after pregnancy .

Using these broad definitions of primary care, projects can take place in various clinical settings (e.g., family medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics-gynecology, behavioral health) as well as in community-based settings with strong linkages to primary care. What do you mean by care “before, during, and after pregnancy”? Projects should focus on maternal health services before, during, and up to one year after pregnancy.

Because of their ongoing relationships with patients, primary care providers can intervene early to prevent and manage chronic conditions, mental health, substance use disorders, and pregnancy-related complications before they get worse. Primary care also plays a critical role after pregnancy—where more than half of maternal deaths occur—by addressing postpartum depression and coordinating specialized care.

Projects focused exclusively on reproductive health or family planning counseling fall outside the RFP’s scope. Projects related to chronic disease management before pregnancy must be tailored to maternal health. Please see more information in the Eligible Projects questions below.

How do you define community-based settings “with strong linkages to primary care”? Community linkages are connections between community and health care s ettings. Projects that occur in a community or home-based setting should demonstrate a connection or partnership with a primary care clinical setting .

Projects can also engage trusted community members and organizations to help women and birthing people a ccess, navigate, and advocate for their needs in the health care setting . These projects may occur in partnership between community-based social service agencies, other community- or faith-based organizations, health care providers, and/or public health departments. Are projects focused on chronic disease management eligible?

Behavioral health? Substance use treatment? Yes.

Projects that manage chronic diseases, as well as behavioral health and substance use disorders, are eligible because these chronic diseases are underlying risk factors for many of the preventable causes of maternal death and serious complications . However, projects must be tailored to maternal health and focused on women and birthing people , rather than a broader patient population .

Are projects focused on family planning counseling eligible? Projects focused exclusively on reproductive health or family planning counseling fall outside this RFP’s scope. Projects in the preconception period should focus on health promotion or management of risk factors like chronic disease, behavioral health, and substance use disorder, tailored to maternal health.

Are projects that address health-related social needs eligible? We recognize that many drivers of birth inequities occur outside of the health care system. Addressing health-related social needs can be a component of a project focused on improving primary and preventive maternal health care.

For example, projects that propose to screen and refer to health related social-need services must be tailored to women and birthing people and be a component of a broader project. Projects that exclusively address health-related social needs (e.g., housing, food security) will not be competitive. Are research projects eligible for funding?

NYHealth will not support medical or biomedical research. Data analysis will be considered in cases where an analytical topic is timely , actionable, focused on a New York-specific issue, and supportive of policy or systems change. Are projects that fund training for doulas or other birth workers eligible?

Given the modest amount of funding for this RFP, we are not able to support projects that focus exclusively on training for additional doulas or other birth workers. Examples of doula-related projects that align with this funding opportunity include technical assistance or advocacy to connect community-based doulas with primary care or help them bill for doula services. What is “meaningful patient engagement”?

Funded projects must involve communities and patients in project design and implementation , compensate them for their contributions , and create opportunities for community growth . Examples include involving patients as project leaders, gathering sustained feedback on design, reporting on project progress with opportunities for input, and employing community ambassadors. What is a strong clinical-CBO partnership?

In clinical-CBO partnerships, competitive projects will include project team leadership from both CBOs and health care providers, demonstrated buy-in from both institutions, a history of collaboration, and financial support provided to CBOs (if CBOs are not the lead applicant) . Both clinical providers and CBOs are eligible to apply. Why are you prioritizing project teams predominantly comprising people of color?

What if we plan to hire staff for the project team through this grant? Project teams predominantly comprising people of color is one way in which project staff are well-equipped to conduct this racial equity-focused work. Other ways include other lived experience, professional qualifications, and past project leadership.

We ask about the racial/ethnic composition of the project team in the LOI form, but if staff will be hired through the grant, please share what you know at this time. Is NYHealth prioritizing certain regions, counties, cities, or neighborhoods? No, not explicitly.

