Arizona Innovators: The Health Sector Needs You and This Funder Is Willing to Pay

In the health sector in Arizona, there are a few key issues that are on the forefront of funders’ minds and they’re all about gaps. We’re talking about gaps in access, outcomes, opportunities, and treatment, and the current methods of care aren’t getting the job done.

That’s why one locally focused funder, the Vitalyst Health Foundation, has opened up an opportunity for innovation and a chance at some $125,000 grants to fill these gaps. This is one of those health legacy foundations that we’ve been talking so much about lately. Vitalyst is a public foundation that was created in 1995 when St. Luke’s Health System sold its medical facilities.

This Phoenix-based funder takes a broad approach to health funding and lists the following priorities: access to care and coverage, healthy community design, community capacity building, and community collaboration and innovation. Vitalyst offers two kinds of grants: innovation grants and medical assistance grants. The opportunity that just opened up is for innovation grants, and these will be awarded for the following purposes:

Increase community capacity to identify and address issues affecting community health, well-being, and access to care
Strategically leverage infrastructure, systems design, and policies to improve health where we live, learn, work, pray, and play
Improve the environmental, social, behavioral, and health infrastructure conditions that impact determinants of health and enable Arizonans to be healthy and resilient
Create a sustainable solution to the problem being addressed that endures after the grant term has ended

Letters of intent are due by October 7, and selected nonprofits will be invited to submit a full proposal by January 30, 2017. To see what Vitalyst means by “innovation,” check out the videos of recently funded Innovation Grants on Vitalyst’s YouTube channel.

If you’re even remotely interested in applying for one of these health grants, register now for one of the innovation grants orientation sessions on September 8 and 9. Attendance in person is preferable, as this will be a great opportunity to meet with the staff. However, a webinar will also be provided.

As you can see, this is a very approachable and accessible funder that really spells it all out for grantseekers and encourages open communication. After attending an orientation session, refer back to the What to Include in a Letter of Intent page. Also, Vitalyst’s news section has a wealth of information to get you up to speed on the state of healthcare and the healthcare workforce in Arizona, and what you can do to catch its attention. Check out these posts to learn more: