This is archived content, for historical reference only.

About CHCF

The California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) is an independent, nonprofit philanthropy dedicated to advancing meaningful, measurable improvements in the way the health care delivery system provides care to the people of California. We know that health care is a basic necessity and work hard to improve California’s health care system so it works for all Californians. Because Californians with low incomes experience the biggest health burden and face the greatest barriers to care, our priority is to make sure they can get the care they need.

We are also committed to health equity and removing health care barriers that Californians face because of their race or ethnicity. We are especially focused on strengthening Medi-Cal — California’s Medicaid program and the cornerstone of the state’s safety net — and finding better ways to meet the health care needs of the millions of people who remain uninsured in our state. And we are working to better integrate care for Californians with mental illness, substance use disorders, or other complex health conditions. COVID-19 and the recession have made all these issues even more urgent.

CHCF’s Commitment to the CHW/P Workforce

In California, the most culturally diverse state in the country, health care must bridge cultural and linguistic divides to serve all communities equitably. The disproportionate impact of the pandemic on people of color has underscored the systemic and deeply entrenched racism that has led to unacceptable health and socioeconomic disparities. Community health workers and promotores de salud (CHW/Ps) have been a critical part of the COVID-19 pandemic response.

As trusted community members with lived experience, CHW/Ps have a long history of supporting those not well served by the traditional health care system. Evidence supports the effectiveness of their role, which includes everything from supporting people navigating health and social services to providing health education across a wide array of domains (asthma, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health services, home and workplace safety).

For the past four years, CHCF has sought to advance the CHW/P profession in California and the inclusion of the CHW/P workforce in Medi-Cal. Most notably, last fall, in anticipation of the potentially amplified role of CHW/Ps in Medi-Cal, CHCF funded the CHW/Ps in the Future of Medi-Cal Project. The project developed an online stakeholder-informed downloadable Resource Guide and online Resource Center.

You can learn more about our CHW/P-related work.

Call for Letters of Intent

CHCF seeks to continue its support of the CHW/P workforce in California. Specifically, the foundation is seeking interested applicants for either or both of the following two initiatives:

1. Capacity-Building Collaboratives. CHCF would like to expand the size and impact of the CHW/P workforce through four regional capacity-building collaboratives for health care providers, managed care plans, community-based organizations, CHW/P training entities, and other partners.
2. CHW/P Policy Coalition. CHCF aims to increase the capacity of CHW/Ps and the organizations that work closely with the CHW/P workforce to engage in policy and advocacy work with a shared agenda.

We recognize that the terms “community health workers” and “promotores de salud” may not represent the breadth of terms that those conducting this type of work use to refer to themselves. This includes, but is not limited to, “community health representatives.” Regardless of job title, respondents to this call for letters of intent must be able to demonstrate that the workforce of focus fits the description of a community health worker and fills the roles outlined by the Community Health Worker Core Consensus Project.

Submission Instructions

Letters of intent (LOIs) due January 20, 2022. Please note, these are two distinct initiatives which will be funded and evaluated separately and which require separate LOIs. Applicants may submit LOIs in both categories as long as the qualifications for the respective initiatives are met. Please carefully review the submission details for each initiative, which are available under Document Downloads.

Please submit your LOI using the form below. We will accept only PDF files.