• Because MFH is a funder of health and health-related programs, organizations must support activities that aim to achieve measurable improvements in the health of Missouri's citizens, particularly the health of the uninsured, underinsured and underserved populations. Therefore, health programming must account for more than 50% of annual operating expense as documented on the most recent Form 990 tax return to be eligible for funding. Organizations must be located and provide health services in the Foundation's service area (refer to service area map found on MFH's website).
• Applicants must be either a nonprofit organization exempt from federal tax under provisions of Section 501(c) (3) of the IRS Code or exempt state or local government agencies. All applicants must be in good corporate standing with the state of Missouri.
• Operating budgets must be at least $200,000 but cannot exceed $10 million annually.
• Organizations must have been in operation and directly providing programming for at least three years and have a minimum of two FTE staff persons.    

Note:  The Foundation does not accept Capacity Building - Technical Assistance Grant Program applications from for-profit organizations or from organizations located outside its region.

• Strategic Planning:  Strategic Planning refers to the process by which an organization determines and articulates its priorities for program, resource, and systems development within a specific time-frame (often three to five years) based on an examination of internal and external environmental conditions within the context of its mission and values.
• Short-term Business and Financial Planning:  The focus should be on implementing strategies already in place or imbedded in a current strategic plan. A typical business plan would include a SWOT analysis, priority markets and constituencies, a product analysis, a value proposition, codifying the operating model (who does what, with/to whom, using what resources), and identifying the financing strategy. It would also include short-term implementation planning, e.g., goals, success measures, tasks, accountabilities, and risks.

• Fund Development:  Activities that are related to the process of organizational or institutional fundraising which may also include formulating development assessments and plans.
• Program Evaluation:  The establishment/enhancement of data management programming and the systematic collection of information about the activities, characteristics, and outcomes of programs to make judgments about the program, improve program effectiveness, and/or inform decisions about future program development.
• Strategic Communications:  For nonprofits to communicate effectively with current and prospective stakeholders, they must develop strategic communication tools. Projects should look at specific ways in which communication planning can be used to better inform, recruit and retain constituency support. The most effective strategic communications efforts will link to other strategic efforts by the organization (i.e.; fundraising, board/staff development, volunteer recruitment, community relations, program development, etc.)  All projects should include assessment, implementation/operation and training. Projects including web design or development are not eligible.

• Management Systems Development:  Projects in this category refer to shorter-term interventions that provide consulting-only resources for an organization to resolve a problem or enhance capability related to its management systems and processes. Areas that are eligible for funding support are as follows:
  • Financial Management Systems:  Assisting organizations with an assessment and understanding of accounting systems, risk assessment, budgeting activities (i.e., cash flow, cost benefits analysis, etc.) and grant protocol and management.
  • Human Resources Management Systems: Assisting organizations with process and/or procedural improvements to such areas as recruitment and retention, employee relations, and compensation.

• The maximum award for a single project is $20,000.
• The project cannot exceed one (1) year in length.
• Organizations cannot have more than one (1) pending application per cycle at any point in time with the Capacity Building - Technical Assistance Grants Program.
• No more than ten percent of requested amount can be for software.
• Organizations that have an active Capacity Building - Technical Assistance Grant cannot submit an additional Capacity Building - Technical Assistance Grants Program application until that grant project is closed by MFH.
• The proposed project must meet an assessed need derived through an organizational assessment process or strategic plan that was approved in the last two years or less. This process may be conducted by the organization and approved by the Board, or through the engagement of an external consultant (see proposal instructions on page nine for examples of organizational assessment tools).
• Project consultant(s) must be selected prior to submitting the proposal.
• Use of fiscal agents is not allowed. For coalitions or collaborations, one of the participating organizations can take the lead role.

Note: Capacity Building - Technical Assistance Grants Program applications and awards do not affect an organization’s eligibility for other Missouri Foundation for Health grant programs.  The MFH 25% rule does not apply to this program.

• Promotion of the Foundation’s vision to improve the health of the people in communities served.
• Description of how the intervention will assist the organization in becoming more effective, and therefore, positively impact health in the community.
• Discussion of why the specific type of organizational development assistance is being sought, how the need was identified and how success will be measured.
• Identification of organizational challenges related to the assistance.
• The proposed intervention’s long term strategic implications for the organization.
• Feasibility of work plan to achieve desired results.
• Organizational readiness and leadership commitment to engage in the capacity building work.
• Qualifications and experience of the selected consultant to perform the desired services.
• The clarity of the budget and the soundness of its underlying assumptions.
• A thorough and meaningful evaluation strategy.

• Program-related costs such as staff time or any costs related to employee participation, e.g., salaries, extra compensation, payment of temporary staff to substitute for employees.
• Engagement of consultant to implement programming related to the pro
• Rental Fees.
• Lodging for Employees or Board Members.
• IT – related: Computer Hardware.
• Computer Software that is more than 10% of total amount requested.  
• Conference and seminar training resulting from recommendations made by the consultant. These may be contracted with consultants under arrangements made from other funding sources.
• Consultant travel from outside Missouri.

Nonprofit Services Center

Attn: Capacity Building - Technical Assistance Grants Program

326 S. 21st Street, Suite 301

St. Louis, MO  63103

Note: Accepted applications for the Capacity Building - Technical Assistance Grants Program do not guarantee funding under other MFH funding areas/mechanisms.

