Open Call to Submit Letters of Interest (LOIs)
October 21, 2024 - Grants - Posted by darren
The Women’s Foundation is releasing its open call for funding opportunities to improve maternal and infant health outcomes in the Mississippi Delta. The Women’s Foundation of Mississippi’s (WFM) mission is to ensure economic security for women and girls throughout the state, particularly those facing significant social and economic barriers.
Project Overview
This year, the WFM is launching a Request for Proposals (RFP) focused on enhancing maternal and infant health and supporting healthy child development from birth to age three in the Mississippi Delta. This region has been identified as a medical desert, with the highest rates of maternal and infant mortality in the state.
Project Focus:
A wide range of projects will be eligible for funding that are focused on:
1. Reduce Maternal Mortality:
- Increase access to prenatal, delivery, and postnatal care.
- Recruit doulas, midwives, and community health workers.
2. Reduce Infant Mortality:
- Ensure regular health assessments and follow-up for at-risk pregnant women. • Provide education on healthy nutrition for mothers and infants.
3. Identify Barriers to Care:
- Establish collaborative networks to support pregnant women and new mothers. • Host convenings to share best practices and build community among providers.
Eligibility and Geographic Focus:
This funding opportunity is open to 501(c)3 and fiscally sponsored nonprofit organizations operating within the Delta region of Mississippi. Grant sizes will range from $50,000 to $250,000, depending on the scope of the project, typically over a 12-month grant term. We anticipate awarding grants in December 2024.
Grantee Engagement with the Women’s Foundation:
This section outlines how we envision the organizations selected through this Open Call engaging with one another and with the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi. Funded organizations (grantees) will be part of a cohort and will be asked to participate in the activities outlined below. Details will be finalized in consultation with grantees.
- In addition to the individual program evaluations conducted by grantees, grantees will participate in an evaluation funded by the WFM. The purpose of this evaluation will be to support grantees in learning from their project, to facilitate opportunities for grantees to learn from one another, and to measure progress on improving maternal and child health.
- Grantees will attend two one half-day convening to share ideas and lessons learned with the cohort of funded organizations.
- Grantees will participate in quarterly check-in calls with Foundation staff and members of the grantee cohort, and a potential site visit. The cadence for calls and the site visit will be mutually agreed upon by grantees and Foundation staff.
Submission Requirements:
We seek letters of interest that align with our mission and demonstrate a commitment to addressing maternal and infant health disparities. We will accept letters of interest from organizations of all sizes, and we especially encourage smaller grassroots organizations to apply. We expect to fund approximately five grants.
Interested organizations are encouraged to submit a brief Letter of Interest (maximum 2 pages) by October 31, 2024 to info@womensfoundationms.org that includes:
- A brief description of your organization’s mission and what are the core programs you provide.
- What is your proposed project, who would it serve, and where in the Delta region of Mississippi?
- How will your proposed project improve maternal and infant health outcomes and support healthy child development from birth to age three?
- What is your total estimated project budget?
Question & Answer Session:
WFM will hold Q&A sessions on Friday, October 25th,and Monday, October 28th at noon via Zoom. If you have any questions about whether your work or program is a fit for this Open Call, we encourage you to attend.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0qdOuspjgpHNOWCdTH3oDsSVF7-Ji3Qc7k
Open Call and Funding Timeline:
The Women’s Foundation team will review all Letters of Interest and select up to 10 organizations to submit full proposals. Organizations invited to submit proposals will be asked to answer additional questions and submit additional documentation. The proposals will be reviewed and scored by the grant committee and three external reviewers who have expertise in maternal and child health, community-based grantmaking, and knowledge of the community. The review committee will identify five finalists whose proposals will be awarded grant funding.
| Open Call for Statements of Interest Issued | October 21, 2024 |
| Question & Answer Session* | October 25 & October 28 at Noon |
| Statements of Interest Due | October 31, 2024 |
| Invitation to submit proposals sent to selected organizations | November 11, 2024 |
| Foundation staff will hold office hours for support with proposal development | Week of Number 18, 2024 |
| Proposals Due | December 3, 2024 |
| Finalists notified that their proposals will move forward for funding consideration | December 10, 2024 |
| Grants Awarded | December 16, 2024 |
| Grant Project Duration | January – December 2025 |
