2024 Vitalyst Grant Partners

SYSTEMS CHANGE GRANTS: Changing systems to improve community health across the state.

Each grant is worth $175,000 over three years and is part of the Foundation’s ongoing mission to improve health and well-being for vulnerable populations across Arizona. Grant recipients are Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Arizona Community Health Workers Association, Black Lives Matter Phoenix Metro, Central Arizona Shelter Services, EAR Foundation of Arizona.

Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics: “Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program Model: A Collaborative, Systems Change Project.” This project aims to reduce barriers to collaboration between child and adolescent psychiatrists and pediatricians by building pediatric healthcare providers’ capacity to address their patients’ mental and behavioral health needs through the development of a Pediatric Mental Health Care Access (PMHCA) program model. Centered on group consultation and shared learning experiences between psychiatric experts and general pediatricians, this project and PMHCA program model would build upon the state’s existing prevention services, further supporting child health and well-being. 

Arizona Community Health Workers Association: Fulfilling the Arizona CHW Integration 2.0 Initiative to increase CHW integration by the health care system through health care providers and health plans (Medicaid Managed Care Organizations) statewide through changes in policies and practices. With previous support from Vitalyst, AzCHOW and others successfully advocated for CHW voluntary certification and AHCCCS reimbursement for CHW services. This proposed initiative is the next step to achieving the full potential of Arizona’s CHW workforce to improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs in our state. An advisory group of six key stakeholders will drive the collaborative work and assist with evaluating success. 

Black Lives Matter Phoenix Metro: Pre-court youth restorative justice-based diversion program as an alternative to incarcerating youth. The goal is to create a program that, instead of going to court and being sentenced, youth can do a diversion program that uses restorative justice to address the harm and transformative justice to address the system that led up to the harm in the first place. BLM found that restorative justice is helpful in healing harm that happens between individuals but misses harms that occur by the system, such as implicit bias, racial profiling, and poverty, to name a few. By having a restorative and transformative justice lens, they can improve the current diversion programs and hold the whole individual.

Central Arizona Shelter Services: New system of dementia screening, diagnosis, and care, filling a current gap for seniors experiencing homelessness who may have dementia and/or cognitive impairment. This new inter-organizational pathway will fill that gap, building a structure for a safety net for the growing number of seniors becoming homeless across the nation. With better identification of dementia and/or cognitive impairment, better care can then be provided, including both medical care and the social support that unhoused older adults with dementia need to exit homelessness successfully. Better care enabled by the creation of this new pathway will mean that seniors with cognitive impairments will have better health outcomes and more appropriate housing placements that consider their cognitive status. The new system of dementia screening, diagnosis, and care can help to move vulnerable seniors out of homelessness and reduce their risk of returning to homelessness. 

EAR Foundation of Arizona: Improve the health of childbearing people and children in Arizona, particularly in socially disadvantaged groups, through a parent/provider network for cCMV education, screening, and family support. The education initiative is to change perceptions of the standard of care and best clinical practice in patient and provider populations for cCMV. The screening initiative aims to build capacity and demonstrate the feasibility of cCMV universal newborn screening guidelines as a straightforward integration to current bedside saliva and urine tests. The resulting systems change will expand Arizona’s newborn screening infrastructure to reduce the impact of cCMV on our communities through education, early detection, and family structure. 

SPARK GRANTS: Supporting collaborations in the journey to address systemic change.

Total funding of $300,000 for Spark Grants was approved during fiscal year 23-24. In addition to supporting collaborations to begin systemic change, Spark Grant funding was also expanded to invest in place-based collaboratives working to improve the health of people and communities, especially in rural Arizona.

Abolish Private Prisons: APP already advocates for criminal justice reform through litigation, policy advocacy, and community outreach. The primary focus thus far has been eradicating perverse profit incentives in the criminal justice system, such as private for-profit incarceration. They will serve as a hub for more informed, coordinated, and effective advocacy by the many individuals and organizations already working in the criminal justice reform space. To begin, additional staff will help determine what strategic partnerships to forge and how they might best build a coalition with member commitments to a joint mission.

