Best Grants for Free Clinics in Arkansas

First- and second-year medical students conducting clinical, laboratory, epidemiology, health services, leadership, or professionalism research can access funding through Alpha Omega Alpha’s Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship, including students in Arkansas. This US $7,000 fellowship supports 2–12 month projects and may benefit those working with or studying free clinic care delivery.

Arkansas health and community organizations offering education, nursing preparation, or access to health care may be eligible for this funding. Focused on improving education, health, and community well-being, Windgate Charitable Trust invites Arkansas-based programs, including those addressing food and housing insecurity or supporting arts-related organizations, that have received funding in the past five years to apply.

Nonprofit organizations focused on health care and human services, arts, education, youth, or food and agriculture in Arkansas may be eligible for funding that supports community programs and services. Focused on community well-being, J.R. Simplot Company Foundation invites U.S. nonprofits to apply for quarterly-reviewed grants that can strengthen local health care access and related initiatives.

About CommonSpirit

A calling that defines and unites

At CommonSpirit Health, we passionately care for the most vulnerable, relentlessly innovate how and where healing can happen and believe in uniting to benefit the common good. Our expansive network spans diverse communities, uniquely positioning us to meet their changing needs, improve population health and help chart the path to health equity.

Our mission, vision and values inform every aspect of our work each day and remind us that we serve our patients, their families, our communities – and each other. Our community health, research and home health programs help us address the primary barriers to healthier communities.

Sponsorship requests

We’re proud to support nonprofits that expand access to care, advance health equity and healthier communities. Learn more about our priorities.

Supporting our communities

CommonSpirit Health and our local facilities support nonprofit organizations that share our mission, vision and values. We give priority to programs that improve access to care and promote health equity and healthier communities.

CommonSpirit is proud to support nonprofit organizations that help improve the health and well-being of our communities. Guided by our mission, vision and values, we prioritize projects that focus on advancing health equity, improving access to care and improving community wellness.

Nonprofit organizations in Arkansas working on health care access, mental health, or education for adolescents through adults can apply for US $10,000 - US $75,000 to expand proven programs. L B Research and Education Foundation supports small to medium 501(c)(3)s addressing opportunity gaps, especially those serving underserved populations through innovative, research-informed models.

Free and community clinics in Arkansas seeking preventative healthcare and screening services can request Baptist Health’s Mobile Health Unit to support local events and outreach. With a mission to improve community health, Baptist Health Foundation provides a fully equipped mobile clinic, staff, and education that may help clinics expand access for underserved residents.

Free and charitable clinics and other 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Arkansas can seek funding for community health, health equity, and improved health care access projects. With a mission to improve health and advance social justice, Commonspirit Health provides small and standard Community Health Improvement Grants, awarding up to US $150,000 for defined, collaborative community health initiatives.

Municipal governments in Arkansas and other eligible Great Lakes states seeking help accessing ARPA and IIJA funds can apply for the National League of Cities’ free Federal Grant Navigation Program. This pilot offers one-on-one technical assistance, data support, and peer cohorts, which may benefit cities working to expand local health care access and free clinic services.

Healthcare Assistance Grant

The MS Focus Healthcare Assistance Grant assists uninsured individuals with the cost of visiting their MS specialist as well as dental assistance. The grant, which can pay for one visit and one follow-up, is designed to assist those already diagnosed with MS who may need a visit to their treating physician to renew a prescription or handle other important needs. 

Applicants give MS Focus staff authorization to negotiate costs directly with the provider, and the fee is paid directly to the doctor. 

Homecare Assistance Grant

MS Focus understands the daily needs and challenges that must be met by both those with MS and their caregivers. In order to meet these needs in the most timely and efficient way possible, our Homecare Assistance Grant connects you to the best available local services. Should resources within your community not be available, direct support may be provided on a temporary basis.

Available Services include:

• Home Care - Personal hygiene services, light housekeeping, grocery shopping, meal preparation, and transportation to and from appointments are all services that can be provided for a limited time.
• Therapy Visits - Based upon individual need, an appointment with an occupational, physical, or speech therapist can be arranged. Through education and training, these therapists can help to foster independence, self-esteem, and better quality of life for the person living with MS.
• Respite Care - Respite allows primary caregivers the opportunity to tend to themselves, or other family business, with the assurance that their loved one is being cared for by a properly trained individual. This service is provided on a short-term basis for a scheduled period of time. 
• Coming Home - Returning home from a stay at the hospital can be a difficult time of transition. We offer a four-hour visit from an aide who will meet the patient at the hospital, provide transportation home, and then get the patient settled comfortably at home.

