Democracy

Carnegie Corporation of New York’s Democracy program supports civic integration of immigrants. The program also supports the protection of voting rights and promotes voter participation of all citizens. We work to foster a fair, diverse, and vibrant democracy that welcomes and offers opportunities to all.

Focus Areas

Alliance Building

The Democracy program strives to build alliances that bring together a left-to-right spectrum of viewpoints on civics, citizenship, and immigration, while reflecting America’s long tradition of acceptance and respect for newcomers of all nationalities, cultures, and religions.

Pluralism, the belief in one nation made up of many peoples, has been essential to U.S. democracy from the beginning. The Democracy program’s support for alliance building is based on this belief. Our goal is to bring a wide range of pro-immigrant voices into the immigration debate from across the political spectrum during a time of deep polarization, when it is even more crucial to recommend bipartisan solutions to immigration reform, election administration, and voting rights. For example, the Corporation’s support has fostered successful teamwork among members of the business, faith, law enforcement, government, and other key communities to advocate for the value of immigrants and immigration.

Field Building

We support national nonprofit groups that educate, coordinate, and strengthen a field made up of locally based organizations dealing with challenges to democracy, immigration, voting, and related issues. These challenges result from the dearth of effective federal policies needed to promote and protect the civil and human rights of all people in the United States.

Threats to democracy and civic engagement exist in all corners of the country. State and local governments wield tremendous power in the United States, especially in areas not addressed by the federal government. For example, a patchwork of state and local laws attempts to deal with an immigration system that is in crisis. To establish a strong field that can take on numerous challenges to our democracy, the Corporation funds national organizations such as NEO Philanthropy, which houses funder collaboratives like the Four Freedoms Fund. Another grantee, the State Infrastructure Fund, working across a majority of states, has helped build a diverse network of smaller associations that advocate for policy improvements at the local, state, and federal levels.

Policy Development

The Corporation funds original research on important issues, including voting rights, voter participation, immigration, citizenship, and the census, in order to improve federal and state policies regarding immigrant integration and civic engagement.

A strong U.S. democracy depends on government policies developed on the basis of robust nonpartisan research. Corporation-funded research has, for example, shown that mass deportation would cost $285 billion to arrest, detain, and deport undocumented immigrants in the United States. By contrast, reforming the entire U.S. immigration system would add $1.5 trillion to the economy over 10 years. Another study funded by the Corporation analyzed the impact of nonpartisan voter engagement to groups that tend to have low turnout on Election Day. This research showed an overall 12.5 percent increase in voting rates due to this direct, meaningful outreach, resulting in a 19.1 percent increase in turnout for Hispanic voters, a 13.1 percent increase for African Americans, and a 4.2 percent increase for Asian Americans. 

Strategic Communications

The Democracy program’s support for strategic communications is designed to promote intelligent, unbiased, nonpartisan news coverage to deepen public understanding of civic issues like voting rights, voter engagement, immigration, and the census.

A vibrant democracy must have what Thomas Jefferson called the “fourth branch” of government: an independent press capable of keeping citizens informed. Strategic communications, along with the other pillars of our program — alliance building, field building, and policy development — ensures that our message is shared in a thoughtful way, nationally and regionally, reaching communities across the country to build support and momentum for immigration policy changes and the protection of voting rights. 

Nonpartisan Voter Engagement and Voting Rights

Engaged citizens — those who care about and work to preserve our democracy — help ensure that government policies reflect the concerns of constituents. A democracy, by definition, gives eligible citizens the right to vote for their elected representatives.

Carnegie Corporation of New York’s commitment to citizenship and voting rights began with our founder Andrew Carnegie, who stated, “Along with the freedom to pursue wealth and happiness, the greatest gift the American Republic has to bestow is citizenship.” Carnegie also believed that, in return for this gift, citizens have duties. For more than a century, the Corporation has consistently emphasized both the rights and the responsibilities of citizenship. The Democracy program provides strategic, ongoing support to organizations that promote nonpartisan voter engagement, especially among groups with traditionally low levels of voting or with less access to information about government. Compared to other democracies, voter participation in the U.S. is comparatively low, even in recent years when voter turnout has been higher than usual. For example, 55.7% turnout in 2016 put the U.S. in 26th place among the 32 developed countries. With barriers to voting on the rise (e.g., complex voter registration requirements and cutbacks in early voting), large-scale efforts to protect voting rights and encourage voter engagement at the federal and state levels are of critical importance.