AZ AANHPI for Equity: Through ongoing partnerships with Arouet Foundation, SAGE Counseling, and World Human Services Campus, the effort will investigate and improve the rights restoration process for justice-involved individuals in our state. Partners have seen that many rights restoration applications are denied, even when clients have met all stringent requirements and payments. The aim is to work with partners to 1) gather data on the rights restoration process through qualitative and quantitative community research, 2) analyze the data to determine where the key problems lie in Arizona’s rights restoration process, 3) develop a policy intervention that will improve the rights restoration process so more disenfranchised community members can get their rights back, and 4) develop an advocacy plan to move our policy proposal forward. AZ AANHPI for Equity will lead this work’s project planning and implementation. At the same time, our three partners will support research, data collection, and community outreach through their justice-involved clients.

Center for Victims of Torture: The effort will create a mechanism to address the coordination needs of various systems of care involved in supporting equitable mental health and well-being outcomes for recently arrived asylum seekers in southern Arizona. When new arrivals cross the border, they are dropped off at the Casa Alitas Welcome Center, where they receive shelter, food, and other needed services. The CVT provides specialized mental health and psychosocial support, and the Southeast Arizona Health Education Center (SEAHEC) provides basic healthcare services. When individuals require a higher level of care than can be provided at the shelter, they are referred to services in the Tucson community, including the El Rio Healthcare system and Crisis Response Center located at Banner Medical Center. The proposal hopes to (1) create a mechanism for mental health coordination for newly arrived asylum seekers (referred to here forward as a consortium); (2) conduct a semi-structured assessment of each entity’s strengths, challenges and gaps in service for this population; (3) develop a training plan and materials for orientation to the mental health experiences and needs of the asylum-seeking population; and  (4) develop a coordinated mental health crisis response plan for newly arrived asylum seekers staying at the Casa Alitas Welcome Center.

Cochise Harm Reduction: CHR offers mobile harm reduction services throughout Cochise County. CHR is developing and distributing policy and practice change recommendations that result from Point-in-Time Survey research being conducted in partnership with CDC Foundation, Cochise Addiction & Recovery Partnership, and Cochise County Health & Social Services department. CHR is disseminating the implications and findings of research, affecting systems change via education and locally specific information distribution to professional organizations, government, and other local stakeholders, strengthening their network and information channels for ongoing systems change. The Point-in-Time Survey will collect information on participant demographics, programmatic feedback and impacts, overdose prevention indicators, and localized and current drug use trends. Continually with harm reduction programming, they see the data speaks for itself, so they will broadcast local research findings and implications toward the mission of improving the lives of People who use drugs (PWUD) in Cochise County.

Greater Phoenix Economic Council: In November 2023, GPEC led multisector collaboration – Medical Device Manufacturing Multiplier (MDM2) Consortium – received a strategy development grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA)’s Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs Program (Tech Hubs). The MDM2 Consortium proposed to develop strategies to accelerate Phoenix’s medical device sector through a public-private collaboration and investment model that will spur regional momentum and create a “flywheel,” or multiplier effect with each subsequent investment and partnership, bringing the sector to maturity and scale. Over the 18-month Tech Hubs grant period, ending April 30, 2025, consortium members will strengthen the region’s eligibility to become a tech hub designated by the EDA by producing a strategic plan and designing specific component projects for implementation. MDM2 intends to compete for a potential $60-70M implementation grant in a future round of Tech Hubs program competition.

Nalwoodi Denzhone Community: NDC will engage strategic San Carlos Apache leaders and increase community partnerships in every aspect of the food system to develop a long-term sustainable plan. Establishing a local food system within the reservation enhances food security, promotes better health, facilitates economic development, and preserves cultural traditions. Moreover, it strengthens the community’s resilience in the face of challenges, promotes environmental sustainability, and enhances food sovereignty for the San Carlos Apache Tribe. Developing strategic corroboration of like-minded partners not only provides valuable services and employment opportunities but also offers skills training and personal development, as well as investing in the sustainability of the San Carlos community. This holistic approach, driven by the input of community members, ensures that the project can significantly impact the health and well-being of the San Carlos Apache people.

