The Healthy Starkville committee announced details of $25,000 in cash grants that will be used by community organizations to promote healthy activities and lifestyles in Starkville.
“Half of our total cash award from the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation will go directly to area organizations,” said Alyson Karges, chairwoman of the Healthy Starkville committee. “The purpose is to kick start healthy activities, programs and services in the greater Starkville area including the MSU campus. The greater goal is to change the health culture, attitudes and behaviors in our community to ensure long-term health.”
The application form is available on the group’s website at: http://healthystarkville.com.
“We want to get the word out to as many individuals and organizations as possible that we are serious about supporting a healthy Starkville,” Karges said. “Groups can begin crafting their applications and getting letters of partnership or support now.”
Healthy Starkville will begin accepting grant applications via its website on Jan. 4, 2012. The deadline for application is Jan. 31.
There are two levels of support. About 20 cash grants will be awarded for smaller projects ranging from $500 to $1,000.
“We are looking for innovative, high-impact projects that either focus on an important health issue or addresses broad health behaviors in the community,” Karges said. “We take a broad view when we speak of community, and we encourage applications from MSU student organizations, school-aged children in the area and faith-based organizations.”
There will also be one large grant, up to $5,000, that is expected to have a major and long-lasting positive health impact on the community.
Criteria for successful applications include need, how the project will address that need, partnerships and collaborators working with the applicant, how they will leverage or match funding, how they will evaluate the impact and whether the change or improvement is sustainable.
Each application must contain an evaluation component, explaining the effects the project had in the community relative to individual or community health.
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