• Because MFH is a funder of health and health-related programs, organizations must support activities that aim to achieve measurable improvements in the health of Missouri's citizens, particularly the health of the uninsured, underinsured and underserved populations. Therefore, health programming must account for more than 50% of annual operating expense as documented on the most recent Form 990 tax return to be eligible for funding. Organizations must be located and provide health services in the Foundation's service area (refer to service area map found on MFH's website).
• Applicants must be either a nonprofit organization exempt from federal tax under provisions of Section 501(c) (3) of the IRS Code or exempt state or local government agencies. All applicants must be in good corporate standing with the state of Missouri.
• Operating budgets must be at least $200,000 but cannot exceed $10 million annually.
• Organizations must have been in operation and directly providing programming for at least three years and have a minimum of two FTE staff persons.    

Note:  The Foundation does not accept Capacity Building - Technical Assistance Grant Program applications from for-profit organizations or from organizations located outside its region.

• Strategic Planning:  Strategic Planning refers to the process by which an organization determines and articulates its priorities for program, resource, and systems development within a specific time-frame (often three to five years) based on an examination of internal and external environmental conditions within the context of its mission and values.
• Short-term Business and Financial Planning:  The focus should be on implementing strategies already in place or imbedded in a current strategic plan. A typical business plan would include a SWOT analysis, priority markets and constituencies, a product analysis, a value proposition, codifying the operating model (who does what, with/to whom, using what resources), and identifying the financing strategy. It would also include short-term implementation planning, e.g., goals, success measures, tasks, accountabilities, and risks.

• Fund Development:  Activities that are related to the process of organizational or institutional fundraising which may also include formulating development assessments and plans.
• Program Evaluation:  The establishment/enhancement of data management programming and the systematic collection of information about the activities, characteristics, and outcomes of programs to make judgments about the program, improve program effectiveness, and/or inform decisions about future program development.
• Strategic Communications:  For nonprofits to communicate effectively with current and prospective stakeholders, they must develop strategic communication tools. Projects should look at specific ways in which communication planning can be used to better inform, recruit and retain constituency support. The most effective strategic communications efforts will link to other strategic efforts by the organization (i.e.; fundraising, board/staff development, volunteer recruitment, community relations, program development, etc.)  All projects should include assessment, implementation/operation and training. Projects including web design or development are not eligible.

• Management Systems Development:  Projects in this category refer to shorter-term interventions that provide consulting-only resources for an organization to resolve a problem or enhance capability related to its management systems and processes. Areas that are eligible for funding support are as follows:
  • Financial Management Systems:  Assisting organizations with an assessment and understanding of accounting systems, risk assessment, budgeting activities (i.e., cash flow, cost benefits analysis, etc.) and grant protocol and management.
  • Human Resources Management Systems: Assisting organizations with process and/or procedural improvements to such areas as recruitment and retention, employee relations, and compensation.

• The maximum award for a single project is $20,000.
• The project cannot exceed one (1) year in length.
• Organizations cannot have more than one (1) pending application per cycle at any point in time with the Capacity Building - Technical Assistance Grants Program.
• No more than ten percent of requested amount can be for software.
• Organizations that have an active Capacity Building - Technical Assistance Grant cannot submit an additional Capacity Building - Technical Assistance Grants Program application until that grant project is closed by MFH.
• The proposed project must meet an assessed need derived through an organizational assessment process or strategic plan that was approved in the last two years or less. This process may be conducted by the organization and approved by the Board, or through the engagement of an external consultant (see proposal instructions on page nine for examples of organizational assessment tools).
• Project consultant(s) must be selected prior to submitting the proposal.
• Use of fiscal agents is not allowed. For coalitions or collaborations, one of the participating organizations can take the lead role.

Note: Capacity Building - Technical Assistance Grants Program applications and awards do not affect an organization’s eligibility for other Missouri Foundation for Health grant programs.  The MFH 25% rule does not apply to this program.

• Promotion of the Foundation’s vision to improve the health of the people in communities served.
• Description of how the intervention will assist the organization in becoming more effective, and therefore, positively impact health in the community.
• Discussion of why the specific type of organizational development assistance is being sought, how the need was identified and how success will be measured.
• Identification of organizational challenges related to the assistance.
• The proposed intervention’s long term strategic implications for the organization.
• Feasibility of work plan to achieve desired results.
• Organizational readiness and leadership commitment to engage in the capacity building work.
• Qualifications and experience of the selected consultant to perform the desired services.
• The clarity of the budget and the soundness of its underlying assumptions.
• A thorough and meaningful evaluation strategy.

• Program-related costs such as staff time or any costs related to employee participation, e.g., salaries, extra compensation, payment of temporary staff to substitute for employees.
• Engagement of consultant to implement programming related to the pro
• Rental Fees.
• Lodging for Employees or Board Members.
• IT – related: Computer Hardware.
• Computer Software that is more than 10% of total amount requested.  
• Conference and seminar training resulting from recommendations made by the consultant. These may be contracted with consultants under arrangements made from other funding sources.
• Consultant travel from outside Missouri.

Nonprofit Services Center

Attn: Capacity Building - Technical Assistance Grants Program

326 S. 21st Street, Suite 301

St. Louis, MO  63103

Note: Accepted applications for the Capacity Building - Technical Assistance Grants Program do not guarantee funding under other MFH funding areas/mechanisms.