NAU Foundation—Center for Health Equity Research: Families with young children in Yavapai County experience a fragmented health system, which impedes access to existing health services and resources, exacerbating health inequities. The Yavapai Communities for Young Children (YCYC) supports efforts to improve the coordination of service delivery among healthcare organizations and community-based organizations serving families with young children in Yavapai County through the expanded use of the Community Cares closed-loop referral platform.

Parents of Addicted Loved Ones: PAL is pulling like-minded partners together through this engagement to form a Network to address the challenges of Substance Use Disorder (SUD). Each Partner will be selected by evaluating their unique skill sets and delivery of services to those struggling with SUD. Currently, PAL has connected with Dr. Cindy Scott, Professor of Justice Studies at Northern Arizona University, to begin building the Partner roster for the Network. PAL will serve as the lead agency for Year One, with the gavel being turned over to another partner to lead Year Two.

Pastoral Care Associates: PCA will build a coalition of resources and stakeholders to raise awareness of the urgent need for pastoral/spiritual resources and care. This would include healthcare plans, insurance providers, and government agencies, as well as organizations, for example, the Cancer Society, Home Healthcare nursing companies, Terros, and others. PCA would sponsor a program (forum event) centered around establishing connections within the healthcare industry to identify the importance of pastoral care and the benefits of pastoral/spiritual services to clients, patients, and families. The long-term goal would be to raise public and organizational awareness of pastoral/spiritual care, open pathways toward reimbursement, the clinical nature of pastoral care services, and training the public and stakeholders about what Pastoral Care is and how systemic issues of delivery and reimbursement can be addressed.

Tooth B.U.D.D.S., Inc.: Support for the Access to Care Expansion (ACE) planning project. The ACE project is a collaboration between Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation (DDAZF) and Tooth B.U.D.D.S. It aims to determine the need for private insurance reimbursement for services provided by Affiliated Practice Dental Hygienists (APDH) and Dental Therapists throughout Arizona. Currently, services provided by APDH and Dental Therapists are only reimbursable through Medicaid or AHCCCS; therefore, dental coverage is limited to only those children, ages 0-19, who qualify, limiting the population of individuals APDH or Dental Therapists can reach. Data gathered through the ACE planning project will be used to determine the necessity for the next steps toward creating a new category of Access to Care in the dental field. Following this initial effort, through a “systems change,” private insurance reimbursement could expand access to care (element of a healthy community) for the desired population (marginalized communities and disadvantaged populations of children and adults), improve health outcomes, increase health equity, and create a sustainable model that would change dental health for underserved Arizonans forever.

United Way of Northern Arizona: The need for services and advocacy for LGBTQ+ people in northern Arizona, like in many other regions, stems from the challenges and discrimination faced by this community. LGBTQ+ individuals often experience unique struggles related to their sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression. With this project, UWNA will bring together multiple partners in this space to enhance knowledge of options for engagement, support, and/or services for LGBTQ+ people living in northern Arizona.

Medical Assistance Grants: Invest in direct service for vision, hearing, heart/lung, and substance use through Medical Assistance Grants. The 3-year grant cycle began in 2023.

The following finalized the first of a three-year partnership to provide direct services in each of the following areas:

Hearing

Area Agency on Aging Region One

A. T. Still University – Arizona School of Health Sciences

EAR Foundation of Arizona

The Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Heart/Lung

Maricopa Community Colleges HUG Clinic

University of Arizona – Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health

Substance Use Disorder

Phoenix Rescue Mission

Vision

Area Agency on Aging Region One

Arizona Lions Vision & Hearing Foundation

Eye Care 4 Kids

Foundation for Blind Children

Society of St. Vincent de Paul

The Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Technical Assistance Grants: Invest through grants/contracts technical assistance support for partners focused on Vitalyst priorities and those mission aligned.

