Connecting Communities to Care Cooperative Agreement Program

Request for Applications

RFA Release Date: August 31, 2023

Application Due Date: November 1, 2023

Earliest Anticipated Project Start Date: January 1, 2024

Award Range: 4-6 Awards of up to $200,000

Maximum Total Amount Awarded: $800,000

Cooperative Agreement Timeline: up to 2 years (Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2025)

Purpose of the Connecting Communities to Care Cooperative Agreement Program: The South Carolina Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare (CRPH) supports  the vibrancy and resiliency of rural communities in South Carolina; however, CRPH also recognizes the health challenges and inequities faced by rural and underserved populations in our state. In an effort to support communities addressing these challenges and building upon promising or successful programs, CRPH has established a funding opportunity to engage community partners to build more equitable and resilient  systems that better serve rural and underserved groups.

The Connecting Communities to Care Program seeks to support community health improvement programs that connect people to health-related and healthcare services to address rural health disparities. CRPH is interested in programs that identify and implement community-driven solutions and best practices that can be adopted by other rural communities, expanded into a larger context, and/or inform public policy. We encourage the submission of a diverse group of proposals to improve health in rural communities. Proposals that are led by, or have an established relationship with, organizations based in rural communities will receive priority for funding. We seek applications that have clearly defined objectives, results-oriented activities, appropriate evaluation measures, and meaningful health outcomes. Proposal objectives should follow the S.M.A.R.T format.

Strong applications will include the following elements:

• Located in, and serve, a rural population (Rurality may be determined using the CRPH definition on the SC Rural Healthcare Resource Dashboard. Instructions on how to use the dashboard are attached to this RFA.
• Description of needs in the community that will be addressed by the project (e.g., needs assessment or other data)
• Demonstrate clear and established partnerships as applicable
• Clear and direct connection between program activities and positive health outcomes

These projects can be innovative in nature or expand a promising or evidence-based practice, and be designed to fit the local environment, needs, and resources. Key areas of emphasis for this funding opportunity include, but are not limited to:

Access to Care

• Programs that increase access to care through community-clinical linkages to expand the availability and quality of health and health-related services to rural communities. This may include expanding the delivery of services via non-traditional access points and working with non-traditional, non-healthcare centered partners.
• Programs that test alternative models of community care and healthcare engagement via non-traditional access points, virtual care, and go beyond clinic walls.
• Care Coordination programs/models that connect rural individuals to healthcare and health and human service programs addressing social needs that impact health.

Community Engagement & Health Equity

• Programs to increase community engagement and work alongside community members to identify root causes of health disparities, rural and racial/ethnic inequities, and drivers of poor health.
• Programs that take community-directed action to prevent illness and poor health.
• Programs that promote healthcare literacy and consumer education to better equip people to make informed decisions about their health and healthcare.

Behavioral Health

• Programs to strengthen community-based behavioral health organizations to expand efforts and improve access to behavioral health services.
• Programs to address needs and gaps in capacity for rural communities, within the behavioral health sector.
• Programs that address barriers to the implementation of evidence-based practices in rural settings.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Public or not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organizations with an emphasis on health, rural health, or community services
• State government agencies
• Human service organizations
• Any institution of higher education in South Carolina (public or private)
• South Carolina Rural Health Networks
• AccessHealth SC networks

If you are uncertain if you are eligible, please contact us at SCRuralHealthcare@uscmed.sc.edu so we can assist you in determining your eligibility.

Application Process:

The Connecting Communities to Care application is available on our grants management system, Submittable. You will be required to create an account if you have not already done so to begin the application process. CRPH leadership and staff will review the applications and select awardees. CRPH may engage in collaborative discussions to determine the program elements, activities, and outcomes, and better inform the final funding decisions.

Overview of Funding Opportunity:

The Center expects to award 4-6 proposals. Up to $800,000 will be distributed via this cooperative agreement. Programs may be up to 2 years, with total costs up to $200,000 for the total project period. The Center also welcomes submissions for pilot programs that are smaller in scope, budget amount, and/or time duration.

What we fund:

We fund direct costs only to include:

• Staff salary and fringe
• Supplies and a limited amount of equipment vital to the project (equipment must be specifically requested and justified)
• Project-related travel
• Advertising and outreach related to grant-supported services

What we do not fund:

• Projects centered on one-touch events (health fairs, conferences, etc.)
• Programs or activities that solely target non-rural populations
• Capital projects or funds for facilities
• Indirect/overhead costs
• Salaries for personnel not directly involved with the project
• Medical care costs
• Research projects
• Taskforces or work groups. 

Important Dates:

August 31, 2023

Online application available

November 1, 2023 

Online application due by 11:59 p.m.

Late November 2023

Finalists will be notified.

January 1, 2024

Projects begin.