The NIH is set to release a funding opportunity for pragmatic and implementation trials aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of interventions in real-world healthcare settings. This initiative encourages collaborations across various health systems to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of interventions. By focusing on commonly encountered conditions in everyday clinical care, the trials aim to provide actionable insights for patients, clinicians, and policymakers. Interested investigators are encouraged to start developing their project proposals.

FY25 Veterans Treatment Court Program

Executive Summary

This NOFO will support the implementation and enhancement of veterans treatment court (VTC) operations. VTCs connect veterans who come in contact with the justice system to treatment for substance use disorders (SUD), mental health disorders (MHD), co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (MHSUD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Funding supports service coordination, and recovery support services. VTCs integrate mandatory drug testing, incentives and sanctions, and transitional services in judicially supervised criminal court settings that have jurisdiction over veterans with behavioral health treatment needs. These courts aim to reduce recidivism and overdose fatalities, while increasing access to treatment and recovery support that leads to long-term recovery.

Category 3 supports state applicants to improve, enhance, or expand VTC services statewide. Activities include expanding treatment and services; audits of program policies and procedures; and data collection and analysis to assess program practices and track recidivism. These are intended to be one-time projects to enhance capacity that can be sustained.

Program Description

Statewide grants are available to state applicants to improve, enhance, or expand veterans treatment court services statewide. Activities include expanding treatment and services; reviewing programs’ policies and procedures; and data collection and analysis to assess program practices and track recidivism. This could include training to address staff turnover and offer operational skills updates and to expand treatment resources in locations with critical substance use needs. These are intended to be one-time projects to enhance capacity that can be sustained

The Centers of Excellence in Healthcare Quality and Safety program aims to establish a collaborative network of healthcare systems and public health partners to enhance patient and healthcare worker safety. This initiative focuses on improving the quality and resilience of U.S. healthcare delivery across various settings, including hospitals and outpatient facilities. By fostering partnerships, the program seeks to effectively detect, respond to, and prevent safety threats, ensuring a higher standard of care and safety for all.

Young Health Programme

The Young Health Programme (YHP) is a global disease prevention initiative, aiming to provide education for young people to feel empowered to make informed choices about their health and catalyse a global, youth-led advocacy movement.

The programme operates in over 40 countries and partners with more than 60 non-profit organisations, including UNICEF and Plan International. The YHP combines community programmes, research, advocacy, and the development of young leaders, with a focus on underserved communities.

Since its launch in 2010, the YHP has directly reached over 23 million young people, trained over 1 million, and engaged more than 23,000 AstraZeneca employees, who have volunteered their time with more than 140,000 hours.

The YHP aims to prevent the most common non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer, diabetes, heart disease and respiratory disease, by addressing five main risk factors: tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol, and air pollution. Additionally, the programme tackles climate-health impacts to build healthier communities, recognising, as projected in the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, that children born after 2010 will be the first generation to enter adulthood in a world where the average temperature will reach 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, and are expected to experience a +2°C rise within their lifetime.1

AstraZeneca Young Health Programme Impact Fellowship 2026

AstraZeneca is looking for passionate, driven young leaders to join their 2026 Young Health Programme (YHP) Impact Fellowship. The Fellowship supports young advocates to create actionable change to: 

• Advance health equity – with a focus on acting early to prevent non-communicable diseases among young people, or supporting young people living with rare diseases.
• Take action on climate and nature – advocating for the mitigation of the harmful effects of climate change on the health and well-being of young people.
• Build health systems resilience – contributing to stronger health systems that prioritise earlier intervention to meet today’s needs and mitigate tomorrow’s disease burden.

Benefits

The selected Fellows will gain access to networks, funding and development opportunities, enabling them to drive a global health movement led by and for young people:

A fully-funded scholarship to attend the 2026 One Young World Summit in Cape Town, South Africa (3–6 November 2026) as well as access to the One Young World Ambassador Network and the Young Health Programme (YHP) Alumni group of other young changemakers working to improve youth health.

Structured learning and development offerings to enable them to scale their impact, including both self-directed and live learning. This includes access to the One Young World Academy, an award-winning mini-MBA programme, mentorship from AstraZeneca colleagues and professional training.

Each selected Fellow will receive a grant of either USD $10,000 or USD $50,000 (if selected as the Lead2030 winner** for Sustainable Development Goal 3, for which applicants will be automatically considered) from AstraZeneca, through their non-profit organisation. Fellows are expected to use the grant to implement a project focused on either (1) advancing health equity (2) taking action on climate and nature (3) building health systems resilience.

