The Health Fund is pleased to share that we’re currently accepting proposals for our Nutrition & Healthy Lifestyles program, one of our proactive grantmaking initiatives. This initiative has a special emphasis on Michigan children—here’s why:
Lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, and childhood obesity are major concerns in communities throughout Michigan and across the United States. Childhood obesity rates have more than tripled in the past 30 years and the World Health Organization has referred to childhood obesity as “one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century.”
While Michigan is the second most agriculturally diverse state in the nation, more and more Michigan residents—including a significant number of children—live in lower-income and/or rural communities with limited access to the fruits and vegetables they need to ensure good health and nutrition.
Lack of access to affordable and nutritious food has serious implications for the health of our children and families and, combined with the lack of opportunities for wellness and physical fitness programs, the number of adults and children who experience health issues as a result will continue to grow.
Our Nutrition & Healthy Lifestyles program seeks innovative proposals that are directly linked to food, health, and wellness. As mentioned above, we’ll prioritize projects that focus on children. Recognizing the role of families in any behavior change, we’re especially interested in projects that offer a multigenerational approach to addressing children’s needs.
We don’t require an LOI, but encourage potential applicants to share a concept paper for review by October 28th. Full proposals are due November 11th.
More information is available here, or you can go straight to the full RFP here (PDF) for more details about the kinds of projects we’re seeking to fund. Questions? Check out our FAQ or contact Senior Program Officer Laurie Solotorow at laurie@mhealthfund.com.
