Building and Bridging Connections

Building and Bridging Connections is sponsored by The Colorado Health Foundation. Building and Bridging Connections funding supports efforts that strengthen social capital and community-building, with the goal of addressing health challenges and advancing health equity.

[](https://coloradohealth. org/funding-opportunities/building-and-bridging-connections-funding) Relationships and connections are critical components to an organization and/or community’s ability to work together in service of addressing shared goals.

Our Building and Bridging Connections funding aims to strengthen social capital, elevate existing assets, and foster community-building efforts aimed at addressing health challenges and advancing health equity.

This funding will support: * Building community between people of color and/or groups working together within a community (e.g. connecting Indigenous women, Black people living with disabilities, Asian American and Pacific Islanders who identify as LGBTQ, etc.) who may not have historically worked together * Amplifying narratives and individual voices from those who have historically had less power and/or privilege who are deeply rooted within community * Prioritization and inclusion of cultural practices that honor cultural heritage, arts, stories and traditions that are at risk of being lost or forgotten * Creating connections, building trust and reciprocity, and expanding dialogue on a community’s view of itself that positions them for future collective action Work must focus on a specific, geolocated community that aligns with the Foundation’s cornerstones.

Community engagement must reflect prioritization of groups within the community that have historically been left out of community-building efforts, such as BIPOC, immigrant and refugee, people living with disabilities, LGBTQ and other unique communities dependent on context. There is no application deadline for our Building and Bridging Connections funding.

Interested applicants must speak with a Program Officer and be invited to the solicited process. Solicited applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. Funding decisions will generally be made within 45 days of a proposal being submitted.

Grants typically range from $20,000 to $45,000 and will support community building work ranging from 12 to 24 months in length. Proposed work must reflect the **Foundation’s cornerstones**. These outline who we serve, how our work is informed and our intent to create **health equity.

** Have questions or need to discuss with a Program Officer? We’re here to talk through your ideas. If you’re not already connected with a program officer, please find one through our tool to find an appropriate program officer, by **email** or phone at 303-953-3600.

All proposals must reflect the Foundation’s cornerstones and demonstrate how the proposed work will address health equity and center on racial justice. **1. ****Focus on a specific, defined community.

** * Proposals must describe a specific geo-located community (geographic region such local community, neighborhood, township, municipality). * The identified community must be inclusive of those who have historically had less power, privilege and/or income, and who have experienced barriers to participating in, or being a part of, community-related problem solving.

Priority populations include communities of color, immigrant and refugee communities, people living with disabilities, LGBTQ communities and others dependent on context. 2. **Ensure the program or project is shaped and supported by the identified community.

** * There must be evidence that there is a trusting and existing relationship between the applicant organization and identified community members, an understanding of the needs and priorities of the identified community in the request, and that there is a thoughtful and deliberate plan for intentional engagement with the identified community.

* The proposed work should be informed and shaped by the identified community and include buy-in and support from others beyond the applicant organization, such as those most impacted by the work as well as other community partners. * The identified community, those most impacted, and potential partners should be actively engaged in the work throughout its duration. 3.

**Reflect shared roles and responsibilities between the applicant organization and identified community for carrying out the work. ** * These efforts should support and strengthen positive, genuine, caring and mutually trusting connections with community members in order to better leverage connections, networks and resources to help address challenges.

* Bringing different types of people from a particular neighborhood together to talk, learn from each other and strengthen bonds. This could happen within and/or across age, gender, racial, and interest groups. * Bringing community members and leaders together recognizing linguistic or language differences with the purpose of listening and learning from each other about how community issues impact them.

Discussions may be focused on bringing everyone together to foster better connections and identify solutions to health challenges. * Supporting efforts for community members to work together around shared activities, sharing their personal and familial stories, or emphasizing cultural practices not typically recognized. This could include efforts in the arts, hobbies, outdoor/sporting activities or non-verbal sharing opportunities.

* Bringing people together to start or restart a conversation. These gatherings should be inclusive and address community-led opportunities, challenges and/or needs. * Creating opportunities that help people break down historical barriers between individuals, groups and organizations with a focus on working together better.

* Creating shared goals and taking coordinated actions to ensure all voices are engaged to work on community priorities. * Supporting community members in developing skills related to working together, connecting with leaders and decision-makers, and/or taking collective action. * Intentional inclusion of cultural practices, traditions, and arts to foster belonging within the community.

* Groups considered for funding may include community-based organizations (inclusive of informal groups with a fiscal sponsor) and local public agencies working with community members who are living on low income and have historically had less power and/or privilege.

* Priority will be given to proposals that are strongly aligned with the Foundation’s cornerstones and are collectively inclusive and reflective of the contributions of community members.

Funding will not be provided in situations where an organization or group is seeking to enter a community (e.g., planning, pre-assessment, surveys, education), are not able to demonstrate authentic and trusting relationships with community members or bring programming or projects that are not mutually beneficial to all parties. Awarded groups will agree to participate in learning and evaluation activities.

* S**ocial capital:** The networks, norms and trust that enable participants to act together more effectively to pursue shared objectives. * **Community building:**Nurturing and utilizing community talent, knowledge and resources to shape the community’s future.

Activities, resources and support that strengthen the skills, abilities and confidence of people and community groups to take effective action and leading roles in advancing health equity.

* **Asset-based approach:** Involves facilitating people, neighborhoods and communities to come together to achieve positive change, which uses and builds upon their existing knowledge, skills and lived experience regarding the issues impacting their community.

* **Community:** Broadly, the Foundation defines community as a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific and shared locality, and often have common characteristics, interests and/or cultural and historical heritage.

Specifically, the Foundation considers the following entities within the definition: individuals, organizations, networks, coalitions, sub-populations, neighborhoods, regions and systems that underlie shared characteristics and interests or locality. _We often partner with third-party evaluators, contractors and other organizations over the course of our work with applicants and grantees.

Your application and its attachments may be shared with these individuals or entities during the review process and grant cycle. All third-party organizations partnering with the Foundation have signed a confidentiality agreement and will not use or share the information for purposes outside of the scope of work specific to the grant application or grant award.

If you have any concerns or would like additional information, please email g rants@coloradohealth. o rg or call our senior director of Grantmaking Operations at 303-953-3600. _