Hemophilia Alliance Foundation

Our Mission

The Hemophilia Alliance Foundation is dedicated to receiving and administering funds to enable eligible organizations in the inherited bleeding and thrombotic disorders community to build capacity in order to achieve their mission and to support direct consumer financial assistance programs.

Project Grant Guidance and Application

The goal of this grant is to enable eligible organizations to build capacity in order to achieve their mission, and to support direct consumer financial assistance programs in eligible organizations. The ceiling for local patient organizations and hemophilia treatment and sickle cell centers is $8,000; the ceiling for national organizations and the eight HHS-designated federally designated and funded regional core coordinating centers is $10,000.

Examples include:

1) projects that strengthen the organization’s ability to better serve its constituents;

2) patient/consumer financial assistance grants; and

3) regional hemophilia treatment centers’ annual meetings.

NAFC Open Grant/Product Donation Applications

The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) is the only nonprofit 501c(3) organization whose mission is solely focused on the issues and needs of the medically underserved throughout the nation and the more than 1,400 Free and Charitable Clinics that serve them. The NAFC has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar and a 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator. Founded in 2001 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., the NAFC is working to ensure that the medically underserved have access to affordable quality healthcare and strives to be a national voice promoting quality healthcare for all. For more information about the NAFC, including how to become a member, please visit https://www.nafcclinics.org.

Healthcare Access Initiative

The Healthcare Access Initiative, supported by the McKesson Foundation and administered by the NAFC, aims to expand access to essential healthcare services for uninsured and medically underserved individuals. Free and charitable clinics and pharmacies play a critical role in ensuring that patients who fall outside traditional healthcare systems can receive timely, high-quality care. However, many clinics face barriers related to staffing, care coordination, technology, and patient outreach that limit their ability to meet growing community needs. Through this initiative, NAFC will provide $20,000 grants to member clinics and pharmacies to strengthen programs that increase access to primary care, specialty services, and preventive care. Funding will support innovative and practical approaches that reduce barriers to care, improve patient engagement, and expand the capacity of clinics to serve vulnerable populations.

NAFC Open Grant/Product Donation Applications

The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) is the only nonprofit 501c(3) organization whose mission is solely focused on the issues and needs of the medically underserved throughout the nation and the more than 1,400 Free and Charitable Clinics that serve them. The NAFC has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar and a 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator. Founded in 2001 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., the NAFC is working to ensure that the medically underserved have access to affordable quality healthcare and strives to be a national voice promoting quality healthcare for all. For more information about the NAFC, including how to become a member, please visit https://www.nafcclinics.org.

Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Initiative

The Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Initiative, supported by the McKesson Foundation and administered by the NAFC, aims to improve medication access, adherence, and patient understanding among uninsured and medically underserved populations. Individuals without health insurance often face significant barriers to obtaining prescription medications and receiving the counseling necessary to manage chronic conditions effectively. Through this initiative, NAFC will provide $30,000 grants to member free and charitable clinics and pharmacies to establish or expand Medication Therapy Management programs aligned with recommendations from the American Pharmacists Association. Funding will support activities such as staff certification in MTM, development of standardized protocols, and patient education to help individuals better understand their medications, manage side effects, and support overall treatment plans. By strengthening pharmacist-led care and improving communication between providers and patients, this initiative seeks to enhance medication adherence, improve chronic disease management, and advance better health outcomes for vulnerable patient populations.

The NIHCM Journalism Grants support projects that enhance health reporting and education, targeting critical issues such as healthcare affordability, pharmaceutical pricing, provider market dynamics, and chronic disease management. This initiative emphasizes the importance of informing policymakers and the public on how to improve healthcare quality and access in the U.S. Proposals may also explore the role of artificial intelligence in healthcare delivery. Applications are welcome from journalists, nonprofits, and universities.

Accreditation Sustainability Learning Community RFA

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), through the Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG), is currently accepting applications for participation in a learning lab that will foster health department capacity to build a sustainable public health accreditation culture within their agencies. This opportunity is open to applicants from direct PHIG awardees at the state-, big city-, and county-level.

Building Capacity for Communicating Impact Learning Community RFA

Learn how to communicate about Public Health Infrastructure Grant impact through a new community of practice! Through peer learning, technical assistance, and practical tools, participating teams will build strategic leadership and communications skills to more effectively translate public health achievements into compelling messages for key audiences. All directly funded PHIG recipients (big-city, county, state/territory-level governmental public health professionals) are eligible to apply.