Given our role as a statewide funder, this RFP is not limited to or concentrating support in any area of the State. It is possible that competitive projects will be focused on certain regions and neighborhoods with the greatest racial disparities in maternal health. FAQs: Eligible Organizations Can LLCs and sole proprietorships apply for funding from NYHealth?

Due to IRS restrictions on foundations, NYHealth is unable to provide support to single-member LLCs and sole proprietorships. Can organizations whose proposed project does not serve predominantly women and birthing people of color apply? No, organizations must propose to serve predominantly communities of color through their project to be eligible.

Can an organization apply for more than one project? Yes. However, if an organization submits multiple LOIs for consideration as a lead applicant , only one project would be eligible to be invited to submit a full proposal.

We encourage applicants to identify the project that is the highest priority for your organization and most aligned with the RFP criteria. Can organizations be subcontractors or partners on multiple projects? Can current NYHealth grantees receive another grant under this RFP?

Organizations with another active NYHealth grant in spring 2025 will not be competitive. We will consider exceptions for organizations with maternal health services, departments, and community engagement approaches that are distinct from those supported by another NYHealth grant. Both past NYHealth grantees and new applicants are welcome to apply.

What expenses are ineligible for funding? General operations/core support or projects that involve funding of existing ongoing services undertaken by an organization The term “general operating support” or “core support” refers to unrestricted grants for a nonprofit organization’s overall mission, rather than for specific projects or programs.

These include costs associated with running an organization like rent, IT services, recouping revenue losses, or baseline operating costs. These costs should be included in NYHealth’s allowable 15% overhead amount.

Capital expenses (e.g., construction/renovation, furniture, vehicles, health care equipment) Materials and supplies (e.g., tablets for patients) may be eligible under some circumstances if they are directly related to project activities, but costs cannot account for a major portion of the total budget. Does NYHealth support administrative overhead? Yes, NYHealth allows a 15% maximum administrative overhead of project-related expenses .

FAQs: Application, Review, & Award Process Where can I find the application for the full proposal? Only applicants invited to submit a full proposal will receive the full proposal application instructions via e-mail. How many projects do you expect to support?

We anticipate awarding approximately $1 million across 5 – 8 proposals, with individual projects funded up to $200,000. Funds requested must be commensurate with the work proposed . What is the timeline for grant fund disbursement if the project is approved and awarded?

NYHealth typically disbu rses grant payment s in installments at the beginning, middle (if appropriate) , and end of the grant period. Fund disbursement is specific to each grant. If awarded funding, grantees will receive a formal payment and reporting timeline after notification that the grant has been approved .

What are the reporting requirements? NYHealth requires written reports that include a narrative on project progress and a financial spreadsheet on grant spending to-date. Typically, NYHealth requests reports at the mid- and end-point of the grant period.

However, we may adjust this reporting schedule ba sed o n the nature of the project or the organization . We can also work with the grantee to adjust our reporting schedule , as appropriate . FAQs: Application Assistance Can I receive advice from NYHealth staff members about my proposal idea before I submit a proposal?

Yes. Please e-mail PCRFP@nyhealthfoundation. org with any programmatic questions.

We encourage you to be specific in your questions so we can offer helpful feedback. Please note, because of the large number of applicants, questions asked very close to the due date may not be answered in time. If I have technical difficulties while submitting the LOI form at the deadline, may I have an extension?

No, extensions are not possible. Submit early to allow time to troubleshoot any issues with Grants Management at gm@nyhealthfoundation. org if you are having technical difficulties.

If you have questions or difficulties using the grantee portal, please check out our portal resource to help troubleshoot common issues. Why does NYHealth ask about the racial/ethnic breakdown of senior leadership? We track racial/ethnic data on senior leadership to assess trends in NYHealth’s grantmaking and enhance outreach.

This information will not affe ct funding decisions. What is the racial/ethnic composition of NYHealth's senior leadership? NYHealth ’s Board of Directors and s enior l eadership are predominantly white .

This disclosure continue s and deepens our commitment to transparency about NYHealth’s racial equity efforts .