Hearst Foundations' Mission

The Hearst Foundations identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States have the opportunity to build healthy, productive and inspiring lives.

Hearst Foundations' Goals

The Foundations seek to achieve their mission by funding approaches that result in:

• Improved health and quality of life
• Access to high quality educational options to promote increased academic achievement
• Arts and sciences serving as a cornerstone of society
• Sustainable employment and productive career paths for adults
• Stabilizing and supporting families

Funding Priorities

The Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of interests – culture, education, health and social service – and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Culture

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those which enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Education

The Hearst Foundations fund educational institutions demonstrating uncommon success in preparing students to thrive in a global society. The Foundations’ focus is largely on higher education, but they also fund innovative models of early childhood and K-12 education, as well as professional development.

Types of Support: Program, scholarship, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Health

The Hearst Foundations assist leading regional hospitals, medical centers and specialized medical institutions providing access to high-quality healthcare for low-income populations. In response to the shortage of healthcare professionals necessary to meet the country’s evolving needs, the Foundations also fund programs designed to enhance skills and increase the number of practitioners and educators across roles in healthcare. Because the Foundations seek to use their funds to create a broad and enduring impact on the nation’s health, support for medical research and the development of young investigators is also considered.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, endowment support

Social Service

The Hearst Foundations fund direct-service organizations that tackle the roots of chronic poverty by applying effective solutions to the most challenging social and economic problems. The Foundations prioritize supporting programs that have proven successful in facilitating economic independence and in strengthening families. Preference is also given to programs with the potential to scale productive practices in order to reach more people in need.

Types of Support: Program, capital and general support

Walmart’s more than 2 million associates are residents, neighbors, friends and family in thousands of communities around the globe. Walmart works to strengthen these communities through both retail business and community giving, and we support and invest in communities through local giving. The following programs have open application processes with specific deadlines for eligibility and consideration.

Local Community Grants

Each year, our U.S. stores and clubs award local cash grants ranging from $250 to $5,000. These local grants are designed to address the unique needs of the communities where we operate. They include a variety of organizations, such as animal shelters, elder services and community clean-up projects.

Areas of Funding

• There are eight (8) areas of funding for which an organization can apply. Please review the areas listed below to ensure your organization’s goals fall within one of these areas.
• Community and Economic Development: Improving local communities for the benefit of low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Diversity and Inclusion: Fostering the building of relationships and understanding among diverse groups in the local service area
• Education: Providing afterschool enrichment, tutoring or vocational training for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Environmental Sustainability: Preventing waste, increasing recycling, or supporting other programs that work to improve the environment in the local service area
• Health and Human Service: Providing medical screening, treatment, social services, or shelters for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Hunger Relief and Healthy Eating: Providing Federal or charitable meals/snacks for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Public Safety: Supporting public safety programs through training programs or equipment in the local service area
• Quality of Life: Improving access to recreation, arts or cultural experiences for low-income individuals and families in the local service area

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

NOTE: In order for the Membership Specialist and Regional Liaison to share the application link, you’ll need to fill out our Eligibility Wizard, a virtual meeting can be scheduled to go over the application and benefits of a partnership. The meeting will be around 30- minutes long.

Join the UnidosUS Affiliate Network

UnidosUS Affiliates are a powerful force for positive and meaningful change in the Latino community. The Affiliate Network is comprised of nearly 300 community-based organizations across the country who employ more than 47,000 people, serve nearly six million people annually, and have collective budgets of more than $4.4 billion. UnidosUS elevates the power of the Affiliate Network by:

• Developing nonprofit leaders with culturally relevant trainings.
• Convening Affiliates to foster peer-to-peer collaboration and best-practice sharing.
• Linking Affiliates to opportunities for external funding and professional development.
• Providing access to research, curriculum, special communications, and services.
• Connecting Affiliates to resources, including more than $8 million in subgrants to Affiliates each year.
• Highlighting Affiliates through UnidosUS’s communications, resulting in increased visibility through multiple media outlets.