The following partners have received support:

Advance Community: $8,800 with Karcsay Consulting, LLC for administrative/technology systems.

African American Christian Clergy Coalition: $16,264 with Bashir & Associated, LLC for strategic planning.

Arizona Association of Manufactured Homeowners: $10,000 with Collabo, LLC and Nicole Huser for fundraising and development.

Arizona Bleeding Disorders: $11,225 with Mindflower Studios for strategic planning.

Arizona Caregivers Association: $15,000 with Kelly Fryer & Associates for strategic planning.

Arizona Talks Foundation: $17,750 with Connected Philanthropy for strategic planning.

Autism Life & Living (TAPAZ project): $12,000 with Synergy Philanthropy, LLC for fundraising/development.

Black Lives Matter Phoenix Metro: $12,500 with S. Rowe Consulting for board governance and strategic planning.

Care for the Caregivers: $12,000 with Synergy Philanthropy, LLC for board governance and fundraising/development.

Cochise Harm Reduction: $15,000 with Luxardo Strategies Consulting for management, governance, and administrative systems.

Copper Corridor Collective: $15,101 with Anna Purpera LLC for administrative systems and strategic planning.

Feeding Matters: $7,250 with Rising Stars, LLC for administrative systems.

Foundation for Creative Broadcasting/KXCI: $11,000 with Elan Consulting for strategic planning.

Ground Work (TAPAZ project): $1,605 with Gerst Grants & Nonprofit Consulting for administrative systems.

Live Theater Workshop: $10,000 with Alexander Carrilo Consulting for governance and administrative systems.

Lookout Publications: $5,000 with Julie Winslett, CFRE, for fundraising/development.

Medi-ssage Outreach (TAPAZ project): $8,250 with New River Group for board governance.

Million Dollar Teacher Project: $6,000 with Synergy Philanthropy for organizational development and fundraising.

Mindfulness First (TAPAZ project): $9,975 with CK Synergy for strategic planning.

Nde Bikeeya Chiricahua Apache Land Trust (TAPAZ project): $10,700 with Marcus
Monenerkit for strategic community needs assessment.

Northwest Valley Connect: $19,200 with Weber Consulting to develop administration, operations, and finance systems.

Our Sister Our Brother (TAPAZ project): $9,750 with Rise Events & Consulting for business model development.

Pipeline AZ: $14,900 with Kelly Fryer & Associates for strategic planning.

Phonetic Spit: $1,875 with Avenir Consulting Partners for governance and fundraising/development.

Promoting Independence: Families of Adults with Autism: $14,290 with Lead Local consulting for organizational/network development.

Rehoboth Community Development Corporation (TAPAZ project): $3,000 with Allen Gjservig Consultants to Nonprofits for strategic planning.

Sonoran Prevention Works: $5,000 for fundraising/development.

Scholarships A-Z: $12,000 with Gonzalez Consulting for strategic planning.

Spaces of Opportunity: $10,000 with Julie Winslett for fundraising/development.

The Bambi Fund (TAPAZ project): $10,700 with Gonzalez Consulting for board development.

The Center for Community Mediation and Facilitation: $11,975 with Jennifer Camano and Viable Insights for fundraising/development and evaluation.

The ClipDart Giveback (TAPAZ project): $9,975 with CKsynergy & Kelly Fryer & Association for business planning.

The Cottage Foundation: $11,250 with Rise Events & Consulting for strategic framework, operations planning, and budgeting.

WORKS Coalition (TAPAZ project): $10,700 with Gonzalez Consulting Group for board governance & development.

Place-Based Collaborative Grants: Invest through grants in place-based collaboratives that improve the health of people and communities, especially in rural and tribal communities.

The following grants were approved during fiscal year 23-24.

Local First Arizona – Spring 2 Action ($25,000): Spring 2 Action is an emerging community group serving the White Mountain and San Carlos Apache communities of eastern Arizona. Spring 2 Action proposes to support grassroots community members with projects that promote health and well-being for the Apache people. Local First Arizona will serve as the initial fiscal sponsor, but Spring 2 Action aims to create a 501(c)(3) organization that can provide fiscal sponsorship, technical assistance, and training for community member projects on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation and the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. Spring 2 Action will also stimulate community projects that support health and empowerment of the people.

