We envision a Massachusetts where communities are transformed so that all residents have an equitable opportunity to have the highest quality of life possible. The Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds (the Funds) are committed to disrupting and removing barriers to health – structural and institutional racism, poverty, and deep power imbalances – through community-centered policy, systems, and environmental change approaches. Background Previously, Community Health Initiative funding had been significantly concentrated in Boston. The 2017 revision created the Massachusetts Community Health Funds to receive a portion of Community Health Initiative funds and re-distribute to communities across the state that have not benefited from these Community Health Initiative funds. The Funds provide an opportunity to address the root causes of health inequities in communities across Massachusetts. Health Resources in Action (HRiA) acts as the fiscal agent and is responsible for facilitating the planning and implementation of The Funds. See more about the Funds partners on the About the Team page. Grantmaking The Funds represent both a grantmaking and capacity-building resource to assist organizations and communities in addressing the root causes of health inequities. See our Theory of Change on the About the Funds page. Beginning in 2020 and continuing every other year, the Funds have facilitated a competitive grantmaking process awarding between 20-30 grants. Community-based nonprofit organizations, municipalities, quasi-governmental organizations, and community groups or coalitions with a 501c3 fiscal sponsor can apply. See more information about our Grantmaking on the What We Fund page. We currently have more than 50 active grantees engaging in community-centered, upstream work across the state including in the areas of Healthy Aging, Community Health Improvement Planning, and Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change more broadly. See more information about our Current Grantees here.