Value, Benefits, and Impact

Networking and Training

UnidosUS convenes Affiliates to provide nonprofit management training, issue briefings, and advocacy training to build their capacity. Activities and events include:

• UnidosUS Annual Conference
• UnidosUS Changemakers Summit
• Fall Affiliate Convenings
• Advocacy Training
• Issue-Specific Networking and Training
• Peer-to-Peer Learning

Capacity-Building

Affiliates have access to expert-led trainings on topics they identify at little to no cost. Previous capacity-building topics have included:

• Leadership Development
• Technology (Access/Training)
• Program Evaluation
• Board Development and Recruitment
• Fundraising and Resource Development
• Leadership Transition Planning
• Media and Communications Training
• Social Enterprise
• Curriculum Training

NOTE: Our open slots for calls for interest have all been filled which is represented by the Letter of Inquiry deadline. Please note that as long as your organization meets all of the eligibility criteria highlighted below – you are still eligible to apply for the cohort even if you did not have the chance to have a call for interest with our team.

Mental Health Equity Catalyze Cohort

This Health Equity Catalyze Cohort will provide $100K in catalytic, unrestricted funding and cohort-based capacity-building programming for up to 16 social entrepreneurs. 

Our nation is experiencing a collective mental and behavioral health crisis. Over 50 million adults in the United States are living with a mental illness, 12 million adults report having serious thoughts of suicide, and in 2020, over 40 million people reported having a substance use disorder in the past year. For young people, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health challenges were the leading cause of disability and poor life outcomes, with up to 1 in 5 children ages 3 to 17 in the United States having a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder. This has been exacerbated further by the pandemic, which disrupted in-person schooling; social opportunities with peers; access to healthcare, social services, food, and housing; and the health of caregivers.

Furthermore, we know that a person’s zip code, race, income, and other social, environmental, and economic conditions play a significant part in determining their mental health. For example, while racially and ethnically diverse individuals have rates of mental health disorders similar to white people, their disorders are more likely to last longer and result in more significant disability. Most mental illness goes untreated, especially in racially and ethnically diverse communities; 48 percent of white people with any mental illness received mental health services in 2015, compared to 31 percent of Black people and Hispanics, and 22 percent of Asians.

New Profit believes that good mental and behavioral health is necessary for all people to live lives of their choosing – and that we should address the mental health needs of systemically disadvantaged populations to achieve health equity overall. To that end, in collaboration with the Deloitte Health Equity Institute, we are launching our second health equity cohort, focused specifically on mental health equity.

This cohort will support a range of cross-cutting systems-change approaches (e.g., narrative change, ecosystem development, advocacy, movement building) at the intersection of mental health & well-being and the social determinants or drivers of health. We are especially seeking to invest in organizations that are focused on creating change with/through behavioral and mental health care and services, as well as programs that intentionally focus their efforts on non-medical drivers of behavioral and mental health (e.g., access to healthy food, jobs, housing, social connection, etc.).

As we build the cohort, we are searching for organizations that are addressing systemic mental and behavioral health issues at each life stage and transition point where these issues may be most acute (e.g., youth transitioning between educational settings, young adults transitioning into the workforce, individuals undergoing re-entry after incarceration or rehabilitation from substance abuse, etc.). We also aim to support some organizations that are already connected to or interested in working in school settings, given how many young people are experiencing mental health challenges in the wake of the pandemic.

New Profit’s investments are guided by four principles:

• We believe systems change entrepreneurs who are proximate to the communities disproportionately affected by mental health disparities should be at the helm of leading efforts to achieve equity in mental health.
• We invest in organizations that bring heightened awareness to the importance of centering equity and proximity within approaches to mental health equity.
• We need innovative, integrated solutions that target the underlying structural and systemic conditions that work to undermine fair access to mental health resources and opportunities for communities that have been historically oppressed and overlooked.
• We are committed to diversity of demographics, thought, and geography to unleash solutions targeting many systems levels and pain points contributing to mental health inequities.

Funding

We will invest $100,000 in up to 16 innovative systems-change leaders and nonprofit organizations through this cohort. Alongside the investment, we will also provide capacity-building programming and access to a peer learning community over the course of one year.

CareQuest Institute

CareQuest Institute for Oral Health is a nonprofit championing a more equitable future where every person can reach their full potential through excellent health. We champion oral health transformation because good overall health depends on good oral health.

Community and Care Transformation

In the United States, the oral health care needs of historically marginalized communities have continually been unmet, and the oral health outcomes of these populations suggest that traditional forms of oral health care delivery through education and clinical treatment are not responsive to these communities’ expressed needs.

