General Operating Support

We allocate most of our funding to unrestricted general operating support, allowing us to invest boldly in organizations and community-led efforts that promote an equitable recovery from the pandemic in our service region.

Through general operating support, we believe that strengthening our partner organizations from within helps them be more adaptive, innovative, and mission-driven, which fosters sustainable, scalable systems change that advances racial and health equity in our communities.

Partnership Types

Annual

These one-year grants are awarded annually through an open, competitive grant cycle. This funding enables us to respond to emerging health equity strategies and crises, promote ongoing collaboration with current and prospective partners, and gain a deeper understanding of the local health ecosystem to better support health equity efforts in our region.

Multi-Year

Multi-year grantee partners receive renewable general operating support for a set period to support their leadership efforts toward advancing health equity in our region. This long-term partnership is a collaborative learning process shaped by our partners’ expertise, input and capacity. Grantee partners are not eligible for the annual open grant cycle during this partnership.

 

In 2021, we launched our first cohort with a 3-year grant commitment. In 2024, based on insights from the first cohort, we launched our second cohort and expanded the grant commitment to 5 years. This change reflects our understanding that more extended funding periods can cultivate more resilient and adaptive organizations.

2024 General Operating Support Grants

Total: $6,975,000

Total Grants Awarded Partner Count Percent of Partners Serving Legacy & Equity Zone
$2,525,000
46
65%
$4,450,000
32
78%

Grantmaking Priorities

All grantee partners’ work aligns with one or more of our grantmaking priorities, focusing on downstream, midstream, and upstream strategies to advance racial and health equity.

Riverside, Illinois
Riverside, Illinois
Access
to Quality Health Services

Partners focused on removing healthcare access barriers, strongly emphasizing community leadership in their systems change strategies.

Address
Social Determinants of Health

Partners addressing social and structural determinants of health through innovative, racially equitable approaches.

Advocate
for Health Policies & Systems Change

Partners advocating for health policy and upstream solutions to health inequities.

Augment
Local Health Knowledge

Partners focused on community-led inquiry and local public health data collection.