All of our funded campaigns must pursue policy through legislation, regulation, or executive order but not through voluntary or programmatic success. These are public policy goals; therefore, public policy interventions are necessary. If you are selected to submit a full application, you will receive further instructions defining what we have determined are the minimum standards for our policy goals.
Grant Opportunities
Voices for Healthy Kids’ funds campaigns that support and drive tribal, state and local policy change efforts that aim to dramatically improve the wellness of infants, toddlers, children and families starting where the needs are greatest.
Rapid Response Grant Opportunity
Rapid Response requests support critically timed needs of mature campaigns in push-for-passage mode (strategic time in final states of a policy passing) or to support a defensive campaign that would prevent a harmful policy from being passed. Funding is designed to support strategically targeted tactics such as grassroots organizing, coalition building, polling, and media relations of campaigns as the campaign is in its final stages. With limited funds available, we are not able to support operational costs or personnel for campaign management.
Funds may be requested up to $60,000 for a time period of weeks to a few months.
Rapid Response grants are open to campaigns not currently or previously funded by Voices for Healthy Kids for the requested policy issue area.
Campaigns must have exhausted all other resources available and establish that critical resources are needed for a final push to passage during the end stage of a legislative or regulatory campaign or a defensive campaign.
Applicants must meet the organizational eligibility to apply.
Interested applicants need to contact voicesforhealthykids@heart.org to request a pre-screening call with a National Consultant. Please provide a brief description of the policy campaign, timeline and the issue area the campaign supports. Based on the pre-screening call, organizations may be invited to complete an application.
Finish Line Funding
Finish Line Funding supports short-term, critically timed requests during the final push-for-passage of policy. Voices for Healthy Kids provides the finish line funding opportunity to current grantees nearing the end of their grant or past grantees continuing their grant related work. Requests up to $50,000 with a duration of weeks to a few months will be considered. Applicants should discuss the need with their Policy Engagement Manager to determine eligibility and gain access to an application.
Application Templates
For applicant convenience, below is a list of Word (.doc) versions of our current grant application questions. Click on the links to download the template to review and work in before copy and pasting your application responses in the online form. These application templates are for draft work ONLY - any application submission must be on the application forms in our online grant management portal, which requires organizations to register.
Policy Campaign Finish Line Funding Application Template (Coming Soon)
Policy Campaign Rapid Response Application Template
Policy Campaign Rapid Response Budget Template
All applications are submitted through the Voices for Healthy Kids online grant management system, and registration is required. Please follow these simple steps to register:
If you are a returning user to the system simply log into the Grant Management System. If you need to reset your password, please use "forgot my password," enter your email address, and submit. You will receive an email with a link to update your password.
If you are new to the Grant Management System, read the New to the Grants Management System instructions and click on "Create Account." You must register to access the application materials. If you do not receive an email to verify your account, check your junk folder. You must use the verification link in the email to gain access to the grant management system.
If you have any questions on the Voices for Healthy Kids Grant Opportunities, please contact Shannon Melluzzo, Manager, Advocacy Grants.
Policy Change Grants (Policy Campaign, Preemption, Rapid Response and Targeted Campaigns):
Applications must be specific to an individual campaign for public policy change in a tribe, state or local geographic area supporting one Voices for Healthy Kids policy priorities.
Organization Eligibility
To be eligible as a Lead, Co-Lead or Subgrant applicant organization, an organization must have tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3) as a public charity or under section 501(c)(4); have a fiscal sponsor that is a section 501(c)(3) public charity or a section 501(c)(4) organization; or be a federally recognized Indian tribe or a subdivision of a tribe.
We are unable to fund private foundations, non-functionally integrated Type III supporting organizations, or government agencies (including public schools, state universities, etc.).
Grant requirements include the ability to conduct lobbying activities as defined by the Internal Revenue Code. Section 501(c)(3) public charities are able to lobby; however, if your organization is restricted or prohibited from conducting lobbying activities by your leadership/board of directors, you are not eligible for this grant.
Consult your legal counsel for guidance on lobbying. In general, lobbying includes: communicating directly with legislators on specific legislation concerning your views on such legislation, or, communicating to the public on specific legislation concerning your views on legislation and asking them to take action.
Voices for Healthy Kids values authentic community engagement and power-building strategies in all aspects of supported campaigns. Successful grant applications will be able to identify their organization's community-led and centered work.
Voices for Healthy Kids is currently funding the following organizations who are working to improve the health of children, families and communities through equitable policy change, with a specific focus on those experiencing systemic racism and historic oppression.
