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Innovative Ideas Challenge

The Innovative Ideas Challenge will award grants to applicants who implement the most compelling new ideas addressing health issues in California.

The Innovative Ideas Challenge (IIC) is a new grant-making program available to organizations from communities not funded under the Building Healthy Communities plan. We're seeking to fund innovative ideas to address the persistent and emerging health issues that impact underserved communities in California. Specifically, IIC seeks to identify and fund promising practices that are aligned with the 10 outcomes or 4 big results from the Building Healthy Communities plan.

The objectives of IIC are:

  • Engage a broad set of innovation partners to develop and test effective models developed by affected communities.
  • Establish a pool of original ideas that will "dramatically improve" the health status of underserved individuals and communities in California.
  • Support innovators who can rapidly engage in work that will promote fundamental health improvements in the health status of all Californians. This can be through new ventures or expansions of already existing efforts. Special attention will be paid to proposals that are public/private partnerships.

Learn more about our grant program: Eligibility, Resources and Awarded Grants.

Our Grantmaking

From 2010 to 2020, The Endowment is investing the majority of its resources into the 10-year, $1 billion Building Healthy Communities plan which seeks to create communities where prevention is a priority and is reflected in the physical environment and socioeconomic conditions of those neighborhoods. Coalitions of residents, youth, community-based organizations, business, law enforcement, and schools, among others, have joined together in 14 geographically diverse places to tackle the issues that are holding back the health of their neighborhoods. With an approach focusing on policy and systems change, they are addressing the root causes of bad health in their communities.

This work is focused under 'Health Happens Here' — a simple way of saying that staying healthy requires much more than going to the doctor when we're sick. In fact, every moment of the day our surroundings affect how long and how well we live.