Native Seeds/Southwestern Endangered Aridland Resources Clearing House (SEARCH) ($25,000): Native Seeds/SEARCH seeks to make traditional seeds available to rural Indigenous communities and support traditional food systems. The organization will conduct consultative workshops to gain information about seed access and current food systems. They aspire to have open dialogues, share seeds and educational resources, and receive feedback on how to lower barriers to using traditional seeds and culturally relevant food. They plan to host four workshops with community, cultural, and food-focused organizations within the Pascua Yaqui tribe, the Tohono O’odham Nation, and the White Mountain Apache Tribe. The goal is to disrupt existing farming and food systems that have alienated and discriminated against rural Indigenous communities and destroyed traditional foodways, creating significant health disparities. 

Regenerating Sonora – Copper Corridor Collaborative ($50,000): this grant supports regional self-sufficiency in the Copper Corridor through a collaboration between three nonprofits: Regenerating Sonora, Miami Arts Commission, and Set Free Kearney Church. All three organizations are part of an informal network of change-makers working towards a thriving Copper Corridor that has met weekly for over five months. Along with regional self-sufficiency, the collaborative is tackling issues around land use and housing and advancing arts and culture in the region.

Rehoboth Community Development Corporation ($25,000): supporting the 27th Avenue Healthy Corridor Collaborative (HCC) in initiating foundational revitalization efforts through beautification along the 27th Avenue Corridor, with a focus on promoting equity. The overarching goal is to transform this area into a vibrant, thriving community and business corridor between Indian School and Dunlap Roads that fosters equitable access to opportunities and resources. The envisioned health outcome is to create an active, safe, and welcoming community with vibrant retail, sustainable housing, and equitable access to resources and opportunities that promote health and well-being.

Advocacy & Public Policy Grants: Build community-based organizations’ advocacy and public policy capacity.

Affirm: $20,000 to develop the Arizona preconception care landscape analysis.

Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers: $20,000 to drive systemic changes to secure permanent, sustainable solutions for continued labor and delivery services in
underserved regions.

Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children: $20,000 to raise public awareness of early childhood education (ECE) and will engage and lead in policy efforts to advance quality, affordable ECE services.

Arizona Commerce Authority (via Gallup): $22,000 to better understand the pertinent personal and familial/household characteristics of people not in the labor force, as well as the personal and structural barriers they face to participating in the labor force.

Arizona Food Bank Network: $20,000 for the elevation of voices of those experiencing food insecurity to increase access to quality and affordable food, resulting in healthier communities.

Arizona Medical Association: $20,000 for legislative efforts for the State to invest a portion of the premium tax on healthcare-related insurance products on workforce development.

Arizona Planning Association: $15,000 for lobbying, community engagement/outreach, and local stakeholder collaboration for housing. 

Children’s Action Alliance: $25,000 for outreach and advocacy efforts to increase children’s health insurance enrollment. 

Children’s Action Alliance: $12,000 to improve school Medicaid reimbursement.

Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children: $20,000 for advocacy and mentorships effort to build the capacity of early childcare advocates. 

Friendly House: $10,000 to advocate for policy changes that prioritize the inclusion and expansion of their programs within the upcoming legislative appropriations for immigration and refugee resettlement, both at the state and national levels.

Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest: $14,000 to build capacity in the organization’s advocacy program and impact within the public policy arena.

Northern Arizona Interfaith Council: $20,000 to engage with state-level public elected officials to gain concrete commitments in addressing housing issues.

Stand for Children Arizona: $20,000 for coalition building to develop and lead legislation related to accessible prison communication. 

The Joy Bus: $20,000 to leverage opportunities for food and meals reimbursement by AHCCCS through an 1115 waiver. 

Valley Interfaith Project: $20,000 for convening advocacy partners for housing. 