Mobilizing Communities for a Just Response Grant: Frequently Asked Questions
Below you will find answers to frequently ask questions about the Mobilizing Communities for a Just Response Grant Request for Application (RFA).
Timeline
Virtual information session Part II (optional): November 18, 2021, at noon Central Time (CT)
Deadline for submission of questions: November 22, 2021, at 4 p.m. CT
Application due date: December 6, 2021, at 4 p.m. CT
Contract start date: January 1, 2022
Contract end date: May 21, 2023
Please note that the application deadline has been extended from November 15, 2021, to December 6, 2021, at 4 p.m.
Eligibility
If a for-profit entity is interested in applying, the best approach would be to have the charitable arm of their organization or a close partner that is exempt to apply with them. Because grants are not typically given to for-profit organizations (i.e., any non-public entity that does not have 501(c)(3) status), the RFA is asking for fiscal sponsorship by a 501(c)(3) or public entity (local health department, state agency, university, etc.) that names the non-profit/public agency as the fiscal agent for the award. The letter of support, which is required, needs to describe the relationship between the two entities. The two entities would need to demonstrate a close partnership.
Essentially, if an organization that is not a 501(c)(3) or a public entity is interested in applying, they can become eligible by working in partnership with a 501(c)(3) to develop a project proposal. The 501(c)(3) they work closely with must be willing and able to be the fiscal agent for the grant, and provide a letter of support with the application.
The Mobilizing Communities for a Just Response RFA does not disallow this. However, we would encourage, if possible, to consider another entity in the partnership related to the project apply for one of the projects instead. Organizations cannot be funded for the exact same project with the same aspects. If the aspects differ (i.e., different jurisdiction, different population, different focus area) then applying for two awards would be acceptable. The Mobilizing Communities for a Just Response is not able to fund the same work twice or with two awards.
This is acceptable, however, we would encourage the applicant, when possible, to consider having another entity in the partnership related to the project apply for one of the projects instead.
This is acceptable as Mobilizing Communities for a Just Response (Wisconsin DHS) and Just Recovery for Racial Equity (Wisconsin-Madison MATCH) are two different, although aligned, funding opportunities.
Financial
If you have a current indirect rate agreement with your federal cognizant agency, you may use the rate in that agreement. A grantee using a current indirect rate agreement with their federal cognizant agency must provide a copy of the agreement to DHS. If a grantee does not have an agreement, then they may use the 10% rate.
No. Costs will be reimbursed after they are incurred. DHS encourages grantees to submit expense reports regularly (at least quarterly, if not monthly) in order to be reimbursed in a timely manner.
Reporting
Grantees only need to report to DHS. DHS will repackage the reports, as necessary, to provide information to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We are committed to streamlining the reporting process in order to minimize the administrative burden on our partners.
Quarterly reporting. The Mobilizing Communities for a Just Response team will strive to simplify the reporting process as much as possible to ensure minimum administrative burden for grantees.
Consultants
DHS has not contracted directly with Human Impact Partners for this grant. However, grantees are welcome to subcontract with Human Impact Partners as part of their project.
You would have to reach out to these organizations for an answer to that question.
There is no preference given to applications based on if they use outside consultants. There is no list of “approved partners.”
Partnerships
An applicant may partner with whomever they choose. There is no list of prioritized partnerships.
The grant does not set a number of required partners and an “ideal” number would be different for each project and applicant.
The grant does not set a number of partners.
Stages of readiness
Yes, absolutely. Applicants in early stages of readiness are encouraged to apply. Applicant reviewers will be given guidance on what applications in the different stages of readiness may look like.
As part of this opportunity, DHS will be introducing community liaisons to support the work of grantees. The community liaisons will help grantees in all stages of readiness access the support they need.
Miscellaneous
Outreach materials are not required to be reviewed or approved by our partners at the CDC.
We are reaching out to the partners and community members serving populations disproportionately impacted by pandemic who may be interested in serving as reviewers.
No, it will not. Organizations working on rural equity and/or serving rural communities are encouraged to apply as one goal of the CDC Health Disparities Grant is to dedicate half of the available funds to rural areas in our state.
From the RFA: “Rural communities are those that are not designated as an Urban Area or Core-Based Statistical Area (metropolitan or micropolitan) by the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health.
Fair and Just Recovery focuses on system and environment change for health equity, and is one part of the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute MATCH program. The Mobilizing Communities funding is aligned with the Fair and Just Recovery Initiative because the RFA also seeks to support projects working towards upstream environmental and social change to achieve health equity. Grantees who propose projects that aim to use community partnerships for policy and system change towards health equity are aligned with the Fair and Just Recovery Initiative and MATCH program.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how our communities, policies, systems, and structures are interconnected, and demonstrated the ways in which our systems produce inequitable health outcomes. The purpose of this funding is to focus on opportunities to change systems and build resilience so that they would be more equitable in the face of a future crisis. This effort to mobilize partners and communities towards systems change is forward-looking by applying what we’ve learned during and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
DHS is open to applications on any policy goal that communities and partners would like to explore to address inequities. However, the use of allocated funding towards direct cash payments is not allowable under the conditions of this CDC funding opportunity. Thus, the allocated funding can be used for planning and partnerships to advance the policy goal, but cannot be used to provide direct cash transfers.
The RFA does not use this term, therefore, we will not be defining this term.
The RFA does not specifically refer to a community health worker program. If an applicant wishes to make a CHW program a part of their application there are numerous outside resources an applicant could draw upon.
A community health worker program is not a requirement for an application. A CHW program was used as an example of a potential project during the second webinar about the RFA, not as an application requirement.
Vaccine Outreach Grant questions can be sent to the Division of Public Health.
Resources
Mobilizing Communities for a Just Response Grant Solicitation webpage
Mobilizing Communities for a Just Response information session recording
These Just Recovery Briefs outline evidence-informed policies and practices that can be implemented at state and local levels. They also provide context for the need to center racial equity and rural equity, respectively, so that communities can be more resilient in the face of health-based emergencies and help all Wisconsinites to thrive.
Just Recovery briefs, Executive Summary
This report is a rapid health impact assessment that uses literature review and interviews conducted in Wisconsin to analyze three policies and their impact on worker health and COVID-19 spread: paid sick leave, workers’ compensation changes, and direct payments.
County Health Rankings and Reports, What Works for Health Curated Strategy Lists
Human Impact Partners, Capacity Building
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Building a Culture of Health
University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, COVID-19: A Fair and Just Recovery:
List of plethora of policy agendas and solutions for resilient communities and systems