The New York Health Foundation (NYHealth) has announced the "Advancing Maternal Health Equity Through Primary and Preventive Care" Request for Proposals (RFP) to address racial disparities in maternal health for Black New Yorkers and other communities of color. The initiative will fund projects that utilize primary care, preventive care, and community linkages to promote maternal health equity. NYHealth plans to award approximately $1 million across 5–8 proposals, with individual grants of up to $200,000.

Funded projects must focus on identifying racial disparities in maternal health outcomes, implementing primary and preventive care solutions, and measuring progress toward improving racial health equity. Activities can address maternal health needs before, during, and up to one year after pregnancy. Eligible projects can take place in clinical settings, such as family medicine or obstetrics-gynecology, or community-based settings with strong primary care partnerships. NYHealth encourages clinical-community partnerships, including collaborations between health care providers, community organizations, and public health departments.

The application process requires an initial Letter of Inquiry (LOI), to be submitted through the NYHealth applicant portal by January 10, 2025, at 1:00 PM. Applicants selected to move forward will be invited to submit full proposals by March 19, 2025. Notifications of awards or declinations will be issued by the end of May 2025. All application updates and notifications will be sent via email, so applicants should ensure proper email filtering to receive messages from noreply@salesforce.com.

To assist applicants, virtual office hours with Program Officers will be held on December 9, 2024, December 19, 2024, and January 7, 2025. These sessions will provide opportunities for organizations to seek guidance and clarify application requirements. Registration is required to attend. For additional programmatic questions, applicants can email PCRFP@nyhealthfoundation.org, while technical issues with the application portal can be directed to gm@nyhealthfoundation.org.

This funding opportunity was developed through a collaborative process involving a three-member advisory board and input from community stakeholders. These efforts reflect NYHealth’s commitment to listening and integrating diverse perspectives into its strategy to advance maternal health equity. Applicants are encouraged to align their proposals with the RFP’s focus on community engagement, innovative partnerships, and systemic change to ensure equitable maternal health care.

This RFP demonstrates NYHealth’s dedication to addressing structural inequities in maternal health care, promoting solutions that empower communities and improve outcomes for women and birthing people of color. Nonprofit organizations, healthcare providers, and community partnerships with aligned goals are encouraged to apply.