Your official grant period is stated in the fully executed award letter. All funds must be spent during this time and only for activities approved within your workgroup plan and budget. Modifications to your workgroup plan must be reviewed and discussed with your Lead contact in advance of implementing changes as pre-approval is required. In modifying workgroup plans, any changes that result in necessary budget revisions must be addressed through the process outlined in the “Budget Reallocation” section in this document.
To make grant administration as streamlined as possible all grant administration is completed through the online grant management system: https://voicesforhealthykids.fluxx.io. Within the Fluxx system, each grant will have two main contacts: primary contact and workgroup coordinator. These two contacts will receive the automated system email reminders for reporting, etc. Please be sure to contact Voices for Healthy Kids if either of these contacts leaves your organization or you wish to change the contacts. The online Fluxx system allows you to access your grant, view your approved grant, workgroup plan and deliverables, and approved budget at any time. Grant administration reports, reallocation requests, and amendments are all submitted through the online Fluxx system. If you have any questions about the online grant management system, please contact Voices for Healthy Kids.
Upon award, new grantees are assigned an onboarding checklist in the reporting section of the online grant management system. All new grantees need to track the completion of the onboarding training and action items in this report and submit within 30 days of award.
Voices for Healthy Kids workgroup grantees are required to complete one interim and a final grant administration report including a narrative and expense reporting in the online grant management system. The reports are assigned to the grantee upon award with clear due dates indicated in the award letter. For each report, expenses should be reported from the beginning of the grant through the most recent month’s end. Workgroup updates may be requested by the grantee’s lead contact within reasonable terms and timeframes.
Payment of grants may vary depending on the size of the grant awarded. Payment terms and timing are outlined in the grant agreement letter. Payments will not be made to grantees with outstanding reports.
Budget revisions and reallocations are allowable within the grant and within reason. If a budget reallocation is greater than 10% of a budget category (personnel costs, direct costs, purchased services), grantees must submit a formal request for revision that includes a current expense report, reallocation form (included in expense report) and a narrative explanation for the reallocation.
Budget reallocation requests are completed through the online grant management system. If you are seeking a reallocation at the same time as an interim is due, you can submit the reallocation on those report forms. If you do not have a report due when you are seeking a reallocation, please reach out to your Lead contact to request a reallocation report be assigned to you in the online grant management system. Instructions for completing a report with a reallocation request can be found in the online grant management system.
Once submitted, the report or amendment with a reallocation request will be reviewed. If approved, the application budget will be updated to reflect the reallocation and you will be notified of approval via the online grant management system. If you have questions about budget reallocation, please email voicesforhealthykids@heart.org and include your grant ID.
As you are approaching the end date of your grant funding, and you have not expended all your funds and the work related to the grant continues, you may request approval for a no cost extension to the grant. You will need to submit a plan to continue the campaign, a timeline for spending the
As you are approaching the end date of your workgroup grant, if you have not expended all your funds and the work related to the grant continues, you may request approval for a no cost extension to the grant. You will need to submit a plan to continue the workgroup, a timeline for expending the funds and a current expense report. You will need to request that an amendment-no-cost extension form be assigned to you from the manager of advocacy grants.
You must complete and submit the completed amendment-no-cost extension form at least 30 days prior to your grant end date for consideration. Amendments must be discussed with your Lead prior to requesting and are not guaranteed.
Click here for a Tip Sheets for Submitting an Amendment.. Amendments will be reviewed and if approved, an email notification will be sent from the online grant management system. As part of your Amendment Request, the following items are required to be submitted for review.
· Current expense spending report (with a budget reallocation request, if applicable).
· Updated Workgroup Plan with progress to date clearly outlined.
· Narrative with timeline for expending the funds including the new requested end date.
· As the amendment will be signed by your organizational signatory, please confirm the contact is still accurate.
Voices for Healthy Kids grantees’ approved PEER workgroup budgets are required to include funding for co-leads, if applicable, to carry out key workgroup tactics. Co-leads should be equitably compensated for their time and expertise.
It is the responsibility of the lead grantee to manage the relationship with the co-lead including a project scope and payments. The lead grantee is responsible for ensuring the co-lead satisfies the same reporting (narrative and budget) and compliance requirements that Voices for Healthy Kids includes in its grant agreement with the lead grantee.
Voices for Healthy Kids grantees may use grant funds to pay for stipends to enable individuals to attend trainings and meetings, recruit grassroots members in key areas, etc. Please follow these guidelines if providing stipends to community members within your workgroup:
Track the number of stipends provided to each individual and do not exceed $500 within one year. Ask your accountant whether tax filings are required.
Do not provide stipends for testifying before a government body, or for engaging in lobbying activity.
Voices for Healthy Kids offers robust resources for technical assistance (TA). All TA requests must be submitted though the online Technical Assistance Portal. Below are examples of the TA that is offered. Additional information can be found on the Technical Assistance page of the grant management system.
Coalition & Community Engagement
Data Support and Visualization
Decision-Maker Advocacy
Grassroots Engagement
Health Equity and Racial Justice
Legal Review
Local Polling and Focus Groups
Media Advocacy
National Collaborator Engagement
Policy Language Development
Policy Language Review
Research Technical Assistance
Science Review
Subject Matter Expertise
Sustainability and Fundraising
Training and Capacity Building
Translation Services
Voices for Healthy Kids has a science review process in place to ensure that emerging science is correctly translated and that all materials are firmly rooted in the American Heart Association’s tradition of rigorous review. This service is provided at no cost to all PEER leads, but is only required if you are co-branding a resource with Voices for Healthy Kids. Please reach out to voicesforhealthykids@heart.org to learn more about Science Review before finalizing your resource.