Early Childhood Care and Education
Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida, Inc. - Florida
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
Tennessee Justice Center - Tennessee
West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition - West Virginia
Improve SNAP Administration
American Academy of Pediatrics Georgia Chapter - Georgia
Feeding Indiana's Hungry - Indiana
Feeding Louisiana - Louisiana
Feeding Texas - Texas
Feeding the Gulf Coast - Mississippi
Full Plates Potential - Maine
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute - Massachusetts
Mothering Justice - Michigan
Voices for Children in Nebraska - Nebraska
Womens Rights and Empowerment Network - South Carolina
Preemption
Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families - Arkansas
ChangeLab Solutions - California
Community Justice Project, Inc. and Florida for All - Florida
Every Texan - Texas
Ohio Mayors Alliance Foundation - Ohio
Paid Family and Medical Leave
Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment - South Dakota
Kentucky Youth Advocates - Kentucky
MS Black Women’s Roundtable - Mississippi
Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Foundation, Inc. - Oklahoma
ThinkTennessee - Tennessee
Utah Children - Utah
Wyoming Women's Foundation – Wyoming
Innovative Policy Issues
GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students and Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) – Georgia
Youth Development Institute and Hispanic Federation Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico
SNAP Funding Strategies
Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families - Arkansas
FEEDING Florida - Florida
Voices for Healthy Kids does not typically fund multiple campaigns focused on the same issue within the same geographic area. We value collaboration and coordination. If there is an organization listed above that is funded in the issue area and location that interests you, please contact us to be connected to the campaign.
All of our funded campaigns must pursue policy through legislation, regulation, or executive order but not through voluntary or programmatic success. These are public policy goals; therefore, public policy interventions are necessary. If you are selected to submit a full application, you will receive further instructions defining what we have determined are the minimum standards for our policy goals.
Voices for Healthy Kids funds campaigns that support state-level policies to ensure employees – public sector, private sector, or both – have access to paid family and medical leave programs that provide sufficient paid time off to manage significant personal or family life events and needs, such as managing a serious personal health condition, caring for a family member with a serious health condition, or bonding with a new child after birth, adoption, or placement in foster care.
Voices for Healthy Kids funds state campaigns that support policies to maximize SNAP participation or expand benefits for eligible households. There are two options: (1) encourage eligible states to adopt broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE) or (2) pursue policies to support SNAP access as detailed in the USDA SNAP State Options report or other innovative policies to expand benefits .
We do not fund project work, direct incentives to participants or farmers markets or any non-binding policy efforts.
Voices for Healthy Kids funds policy campaigns at the tribal, state and local level that increase participant access to eligible fruits and vegetables. We fund campaigns that seek to secure state or local government funds for SNAP incentives and produce prescriptions programs. Funds can be used to establish or expand dollar-for-dollar match programs, purchase technology, support staffing and/or promote participation. At this time, Voices for Healthy Kids only funds produce prescription campaigns that would be funded with state or local government funds, not programs funded through Medicare or Medicaid.
We do not fund non-binding policy or incremental change such as seeking of USDA waivers or other systems changes that are administrative only or otherwise not sustainable.
Innovative policy approaches to impact the health equity and wellbeing of children prenatally-through-age-3 that are not currently listed in our defined policy issue areas. For example, policies to improve family income supports, nutrition security, birth justice, maternal health, or tax policy.
Rapid Response Grant Opportunity
Rapid Response requests support critically timed needs of mature campaigns in push-for-passage mode (strategic time in final states of a policy passing) or to support a defensive campaign that would prevent a harmful policy from being passed. Funding is designed to support strategically targeted tactics such as grassroots organizing, coalition building, polling, and media relations of campaigns as the campaign is in its final stages. With limited funds available, we are not able to support operational costs or personnel for campaign management.
Funds may be requested up to $60,000 for a time period of weeks to a few months.
Rapid Response grants are open to campaigns not currently or previously funded by Voices for Healthy Kids for the requested policy issue area.
Campaigns must have exhausted all other resources available and establish that critical resources are needed for a final push to passage during the end stage of a legislative or regulatory campaign or a defensive campaign.
Applicants must meet the organizational eligibility to apply.
Interested applicants need to contact voicesforhealthykids@heart.org to request a pre-screening call with a National Consultant. Please provide a brief description of the policy campaign, timeline and the issue area the campaign supports. Based on the pre-screening call, organizations may be invited to complete an application.
