Determination of Need Funding and Opportunities to Apply

Learn more about our two funding opportunities: Boston Substance Youth Prevention and Addressing the Social Determinants of Health.

Opportunity 1: Boston Substance Youth Prevention

The Department of Public Health (“DPH”) agreed that the Massachusetts General Hospital (“MGH”) may provide a total of $1,346,714 ($1,241,000 from the operating room DoN 4-3C45 & $105,714 from DoN 4-3B19) in funding for activities that support Boston’s Youth Substance Use Prevention Strategic Plan. Funds may be spent over a timeframe that is reasonable and justified, anywhere from one to five years.

Selected Priorities and Strategies for Funding

Based on input from Boston’s Youth Substance Use Prevention Advisory and Oversight committees, it was recommended in June of 2019 that monies be used to support two of the five strategies recommended in the plan:

1. Improving cross-sector coordination and expand leadership to establish a coordinated youth substance use prevention strategy
2. Building and improving pathways to prevention, intervention and recovery supports for youth in all Boston neighborhoods

Boston’s Advisory and Oversight Committee will govern this final step in awarding CHI grant funds to applying organizations.

Allocated Funds to Date

• A total of $600,000 over 3 years has gone to support existing community coalitions in need of funding to strengthen their youth substance use prevention efforts through an RFP process. Chinatown, Grove Hall, Allston/Brighton will receive funds through 2021

• A total of $113,750 has been allocated to DPH to address priorities in the strategic plan. Total Spent to Date: $63,750

Status: Open. Requests for Proposals to Support Youth Substance Use Prevention Efforts During COVID-19 Through Innovation and Technology are due July 31, 2020 by 3:00 pm ET.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges for young people living in Boston. School and program closures are a necessary public health response to the crisis, but have created increased social isolation, stress, and anxiety among Boston youth. Many organizations that support young people have faced significant challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic. These challenges include modifying programs so that they can be delivered virtually, purchasing technology for staff or youth, and developing new initiatives to help support young people.

To help meet these needs, through Determination of Need funds and in partnership with City of Boston Recovery Services, $250,000 (approximately 10 grants up to $25,000) will be awarded to youth-serving organizations in Boston, so that they can better support middle- and high-school aged youth.

View the RFP >

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Opportunity 2: Addressing the Social Determinants of Health

In April 2019, Mass General filed a Determination of Need (DoN) application for $102.2 million in facility improvements. DPH requires 5% of this total to be reserved for Community Health Initiative (CHI) funds, further reserving 25% of this slice for statewide CHI funding initiatives and the remainder for the applicant to distribute locally. Mass General must distribute that remaining $3.4 million by September 2020.

Selected Priorities and Strategies for Funding

Upon review of the 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and Improvement Plan (CHIP), the CAB selected the following priorities and strategies to fund. It designated length of total allocation amounts across these three areas and selected a Letter of Inquiry (LOI), followed by a Request for Proposals (RFP) process for two of these three areas. The Allocation Committee will govern this final step in awarding CHI grant funds to applying organizations.

Priority: Affordable Housing
Strategy: Leverage existing and new shared funding pools to support acquisition, production, and preservation of deed-restricted affordable housing.
Allocation Amount and Length: $1,125,680 over one year
Funding Mechanism: Investment to Community Development Financial Institution

Priority: Workforce Development Programming
Strategy: Support workforce development programs, with a focus on resume building, job readiness, skills training, education, ESOL and through the cultivation of relationships with employers, trade and unions.
Allocation Amount and Length: $375,227/year for three years
Funding Mechanism: LOI, RFP

Priority: Affordable Housing
Strategy: Increase the pool of Community Health Workers and Recovery Coaches with specialized mental health/substance use training who: represent low-income, immigrant, LGBTQ, seniors, and/or communities of color through coordinated, funded recruitment and training programs.
Allocation Amount and Length: $375,227/year for three years
Funding Mechanism: LOI, RFP

Two main strategies to focus on for this funding opportunity:

1. Workforce Development Programming (WFD) - Funding for this strategy aims to support workforce development programs, with a focus on resume building, job readiness, skills training, education, ESOL and through the cultivation of relationships with employers, trades, and unions
2. Increasing Access to Behavioral Health Services through Community Workers (CHWs) - Funding for this strategy aims to increase the pool of Community Health Workers and Recovery Coaches with specialized mental health/substance use training who represent low-income, immigrant, LGBTQ, seniors, and/or communities of color through coordinated, funded recruitment and training programs

Status: The process for accepting Letters of Inquiry closed on July 2, 2020, and the LOIs are currently under review.  Selected organizations with a highly rated LOI will be notified and invited to submit a Request for Proposal at a later date. Check back here for updates.