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August 2018 Newsletter

Foundations Partner for Community Health Worker Pilot
Community Memorial Foundation and Healthy Communities Foundation are partnering to pilot a Community Health Worker initiative in the Western Suburbs. Nonprofit organizations are invited to submit proposals that incorporate community health workers, or ‘promotoras’, into new or existing programming.
The American Public Health Association defines a community health worker (CHW) as a frontline public health worker who is a trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community served. This trusting relationship enables the worker to serve as a liaison between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery (apha.org 2018). Community Memorial Foundation views the pilot as an integral part of our Regional Health and Human Services Agenda, and is committed to promoting CHWs for the purposes of enhancing community engagement, health equity and workforce development in our region.
The foundations have allocated a budget of $330,000 for 6 FTE Community Health Workers at a total budget of up to $55,000 each. The pilot will be coordinated by Health and Medicine Policy Research Group, and will run from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019; there will be opportunity for renewal grants in years 2 and 3, pending successful outcomes. Interested organizations should download the RFP and submit an application no later than Monday, October 1, 2018; they are also invited to attend an information session at the CMF office on Wednesday, September 12th at 10:00 AM.
Questions? Please contact Nan Silva, Program Director, at 630.654.4729.

Launching the Ladder to Leadership  

The Foundation recently launched the third cohort of our Ladder to Leadership program. This innovative, 16-month curriculum is aimed at strengthening the leadership skills of mid-career nonprofit professionals and the capacity of the grantee organizations in which they serve.
For three days in August, the newest class of fellows met for an intensive series of courses, professional coaching and experiential learning exercises to foster collaborative engagement and tap into their unique leadership style. The workshop capped with a networking and wine tasting event, before the fellows reconvene in November.
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