Systems Change Grants Program

Systems Change Grants Program is sponsored by Vitalyst Health Foundation. The Vitalyst Health Foundation is seeking applications for its Systems Change Grants Program to improve health and well-being for a vulnerable population.

Systems Change Grants - Vitalyst Health Arizona faces complex health problems, including limited access to healthcare, differences in community conditions, and unequal health outcomes across the state. These issues are connected and form systems that lead to the health disparities we see every day.

As part of our mission to improve health in Arizona, Vitalyst Health Foundation is dedicated to supporting systems change efforts across the state through our grants. Systems change is a way to address root problems by improving how systems work, leading to long-lasting, widespread improvements in health.

Systems change can occur when collaboratives work to change structures like policies, practices, or resource flows that leave out groups most impacted by conditions. Changing systems can also happen by shifting power dynamics, relationships and connections, or mental models (the way we think about things). You can read about what systems change means in the Spark Report Understanding Systems Change.

What Do We Consider Conditions of Systems Change? What is Systems Change? Interview with John Harper After his keynote at AZ Impact for Good 2024 Conference , we sat down with John Harper of FSG to talk about systems change is and questions coalitions may have.

Systems Change Grants invest in efforts that positively address complex community health challenges and reduce structural and/or systemic gaps in health outcomes or opportunities. Grants Process and Key Dates Systems Change Grants Information Session was Virtual on September 9, 2025. 🛝View the slides from the presentation here.

📺Watch the recording here. Applications due October 9, 2025 by 5:00 P. M.

Presentations for selected applicants January 12 – January 16, 2026. The criteria and evaluation, and questions to ask of your collaborative in the proposal are below. You can review the full rubric here.

Systems Change Project Design (40 Points Total) <1,000-word narrative field> What is the system and the problem you are trying to solve within that system? What is the goal of your systems change effort? What does success look like if you achieve your system change goal?

Which of the six (6) Conditions of System Change is your project trying to address, and what are the specific strategies for your planned intervention? Why is this the right time to implement this system change? What obstacles/challenges do you anticipate in achieving your system change goals, and how might you work around those obstacles?

Collaborative (20 points total) <500-word narrative field and Letters of Commitment uploaded for each core partner> What are the organizations involved in this collaboration and what is the role each has that contributes to the shared system change vision? How is this also clarified in Letters of Commitment?

What is the history and structure of your collaborative, and why are the current partners well-positioned to lead this system change effort? Are there any key stakeholders or organizations not yet included who are critical to success? If so, why are they missing, and what is your plan to engage them?

How is the community represented in this collaboration? How are those from the community addressing the change, and does the collaborative understand the communities impacted by the work? Why is this collaborative ready to implement this system change?

Elements of a Healthy Community Outcomes (15 points total) <300-word narrative field> What health outcomes are you hoping to achieve, and how do they connect to an Element of a Healthy Community? How will the proposed system change improve specific health outcomes? How will progress in achieving the desired outcome be evaluated, and what metrics are used to gauge improved outcomes?

Health Equity (15 points total) <300-word narrative field> How will the proposed system change reduce health disparities for the communities impacted by the work? How does the health issue impact communities with health disparities? Please use data to describe the health disparities of those impacted by the work.

How have those most impacted by the health disparity been involved in developing the proposed system change? Budget Narrative & Worksheet (10 points total) <300-word narrative and spreadsheet uploaded> What are the projected costs for the system change to be covered with the 3-year, $175,000 grant? How is this also clarified in the budget worksheet?

What is the total anticipated project cost for the total system change effort, and what other sources are identified to help achieve the total effort? How is this also clarified in the budget worksheet? How does the budget help the collaborative project achieve/advance the systems change?

How is the budget equitable to all partners and adequately compensates them all? What is the collaborative’s overall budget capacity to lead this system change effort? Here is the sample Systems Change Budget Worksheet to help you plan for your application We know it can sound confusing, so we hope the explanations and examples below help clarify some questions.

If you still have questions, please email [email protected] and we will be happy to answer questions or set up a time to meet with you to discuss further.

John Harper, FSG CEO, Keynote on Systems Change at AZ Impact for Good 2024 Conference Understanding Systems Change Spark Report – Report by FSG in collaboration with Vitalyst The Water of Systems Change Report by FSG Understanding Systems to Change the World Creating the Future – Change the Questions, Change the World!

Bay Area Health Inequities Initiative Framework Meeting Individual Social Needs Falls Short of Addressing Social Determinants of Health The Spectrum of Prevention – Summary The Health Impact Pyramid The Social-Ecological Model: A Framework for Prevention Frequently Asked Questions Q: What does a Health Equity Lens mean to Vitalyst? A: Equity is a lens through which to view every opportunity, decision, or action.

Using this lens means taking an approach to determining all strategies, both universal and focused. Q: What does Community Partnership mean to Vitalyst? A: True partnership involves meaningfully engaging key stakeholders from the beginning, sharing ownership and decision-making, and creatively using existing community resources and assets.

Q: What does Sustainability mean to Vitalyst? A: Sustainability is the difference between funding a program and funding a project. The goal with Systems Change grants is to create lasting change, either through policy or practice, that is sustainable past the grant funding period.

Q. What does Health Outcomes Focus mean to Vitalyst? A: Health is at the root of what we do.

These grants must clearly identify which health outcome(s) will be improved, including the population driving and benefiting from the change and the mechanism(s) for how the policy/practice change is improving the health outcome. I am a Vitalyst because I care about community well-being, and I’m excited to be part of a movement that’s making Arizona a better place to live, work, and play. -Adrienne Udarbe.

Learn more here . I am a Vitalyst because I am an unconventional systems thinker. -Jaclyn Pederson.

Learn more here. I am a Vitalyst because I’m working to co-create a society that values people, equity, justice, and health. -Jeffrey Zetino.

Learn more here. Stay up to date with Vitalyst Receive our monthly e-newsletter, Spark News , to learn about upcoming events, catalyst programs, and ways to get involved.