TIMELINE – please build in at least one month before release date for approvals.
Items must first be reviewed by Voices for Healthy Kids marketing and communications team for content, messaging and framing alignment. (1 – 2 weeks)
Upon branding approval, items must meet science approval. (Minimum 2 weeks)
Edits required by Science Review will add additional time in the approval process.
For more information, read the Science Review Guidelines.
NOTE: items that need legal review (i.e., lobbying, controversial topics) will need an additional 1 week.
Co-branded items must meet certain criteria before creation
Does it align with AHA science position and evidence criteria?
Does it align with AHA messaging and framing?
Does it need legal review? (Lobbying or an issue from a branding perspective)
Does it need accessibility review?
Is this something that will be promoted widely?
Products must meet Voices for Healthy Kids branding criteria above and follow branding guidelines.
PEER Grantee co-branding:
· An PEER grantee is a coalition or other organization that has received a funding award to support PEER work at the state, local or tribal level through the Voices for Healthy Kids initiative. PEER grantee use of any Voices for Healthy Kids logo is limited and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
A credit line is the preferred form of acknowledgement and may be used to identify involvement in the Voices for Healthy Kids initiative.
If material has been partially funded by Voices for Healthy Kids funds, a credit line may be used.
o Use of a credit line requires approval. Approval requests should be directed to Voices PEER contact.
o Example of Credit Lines: This message was funded in part by a grant from Voices for Healthy Kids, an initiative of the American Heart Association.
When materials do not meet the standards of co-branding or co-branding does not make sense strategically, a credit line may be used instead. Examples:
o When the product does not meet American Heart Association’s criteria for Science Review approval: This report was funded by a grant from Voices for Healthy Kids, an initiative of the American Heart Association (AHA.) The AHA has not reviewed the data or science in this report.
o When the product does not pass Branding/Messaging Review: This report was funded by a grant from Voices for Healthy Kids, an initiative of the American Heart Association (AHA.) It does not necessarily reflect the views of the AHA.
Use of any Voices for Healthy Kids logo or American Heart Association logo requires approval.
o Approval requests should be directed to your Voices PEER contact.
Voices for Healthy Kids will review all co-branded content for messaging, science, and initiative alignment.
Grantee Branding
Grantee use of any Voices for Healthy Kids logo is limited, and requests will be reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis. Grantees may not use any Voices for Healthy Kids logo or American Heart Association logo without explicit approval.
If material has been partially funded by Voices for Healthy Kids funds, a credit line may be used. If a grantee would like to use a credit line, they must obtain approval in advance and the material or product must be submitted to your lead contact. The following is an example of a credit line:
This message was funded in part by a grant from Voices for Healthy Kids, an initiative of the American Heart Association.”
About Voices for Healthy Kids Branding
To review the complete branding guide, click here.
The full name (Voices for Healthy Kids) must always be used. Abbreviations such as “VFHK” are NOT permitted. The registered trademark symbol (®) must be used at the end of Voices for Healthy Kids the first time the name is used in text in a document. Subsequent uses within the same document do not require a registration mark.
Voices for Healthy Kids may be referred to as an “initiative,” but not an “organization” or any term that implies a status of an independent organization. For example: “Voices for Healthy Kids® is an initiative of the American Heart Association that works around the country to improve or create equitable policies that will make the places kids live, learn and play healthier.. Voices for Healthy Kids will empower advocates to take action in their communities and improve health of children across the nation.”
The recommended initiative descriptor is: “Voices for Healthy Kids is an initiative of the American Heart Association working to improve or create equitable policies that will make the places kids, live, learn and play healthier.”
Voices for Healthy Kids announces newly funded grantees after a funding cycle has concluded and provides a list of active grantees on our website. Grantees will only be listed if permission is provided by the grantee. Permission is sought during the application process. If at any time a grantee wishes to be removed from the website, please send the request in writing to the Grants Administrator and the Voices PEER contact. Grantees are encouraged to promote their receipt of a grant award. Voices for Healthy Kids will provide template materials to help with promotion, including a customizable press release, messaging, and social media content, should a grantee choose to promote their award.
The Lead contact will work with Grantees to support effective approaches to launching the workgroup. You can find template materials for announcing your grant in the grant management system page, PEER Grantee Resources.
Below is a list of talking points that grantees are asked to use in response to inquiries about the funding that your workgroup is receiving from Voices for Healthy Kids.
Key Messages Regarding Your Voices for Healthy Kids Funding
When asked if a workgroup is funded, all grantees should acknowledge that they receive funding from Voices for Healthy Kids, an initiative of the American Heart Association.
Example: The XYZ coalition is pleased to receive support from Voices for Healthy Kids, an initiative of the American Heart Association.
If the need arises in your PEER Workgroup for legal support, Voices for Healthy Kids can facilitate a consultation with our counsel as a technical assistance request. Voices for Healthy Kids retains Allen Mattison, a partner at Trister, Ross, Schadler & Gold, PLLC. Allen represents many Voices for Healthy Kids grantees, enabling him to serve our grantees more efficiently and effectively than would someone with less involvement in this project.