The grant proposal submission period for the Healthcare Occupations Program Grant is closed. 

Purpose

Access to quality healthcare services is important to reduce health disparities and improve health status. Availability of qualified healthcare professionals is often cited as one of the main barriers limiting care. 

The purpose of the Healthcare Occupations Program Grant is to expand or develop healthcare programs to increase the number of graduates in three high-demand occupational fields: nursing (e.g. nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, registered nurses and practical nurses, etc.); behavioral health (e.g. licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, addiction counselors, etc.); and allied health (e.g. nurse aides, techs, dental assistants, etc.). All proposals should be based upon proven, evidence-based activities, result in more completers, and demonstrate a significant employer demand for graduates. 

Proposal Submission Process

The grant proposal submission period is closed. The Healthcare Occupations Program Grant consists of a two-stage submission process. The first stage is submission of a Letter of Intent (LOI) using The Rapides Foundation’s online application process only. Letters of Intent that are approved by the Foundation's Board of Trustees at its May 2022 meeting will then be invited to submit a Full Proposal of their project. To see full details of the LOI and Full Proposal stages, please refer to the Request for Proposals. 

Interested applicants are encouraged to contact The Rapides Foundation for guidance before submitting their proposal. Contact information is located in the right column.

Grant Awards

This is a competitive grant application process and available grant funding from The Rapides Foundation is limited. The Foundation has committed up to $3 million for this funding opportunity. The grant term will be up to 43 months, beginning November 1, 2022, and ending June 1, 2026. All funded projects can include a planning and start-up period beginning November 1, 2022, and ending no later than May 31, 2023. While there is no award ceiling for this opportunity, grant awards will be based on impact to high-demand healthcare occupations and funding requests should be appropriate for the number of additional graduates produced. The Foundation will consider multiple applications per organization. Organizations should not combine projects to address multiple occupational fields in one proposal. Separate proposals should be submitted for each project. The Foundation reserves the right to grant less than the total amount requested. 

Grantees may partner with other educational institutions to provide capacity and accreditation for programs. All funded projects must be offered in The Rapides Foundation's nine-parish service area.

Applicants should thoroughly review the Request for Proposals and other key documents included in the Key Materials section (in right column) to see full details, application process and proposal requirements.

Key Dates

  • Friday, March 11, 2022: Informational Webinar
  • Monday, April 25, 2022: Letter of Intent Submission Deadline
  • Friday, May 20, 2022: LOI Notification of Selection
  • Monday, August 8, 2022: Full Proposal Submission Deadline for Selected Applicants
  • Monday, October 3, 2022: Notification of Selection 
  • November 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023: Planning/Startup Period
  • Thursday, June 1, 2023: Full Grant Implementation

Informational Webinar

An Informational Webinar about this grant opportunity was held on March 11. To view the webinar recording, click the button below.

The presentation from the webinar can be found in the Key Materials section below.

Watch the webinar recording

Proposal Submission

The grant proposal submission period is closed.

Applicants invited for full proposal submission will be notified of selection on October 3, 2022.

NOTE: If you are a grantee trying to access your grant account, please click here: Grantee Login

Contact

Prospective applicants are encouraged to schedule a call or meeting with Foundation staff to discuss alignment and feasibility of their Letter of Intent or Full Proposal before submission. 

PLEASE SCHEDULE THE MEETING AT LEAST THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE.

For proposals involving nursing programs, contact

Matt LaBorde
Program Officer

Phone

For proposals involving allied health or behavioral health programs, contact:

Kiydra Harris
Program Officer

Phone
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