Data from CareQuest Institute’s 2022 State of Oral Health Equity in America survey demonstrates limited access to adequate oral health care for marginalized communities alongside the unfavorable, sometimes unwelcoming experiences for these patients within oral health care settings:

• Black adults and American Indian or Native Alaskan adults are two and three times more likely, respectively, to visit the emergency department (ED) for a dental condition than white adults. At the same time, nearly half of Hispanic adults, Asian adults, and Black adults report experiencing discrimination in an oral health setting.
• LGBTQ+ individuals, when compared to non-LGBTQ+ individuals, were 77% more likely to have visited a hospital ED for dental care within the past year. At the same time, LGBTQ+ individuals were 77% more likely to report experiencing discrimination on a weekly basis.
• Adults with poor mental health (including depression) are more likely to have one or more unmet oral health needs and are less likely to seek care for these needs than those with better mental health.

These examples of oral health disparities at the population level, while not exhaustive, illustrate how existing approaches to oral health care can be stigmatizing and tend to negatively impact patient engagement within the oral health system. In fact, our existing oral health system is constructed to support these very outcomes.

In order to advance oral health equity and access to quality, whole-person care at a systemic level, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, along with other partners in oral health care, have been at the forefront in the development and testing of care transformation best practices. Some of the practical care transformation concepts that have proven to be effective in advancing whole-person care include medical and dental integration, value-based care, teledentistry, and minimally invasive care. Within the broader oral health field, there is energy and effort around the creation and implementation of innovative payment models. Across the US, oral health professionals work to test and operationalize, build evidence for associated cost savings, and develop models of payment that support the implementation of these concepts in clinical settings. Still, this work is largely driven by clinical practitioners and shared among clinical stakeholders.

Within CareQuest Institute’s philanthropy, it is a central principle that oral health care solutions cannot be equitable or effective. without those individuals most impacted by oral health disparities driving the work. Ideally, this means being involved in the identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation of potential health care solutions that affect their lives.

Through the Community and Care Transformation Request for Proposals, CareQuest Institute is seeking to fund projects and partners that combine two core interrelated elements of work:

• Carry forward care transformation concepts (listed above); and
• Ensure authentic and deep community engagement is embedded in the practical implementation of those concepts.

Applicants will likely be community organizations looking to expand how oral health care is delivered or safety net clinical facilities looking to grow their community engagement

Project Examples

• A safety net partner piloting new value-based care procedures within clinical practice, overseen by a representative patient/community body that has active input into the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the new practice impact on patient experience
• A state policy organization utilizing a formal process that ensures ongoing community input and involvement to advocate for medical/dental integration measures within state Medicaid policy
• A community-based or grassroots organization building power among community members to participate in advocacy in local or state policy spaces around care transformation concepts
• A safety net organization collaborating with community partners to expand and use innovative workforce models that are representative of their patients and families

Projects aligned with this RFP will both recognize and address the need to authentically engage community members to drive care transformation and promote oral health equity.

Selection Criteria

Proposals will be reviewed, and grantees selected, based on the following criteria:

• A demonstrated understanding or willingness to learn about the care transformation topic(s) related to the project (medical/dental integration, value-based care, teledentistry and/or minimally-/noninvasive care) and experience, or desire to strengthen capacity, in advocating for and advancing care transformation
• A demonstrated commitment to, or willingness to deepen, engagement of community members, community organizations, and/or health care consumers in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of organizational work
• A demonstrated commitment to health and racial equity and clear identification of which communities or populations will be most directly impacted by care transformation efforts in the proposed project environment (individual organization, region, state, country)
• Clarity and practicality of the proposed activities, including intended/anticipated outcomes and the potential impact of the proposed project on community members, patients, and health care consumers broadly
• Experience in effective data collection and analysis as well as project reporting/communications
• Willingness to seek and engage other funders in supporting this work
• Willingness to leverage and partner with existing network (Oral Health Progress and Equity Network, other CareQuest Institute grantees, etc.) to spread learnings, opportunities, and thought leadership to strengthen community engagement in care transformation across the broader oral health field

Award

CareQuest Institute will fund 10 projects for up to $125,000 each.

The Cigna Group Foundation is committed to eliminating health disparities and improving health and well-being for all. We wish to partner with nonprofits who are addressing the root causes of health inequity, including supporting under-resourced and systemically disadvantaged communities with poor social determinants of health (SDOH).

