Grant Opportunity: Informing Communities to Ensure Equitable Access to the COVID-19 Vaccine

Have questions about this grant opportunity? You’ve come to the right place!

1. Read the basics about eligibility and get project ideas on our grant announcement page.

2. Watch the media briefing/informational webinar we held on April 5, featuring:

   • Current data on racial disparities in Colorado COVID-19 cases and deaths

   • Research on vaccine hesitancy among impacted Colorado communities

   • Common questions, responses, and trusted sources

3. Review the CMP Grant opportunity slide deck and Q&As below, and email Lauren Archuletta with any additional questions about the grant or your project idea. The Colorado Health Foundation’s Taryn Fort is available to answer COVID vaccine data or hesitancy research questions.

4. Submit your application by midnight on April 11 through the Rose Community Foundation portal, and email Kelly Costello with any technical questions.

Q: What are the grant amounts?
A: Grants between $5,000 and up to $10,000 will be awarded.

Q: Who is eligible to apply?
A: This grant opportunity is for Colorado news outlets that are regularly producing original, locally focused, nonpartisan journalism. The strongest applicants will EITHER have a strong track record of directly providing culturally responsive and trusted information in least one community highly impacted by COVID-19 (see below) OR have a strong project plan to partner with a community group that is trusted by impacted communities.

Q: Which groups are highly impacted by COVID-19 and seeking information?
A: Communities of color, immigrant and refugee, people with limited English proficiency/language barriers, people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness/housing instability, LGBTQ+ individuals, people without health insurance, minimum or low-wage employees, older adults living on low income.

Q: What can funds be used for?
A: Funds can be used for staff time and expenses directly related to production of local journalism, community listening projects, or engagement activities that provide highly impacted communities with culturally responsive reporting, journalism, and answers to their questions on the COVID-19 vaccine.

Q: What if my organization is not doing journalism, but we are currently providing important information and/or services to our community on the COVID-19 vaccine?
A: Applicants must be a journalism outlet in order to be considered for this CMP opportunity. However, nonprofit information providers and community service organizations can learn more and apply for a separate grant opportunity from Together We Protect – Colorado’s COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Fund. This initiative from Caring for Colorado is providing grants to those working in communities highly impacted by COVID-19, to ensure that populations who face systemic barriers have the best possible information about the COVID-19 vaccine and can access the vaccine through low-barrier opportunities.

Q: What are examples of qualifying projects for the CMP grant?
A: The following are examples:

• Journalism that solicits local community members’ questions about the vaccine and provides answers through original, local reporting, storytelling, and dissemination of relevant content.

• Amplification of factual, research-based vaccine information and education that uses culturally appropriate messaging and digital and non-digital channels best suited to reach different communities.

• Serving as a media partner to promote local pop-up or immunization clinics in trusted spaces (churches, community centers, schools) or door-to-door vaccines for people with mobility barriers.

• Other innovative local journalism projects that help Coloradans of color and other marginalized groups find accurate information about the vaccine and how to access it.

Q: What are the key dates I need to be aware of?
A: The application deadline for this grant opportunity is midnight on Sunday, April 11. Notification of decisions will be made by Wednesday, April 21. Grant payments will be made by Friday, May 7, pending receipt of signed grant contract.

Q: Is there criteria/preference for bilingual projects vs. monolingual? Or does it depend on the demographics of our publications areas?
A: There is no preference for project plans, and applications will be reviewed based on community needs and demographics of distribution areas.

Q: Would a musical or artistic approach count for the project plan?
A: Sounds interesting — we’d love to hear more! We are encouraging applicants to think creatively about ways that nonpartisan journalism/shoe-leather reporting can be used to engage communities and address their questions about the vaccine in new ways. Email Lauren Archuletta with specific questions about your project ideas.

Q: Have you compiled Public Service Announcement messages for radio or other formats that we can use as part of our campaign?
A: There are many PSA campaigns running in Colorado and nationally. The Ad Council's "It's Up to You" campaign, Kaiser Family Foundation’s "The Conversation: Between Us, About Us" are a couple of examples. (Please note that these campaigns were not developed using research from The Colorado Health Foundation on culturally responsive messages.) However the focus of this grant opportunity is to address questions and information gaps among impacted communities with responsive journalism from trusted local sources.

Q: How do I access the grants portal for Rose Community Foundation to submit my application?
A: Navigate to the Rose Community Foundation’s online grants portal at https://www.grantinterface.com/Process/Apply?urlkey=rcfdenver.

1. Click on the blue “Log On / Create an Account to Apply” button and log into your account. If you do not remember your password or have trouble logging in, click the “Forgot Your Password” link.

2. Once logged into the online grants portal, click the Apply icon at the top of the window. You will then see the details about the Colorado Media Project grant opportunity.

3. Click the blue Apply button to open the application.

Q: What if I have more questions?
A: For all grant-specific questions, including eligibility, contact Lauren Archuletta, Operations and Communications Manager: larchuletta@coloradomediaproject.com 

For all questions related to Rose Community Foundation’s online grants portal, including login help, contact Kelly Costello, Grants Manager: kcostello@rcfdenver.org