Through this funding opportunity, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) seeks to support and engage black community members, persons of lower socioeconomic status, and rural residents in the South and Midwest in order to increase their ability to advocate for stronger, locally, or regionally driven tobacco-control and prevention policies and practices.
This funding stream will support organizations working with and representing black residents, lower-income residents, and rural residents in 13 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Proposals can focus on a single state, multiple states, or the entire region. However, it may not always make sense to focus resources on just these states. For example, strategies that are successful in Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia may be more applicable to Pennsylvania and Wisconsin than to Alabama and Mississippi. Therefore, proposals that plan to focus on states within and adjacent to Tobacco Nation will be considered if the application provides a compelling justification for working outside of Tobacco Nation.
This initiative will support up to six, two-year projects with the possibility of a second round of funding. The total available funding is $4 million, and individual project budgets should not exceed $1.5 million.
RWJF is also interested in organizations partnering together to oversee projects, but asks that one of the joint applicants be named as the project lead (i.e., the organization responsible for administering the grant and reporting to RWJF).
RWJF seeks new and innovative approaches to addressing tobacco-related inequities. A history of working on commercial tobacco control and prevention is not required , but funded organizations will work closely with organizations that focus on commercial tobacco control and prevention, including organizations that are currently funded by RWJF, such as the American Nonsmokers Rights Foundation and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
Successful applicants should have:
- A demonstrated history of managing funds to support nonlobbying advocacy efforts;
- Strong previous or current relationships with legal counsel with expertise in the lobbying and political activity restrictions that apply to public charities and private foundations;
- Applicant organizations must be either public entities or nonprofit organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and are not private foundations or nonfunctionally integrated Type III supporting organizations;
- Applicant organizations must be based in the United States or its territories.
Key Dates
- August 29, 2019 (3 p.m. ET) – Deadline for receipt of brief proposals.
- September 3–September 27 – Follow-up interviews with select applicants.
- November 11, 2019 (3 p.m. ET) – Deadline for receipt of full proposals.
- January 15, 2020 – Anticipated grant start date.
Contact: Matthew Pierce
Email: mpierce@rwjf.org