Given recent incidents here in the U.S. and around the world, the persistence of COVID-19 and the economic climate, this grant cycle will focus on funding programs that address improving and ensuring good mental health.

Application Background

According to research published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Psychiatry, individuals with mental disorders have a reduced life expectancy of approximately 10 to 20 years. In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that individuals with depression have a 1.8 times higher risk of premature mortality. Depression also increases the risk for many types of physical health problems, particularly long-lasting conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Similarly, the presence of chronic conditions can increase the risk for mental illness.4 Unfortunately, these challenges are compounded by an overall shortage of mental health professionals.

Here are some important statistics about mental health in the U.S.

• Depression and anxiety are two of the leading causes of disability worldwide.
• Over half of adults with a mental illness do not receive treatment, totaling over 27 million adults who are going untreated.
• More than 150 million people in the U.S. live in a designated mental health professional shortage area.

Mental health issues are even more pronounced in ethnic minority communities. Ethnic, gender, and sexual orientation minorities often suffer from poor mental health outcomes. Such outcomes include the examples below:

• African Americans living below the poverty level, as compared to those over twice the poverty level, are twice as likely to report serious psychological distress.
• Asian Americans are 60 percent less likely to use mental health services as compared to non-Hispanic whites.
• Among young adults ages 18 to 24, Native Americans have higher rates of suicide than any other ethnicity and higher rates than the general population.
• More than 1 in 5 women in the United States experienced a mental health condition in the past year, such as depression or anxiety.
• LGBTQ individuals are more than twice as likely as heterosexual men and women to have a mental health disorder in their lifetime.

These poor mental outcomes are due to multiple factors including inaccessibility of high quality mental health care services, cultural stigma surrounding mental health care, discrimination, and overall lack of awareness about mental health.

Goals

Despite steady improvement in overall health outcomes over the past decade, many under-resourced communities continue to experience substantial health disparities.

• Increased access to health care.
• Increased access to primary care.
• Increased health literacy, the degree to which an individual has the capacity to obtain, communicate, process, and understand basic mental and behavioral health information and services to make appropriate health decisions and follow directions for treatment.

The Cigna Group Foundation recognizes that this is a broad topic, therefore grants should address at least one if not more than one of the following programmatic areas, specifically in ethnic minority and underserved populations:

• Suitable care that provides access to mental health services and addresses depression, stress, anxiety, and promotes resiliency and mental well-being.
• Programs addressing the shortage of mental health care professionals.
• Cultural competency and awareness training for healthcare providers that addresses the stigma associated with seeking mental health care.

About Natan

Natan inspires young  philanthropists to become actively engaged in building the Jewish future by giving collaboratively to cutting- edge initiatives in Israel and in Jewish communities around the world.

Natan is a giving circle - a  grantmaking foundation where members pool their charitable contributions, set the group’s philanthropic strategy and agenda, and collectively award grants to emerging initiatives, working actively with their leaders to help them grow. We believe that educated, engaged, and entrepreneurial philanthropy can transform both givers and grant recipients.

Confronting Antisemitism

Natan’s Confronting Antisemitism committee requests proposals from organizations that are addressing contemporary antisemitism around the world. The committee is particularly interested in proactive approaches that preempt antisemitism.

• developing positive, constructive efforts to understand and expose contemporary manifestations of antisemitism including distinguishing between good faith criticism of Israel and bad faith bigotry that uses criticism as a cover for prejudice;
• utilizing technology and social media to address antisemitism;
• building partnerships between Jews and other minority groups - including, but not limited to, the black, Hispanic, Muslim and LGBTQ+ communities - to navigate antisemitism within their respective circles;
• empowering young individuals (13-23) with the tools, knowledge and critical thinking skills to effectively advocate for themselves and the Jewish people;
• creating new partnerships between organizations otherwise working independently, with a unified mission of fighting antisemitism.

Natan's Focus

In the spirit of “venture philanthropy,” Natan is especially interested in supporting entrepreneurial individuals, startups and fledgling organizations that have not yet received significant support from major funders and that are independent from larger institutions and organizational structures. Natan seeks to catalyze and support innovation that begins on the margins of the Jewish organizational world, with the twin goals of developing new standalone organizations and infusing innovative thinking into larger, legacy institutions for the long term.