Catalyst Funding Initiative FAQ

Applications are due Friday, August 23, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. Partial applications cannot be accepted by our system; please ensure that you have reviewed and submitted your full proposal by the deadline.

This funding is open to all organizations regardless of their insurance carriers. For more information on eligibility requirements please see the RFP.

We will fund projects across the state of Minnesota, both in greater Minnesota and in the metro area. We will award bonus points to projects outside the 7-county Twin Cities region.

Yes, school districts are eligible and can apply for funding. School districts are considered public institutions and part of the local government.

This funding supports the implementation of creative solutions to health inequities and is designed to jump-start community initiatives. Catalyst will fund community-driven, culturally specific efforts that advance health equity.

An ideal organization will demonstrate support and trust of the communities they propose to serve. The organization must also demonstrate it is capable of completing their project between January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. For additional information on selection criteria and guidelines, see the RFP.

You may apply for other initiatives offered by the Center for Prevention. If awarded Catalyst Funding, your organization could not apply for Catalyst funding in the next 12 months.

Blue Cross will fund projects that support community-driven changes to policy (rules or laws), systems (process of how things are done) or environments (what one’s setting looks and feels like) that will lead to healthier, more equitable communities for all. These types of changes are also referred to as “PSE” change. PSE change includes:

• Policies adopted by organizations that apply to their property or operations, sometimes called organizational rules. A policy may also be a public policy adopted by units of government (cities, counties or tribal nations) that impact the entire community and take the form of an ordinance, law, resolution, regulation, etc.
• System change interventions may impact many elements of the operations and environments within an organization or institution. Systems change involves changing the established rules within organizations and institutions to promote positive health outcomes where we live, work and play.
• Environmental changes take place within the lived-environment and can occur independently of a system or policy change, through other actions that change an economic, social or physical situation.

The funding level for this RFP will range between $5,000 up to $25,000 per project. Organizations previously funded by the Center for Prevention for more than $50,000 since 2016 can request up to $20,000.

We intend to notify selected organizations by Friday, October 4, 2019. There will be a contracting period to confirm scope of work, reporting and evaluation criteria, and final award amount. Contracts will be in place by January 1, 2020 Program activities must be completed by December 31, 2020.

Yes, the RFP is open, and all are encouraged to apply.

No, activities can occur any time during 2020. Some activities may require longer than others. The time frame should be determined by the applying organization.

All of the documents are also available on the Available Funding page of our website.

Within the contact information section, please include your group’s or organization’s information as the project’s primary contact and include the fiscal agent’s information as the organizational contact (including the fiscal agent’s tax ID number).

The webinar is scheduled for July 8th, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. Central Standard Time. Join the webinar here.

Or join by phone: US: +1 929 205 6099 or +1 669 900 6833 or 888 475 4499 (Toll Free) or 877 853 5257 (Toll Free); Webinar ID: 620 633 615

If you have additional questions, please submit them to Jill Chamberlain.

Jill Naylor Chamberlain
Senior Program Manager
Center for Prevention
1750 Yankee Doodle Rd
Eagan, MN 55121