2026 Veterans and Nature Grant

Supporting the health, well-being, and community connection of America's veterans

The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) is pleased to announce grant funding supported by the American Medical Association (AMA) to expand access to nature-based experiences that support the health, well-being, and community connection of America's veterans. AMA has partnered with NEEF to bring an evidence-based health perspective to this effort, underscoring the growing body of research linking time in nature to improved physical and mental health outcomes.

Background

A Pew Research Center survey found that roughly one in four veterans say the transition back to civilian life was at least somewhat difficult. This is especially true for those who return home with stress or trauma. The National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates 11-20% of veterans are believed to experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) each year.

Nature offers profound restorative benefits for veterans navigating the challenges of post-service life. Time spent outdoors — whether hiking, fishing, camping, or simply sitting among trees — has been shown by numerous studies to reduce symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression, conditions that affect veterans at disproportionately high rates.

Quieting hypervigilance, allowing space for reflection, fostering camaraderie, and reducing isolation are all mental and physical benefits that be found through outdoor recreation. Using America’s public lands to do so provides a powerful and accessible path forward.

Overview

Through the 2026 Veterans and Nature grant, NEEF aims to expand access to nature-based experiences that support veteran health, well-being, and community connection by

• Providing opportunities for outdoor activities on public land that improve the physical and mental health of veterans
• Increasing veterans’ understanding of the physical and mental health benefits of time in nature

The grant will provide up to $10,000 per grantee for projects on federal, state, local, or nonprofit public lands that address physical and mental health in veteran communities.

Examples of project types include outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking, climbing, or fishing; wellness activities, such as forest bathing or meditation; environmental education, such as community science; adaptive programming; and conservation volunteering. Projects are not limited to those listed here.

The CDC's NCIPC is seeking research proposals to tackle implementation challenges in providing linkage to care services for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD). This initiative encourages partnerships with public health entities and local healthcare champions to create actionable, evidence-based strategies. The goal is to enhance care access and ensure comprehensive overdose prevention services are available in real-world healthcare settings, thereby improving outcomes for those at risk of opioid overdose.

About the Awards

The late Dr. James F. Fries, formerly professor emeritus of medicine at Stanford University, came up with the idea for the James and Sarah Fries Prize for Improving Health in a 1987 ascent of Nepal’s Makalu—one of the world’s highest peaks—when his party became trapped in a severe snowstorm and was ultimately unable to scale the mountain.

Following that experience, Dr. Fries returned to sea level and set about establishing a foundation to support a Nobel-like prize for health that now annually awards a $100,000 prize to an an outstanding leader judged by an expert panel to have done the greatest good for the greatest number of people in the field of health.

In 1992 the Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award was established in honor of Elizabeth Fries, daughter of James and Sarah Fries. The $50,000 prize is awarded annually to an individual judged to have made substantial contributions to their area of health education and health promotion. Sarah Fries remained active in the Fries Awards for Health program until her death in May 2017, and Jim Fries remained active in the awards until his death in November 2021.

The CDC Foundation is honored to partner with the James F. and Sarah T. Fries Foundation, which established and funds the award. As of 2016, the CDC Foundation manages and administers the Fries Awards for Health program, which include the James and Sarah Fries Prize for Improving Health and the Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award.

The Telehealth Nutrition Services Network Grant Program, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, aims to enhance access to quality health care through innovative telehealth nutrition services. This program focuses on preventing and managing chronic diseases by leveraging telehealth technology, ensuring that individuals receive essential nutrition guidance remotely. With a commitment to improving health outcomes, this initiative will significantly benefit communities seeking better access to healthcare resources.

The FY 2027 Service Area Competition (SAC) funding aims to enhance healthcare access in underserved communities across the U.S. by providing grants for comprehensive primary and preventive health services. This initiative addresses essential health needs through competitive funding opportunities, ensuring that health centers can effectively serve their designated areas. Additional service areas may be announced as needed if current centers are unable to continue their operations, thus maintaining service continuity.

The FY 2027 Service Area Competition (SAC) aims to enhance health services in underserved communities across the U.S. and its territories. This funding opportunity supports comprehensive preventive and primary health care delivery. Each SAC announcement details service areas available for competition, with potential additional areas announced throughout the year. This initiative is crucial for ensuring continuous access to quality health care for vulnerable populations.

The FY 2027 Service Area Competition (SAC) aims to enhance health services in underserved communities across the U.S. by providing grants for comprehensive primary and preventive care. This initiative will support health centers in delivering high-quality services, addressing the needs of populations that face barriers to care. Each funding opportunity will specify service areas available for competition, ensuring effective resource allocation to improve community health outcomes.