Preventative medicine experts estimate that only about 20 percent of a person’s health is related to healthcare. The remaining 80 percent stems from what are called “social determinants of health” —behavioral, environmental and social factors that deeply influence health outcomes, such as whether a person has enough to eat, where and how they live, and their income, education, civic participation and physical environment.
Grassroots, community-driven programs delivering both health and social care significantly contribute to improved health outcomes in communities of color and low-income communities. As highly impactful and trusted resources, people and organizations rooted in communities are uniquely positioned to identify and execute strategies that improve the health and well-being of the people they serve. Many use advocacy as a tool to influence public health policy and shift the power to determine health outcomes back to communities.
SVCF’s Health: Community Action Grants RFP aims to address health disparities. In this focus area, SVCF will support organizations whose leaders are Black, Indigenous or people or color – or their allies – that prioritize community-based solutions to improve access to care, strengthen primary care, and offer mental health services.