Finish Line Funding
Finish Line Funding supports short-term, critically timed requests during the final push-for-passage of policy. Voices for Healthy Kids provides the finish line funding opportunity to current grantees nearing the end of their grant or past grantees continuing their grant related work. Requests up to $50,000 with a duration of weeks to a few months will be considered. Applicants should discuss the need with their Policy Engagement Manager to determine eligibility and gain access to an application.
Application Templates
For applicant convenience, below is a list of Word (.doc) versions of our current grant application questions. Click on the links to download the template to review and work in before copy and pasting your application responses in the online form. These application templates are for draft work ONLY - any application submission must be on the application forms in our online grant management portal, which requires organizations to register.
Policy Campaign Finish Line Funding Application Template (Coming Soon)
Policy Campaign Rapid Response Application Template
Policy Campaign Rapid Response Budget Template
All applications are submitted through the Voices for Healthy Kids online grant management system, and registration is required. Please follow these simple steps to register:
If you are a returning user to the system simply log into the Grant Management System. If you need to reset your password, please use "forgot my password," enter your email address, and submit. You will receive an email with a link to update your password.
If you are new to the Grant Management System, read the New to the Grants Management System instructions and click on "Create Account." You must register to access the application materials. If you do not receive an email to verify your account, check your junk folder. You must use the verification link in the email to gain access to the grant management system.
If you have any questions on the Voices for Healthy Kids Grant Opportunities, please contact Shannon Melluzzo, Manager, Advocacy Grants.
Policy Change Grants (Policy Campaign, Preemption, Rapid Response and Targeted Campaigns):
Applications must be specific to an individual campaign for public policy change in a tribe, state or local geographic area supporting one Voices for Healthy Kids policy priorities.
Organization Eligibility
To be eligible as a Lead, Co-Lead or Subgrant applicant organization, an organization must have tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3) as a public charity or under section 501(c)(4); have a fiscal sponsor that is a section 501(c)(3) public charity or a section 501(c)(4) organization; or be a federally recognized Indian tribe or a subdivision of a tribe.
We are unable to fund private foundations, non-functionally integrated Type III supporting organizations, or government agencies (including public schools, state universities, etc.).
Grant requirements include the ability to conduct lobbying activities as defined by the Internal Revenue Code. Section 501(c)(3) public charities are able to lobby; however, if your organization is restricted or prohibited from conducting lobbying activities by your leadership/board of directors, you are not eligible for this grant.
Consult your legal counsel for guidance on lobbying. In general, lobbying includes: communicating directly with legislators on specific legislation concerning your views on such legislation, or, communicating to the public on specific legislation concerning your views on legislation and asking them to take action.
Voices for Healthy Kids values authentic community engagement and power-building strategies in all aspects of supported campaigns. Successful grant applications will be able to identify their organization's community-led and centered work.
Voices for Healthy Kids is currently funding the following organizations who are working to improve the health of children, families and communities through equitable policy change, with a specific focus on those experiencing systemic racism and historic oppression.
Early Childhood Care and Education
Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida, Inc. - Florida
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
Tennessee Justice Center - Tennessee
West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition - West Virginia
Improve SNAP Administration
American Academy of Pediatrics Georgia Chapter - Georgia
Feeding Indiana's Hungry - Indiana
Feeding Louisiana - Louisiana
Feeding Texas - Texas
Feeding the Gulf Coast - Mississippi
Full Plates Potential - Maine
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute - Massachusetts
Mothering Justice - Michigan
Voices for Children in Nebraska - Nebraska
Womens Rights and Empowerment Network - South Carolina
Preemption
Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families - Arkansas
ChangeLab Solutions - California
Community Justice Project, Inc. and Florida for All - Florida
Every Texan - Texas
Ohio Mayors Alliance Foundation - Ohio
Paid Family and Medical Leave
Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment - South Dakota
Kentucky Youth Advocates - Kentucky
MS Black Women’s Roundtable - Mississippi
Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Foundation, Inc. - Oklahoma
ThinkTennessee - Tennessee
Utah Children - Utah
Wyoming Women's Foundation – Wyoming
Innovative Policy Issues
GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students and Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) – Georgia
Youth Development Institute and Hispanic Federation Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico
SNAP Funding Strategies
Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families - Arkansas
FEEDING Florida - Florida
Voices for Healthy Kids does not typically fund multiple campaigns focused on the same issue within the same geographic area. We value collaboration and coordination. If there is an organization listed above that is funded in the issue area and location that interests you, please contact us to be connected to the campaign.