Our Goals

The California Endowment awards grants to organizations which support our mission and whose applications are focused on one of the three goals. Your application must identify a single goal for your request. Your proposal should explain how your project or activity will support the selected goal and what the impact will be of the proposed project or activity in your organization or community. The section below includes information about how each goal contributes to our mission and some examples of proposals that fit within each goal.

Access to Health

Access to health can be achieved through a strong system of primary, preventive health services that are responsive to community needs, coupled with a comprehensive system of health coverage that is simple, affordable and available to all Californians.

Under this goal we fund proposals that are designed to expand health coverage, simplify enrollment in health programs and improve the effectiveness of health systems. The goal focuses on policy changes at the local, regional and state levels and seeks lasting reforms and improvements in the way health and mental health services are delivered. The focus also aims to expand access to comprehensive health services that demonstrate better health outcomes and utilize preventive services to maintain health.

Examples of proposals eligible for funding include: supporting a capacity building project that will enable a small community clinic or health organization to more effectively provide health services, developing new models of care focusing on prevention and effective coordination of health and mental health services, or building a coalition across public and private sectors to expand access to health services for all Californians.

Culturally Competent Health Systems

Culturally competent health systems are ones that are engaged with and responsive to diverse individuals and communities. Culture is defined broadly and includes race, ethnicity, national origin, primary language, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, spirituality and religion.

Under this goal we fund proposals designed to increase the cultural and linguistic competency of health providers and systems to ensure that all persons will have access to the highest quality health services. The focus of this goal is to implement policies and best practices that support culturally and linguistically appropriate health services. In addition, we also focus on increasing the racial and ethnic diversity of the health work force and improving the geographic distribution of health providers, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

Examples of proposals eligible for funding include: training of health care interpreters, implementing new models of health promotion or health services specifically tailored for a particular underserved population, or advocating for increasing recruitment, retention and promotion of racial and ethnic minorities in a health care organization.

Community Health and Elimination of Health Disparities

By focusing on social and physical environments we aim to prevent disease and injury and eliminate conditions that lead to health disparities. Under this goal we fund proposals that seek to provide the knowledge and skills to change unhealthy behaviors and to change the social and physical environments that contribute to those unhealthy behaviors. The focus of this goal is to change policies and systems to support health-promoting environments. The focus is also to identify a health disparity and implement activities that will contribute to reducing the disparity.

Examples of proposals eligible for funding include: conducting a community needs assessment to determine the availability of opportunities for physical activity, organizing and community education to seek redress for the effects of pesticide over-spraying in a farm worker community, or developing youth “champions” to educate and advocate for healthy eating and physical activity.