RHEF Systems Change grants
About RHEF Systems Change Grants
RHEF Systems Change grants will be the second of two funding cycles for the Reproductive Health Equity Fund. (For more about Rapid Response Grants, see this page.) Systems Change grants provide funds to address systemic changes needed to create a more equitable reproductive healthcare infrastructure in Oregon over the long term. These grants prioritize programs that focus on the unmet needs of communities most impacted by reproductive health care inequities.
Definition of Systems Change and Grant Details
Systems Change work addresses root causes of reproductive health disparities (rather than symptoms) by transforming structures, culture and mindsets, and power dynamics and policies.
Systems change can be accomplished by strengthening collective power of impacted communities through education, base building, leadership development, research and collaboration to address / improve reproductive healthcare outcomes for Oregonians.
Minimum Grant Amount: $100,000
Maximum Grant Amount: $1,000,000
Eligible Programs:
- Programs must be aligned to one the four major areas of work outlined by the State of Oregon when it created the Reproductive Health Equity Fund in 2021. See below for more detailed descriptions of these areas of investment and examples of aligned systems change projects.
- Both new and existing programs are eligible to receive funding.
- Construction projects: we anticipate only funding construction in places where there is currently little to no access to reproductive health care or gender-affirming care.
- Abortion funds: Abortion funding navigation requests will be separate from the Systems Change application process—please do not submit a Systems Change grant application for abortion fund requests. RHEF is working on plans to design and build a coordinated abortion funding navigation network that centers the leadership of culturally specific organizations. Organizations interested in providing culturally-specific abortion fund navigation can signal their interest in participation by filling out this form; we will follow up with more information when it’s available.
Eligible Organizations:
- Non-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) status
- Groups that are fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) organization
- Local, county, state, and tribal governments
- Colleges and universities
- Hospitals/health clinics
- For profit organizations
Organizations can apply for one grant as the sole applicant and may also submit applications in collaboration with other organizations
Organizations that applied for Rapid Response grants (either funded or declined) are eligible to apply again for a Systems Change grant.
Funding Criteria
Below are the four RHEF areas of investment and examples of long-term systems change projects that are aligned to these areas:
- Invest in community-centered and culturally specific health outreach and education programs that are led by Black, Indigenous, people of color, immigrant populations, and other marginalized communities in Oregon to help close health disparities experienced within those communities.
- New or continued investment in community engagement staff around reproductive justice including staff to run outreach and education programs
- Staff attorney time to craft model code or policies
- Creating or expanding organizing infrastructure for specific communities and outreach that doesn’t replicate existing problems
- Operating costs for materials, food, condoms/dental dams, plastic pelvises & uteruses, stipends, fliers and ads to get community members engaged in program
- Reproductive Justice trainings that help communities take action
- Trainings that address and reduce abortion and trans stigma
- Community-based reproductive and gender affirming healthcare trainings that help communities learn about their bodies and rights to care
- Community Health Worker training on gender affirming care and reproductive healthcare
- Supporting key, long-term investments in including capital and infrastructure; workforce training, diversification, expansion, and retention; and other strategies to address unmet patient needs and close coverage gaps in healthcare settings:
- Trainings that include an Anti-Blackness component
- Systems trainings for utilizing software, hardware, and other operating systems and equipment
- Training for ultrasound/abortion provision to expand care
- Long acting reversible contraception insertion training and vasectomy training to expand care
- Training program costs can Include information sessions, cost to organization, loss of patient facing income, preparation, transit, etc.
- Trainings that address and reduce abortion and trans stigma
- Language access approaches that move toward highest level of language access to include bicultural/bilingual health care workers and staff
- Development (or modification of) training modules for specific target communities
- Navigating Federally Qualified Health Centers and abortion care
- Gender affirming care trainings in healthcare settings
- Construction: Limited to construction where there is currently little to no access to reproductive health care or gender affirming care
- Diversification of the workforce through multiple pipelines:
- Medical school pipeline [MD PA conditional acceptance programs]
- Diversification of the overall health worker (licensed and unlicensed) pipeline
- Mid career professional fellowships for BIPOC practitioners to work in their own community
- Addressing community needs for abortion funds and practical support (travel, lodging, etc.) and expanding provider capacity
- Abortion funding navigation requests will be separate from the Systems Change application process. Organizations interested in providing culturally-specific abortion fund navigation can signal their interest in participation by filling out this form; we will follow up with more information when it’s available.
- Research
- Community-led research to assess gaps and barriers to reproductive healthcare and justice including qualitative research projects
- Research that assesses the impact of existing programs that seek to address reproductive healthcare, abortion access or gender affirming care
- Public opinion research that helps advocates in Oregon reach key constituencies with information about services, decreasing shame and stigma, or other research that helps us understand how best to support communities access the reproductive healthcare they need and deserve.
Grant Details and Reporting Requirements
Application Due: Monday, October 2, 2023
Decisions Expected: November/December 2023
Grant Expires/Program Completion: June 30, 2025
RHEF grants expire June 30, 2025. Grantees will need to provide quarterly progress reports on spending for the duration of the grant. They’ll also have to report on the following by December 31, 2024, and June 30, 2025:
- Brief description of the project and use of grant funds to date
- Timeline for major project deliverables
- Grant funds spent to date
- Project milestones met to date
- At the completion of the grant in summer 2025, there will also be a final project meeting with Seeding Justice staff.
Indirect Rate: The following are the maximum allowable indirect rates:
- Up to 5% to government agencies
- Up to 10% for Universities and Colleges
- Up to 15% for other organizations with budgets over $10 million
- Up to 20% for other organizations with budgets under $10 million
