Deadline:

Jul 25, 2008 - Closed

Program Area:

Childhood Obesity

Purpose:

America's vastly diverse faith community is active at the national and local levels, within Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, interfaith and other settings. Collaborations across faith communities have a rich history of working together for social change. They successfully have advanced policies that improve the health and wellness of communities, and their growing role in prompting policy and triggering action is evident across all states. Faith-based coalitions have been at the forefront of local and state efforts on social issues such as homelessness, tobacco use, hunger and poverty. Today, there is emerging energy among faith-based coalitions to advocate for improved food, nutrition and environmental policies.

Through this solicitation, RWJF is  interested in supporting faith-based coalitions to advance community policies or environmental changes that improve access to healthy foods and/or opportunities for physical activity. We are particularly interested in efforts that reach children at greatest risk for obesity, including African-American, Latino, Native American, Asian American and Pacific Islander children who live in low-income communities or communities with limited access to affordable healthy foods and/or safe opportunities for physical activity.

Program Information:

• Call for Proposals

Eligibility & Selection Criteria:

Eligibility will be limited to applicants who meet all of the following criteria:

• Public charities that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
• Coalitions of congregations or partnerships of faith-based organizations.
• Organizations with at least two years of experience in policy advocacy to promote social change.
• Coalitions with an operating budget of at least $350,000 per year.
• Organizations that are based in the U.S. or its territories.

Proposals will be selected on the basis of:

• organizational or coalition strength;
• potential to increase the availability of affordable healthy foods and/or access to safe places to play;
• likelihood that the project will reach children who are at highest risk for obesity; and
• likelihood that the effort can continue over time without additional resources.

Key Dates:

• June 18, 2008 (1:30–3 p.m. ET) —A Web conference call for potential applicants was held to provide an overview of the solicitation and the application process. View an archive of the Web conference (90 minutes). To begin the recording, click the Playback button. If you experience technical issues, please call WebEx at (866) 229-3239 and select option 1.
• July 25, 2008 (3 p.m. ET)—Deadline for receipt of proposals.
• December 1, 2008—Grants begin.

Total Award:

• Approximately 20–25 grants will be awarded. Each grantee will receive up to $225,000 for 24 months.
• All grants will be 24 months in duration.

Related Materials:

• View Program FAQs