Grant Opportunity

Community Engagement Grants

Community engagement is a vital component to the success of public health. In an effort to overcome common barriers to meaningful community engagement, MTPHI will provide funding for local and tribal health departments community engagement activities. For this funding category, health departments may request up to $1,500 per award. Funding will be issued as direct vendor payments unless otherwise requested. Health departments are eligible to divide this into multiple requests through June 30, 2026. If funding is being requested for a re-occurring event, such as a quarterly meeting, only one application is required.

Examples

Food & refreshment for meetings / events
Venue rentals
Outreach materials
Honoraria for speakers
Event supplies
Incentives for community members to participate in a survey

Timeline

MTPHI accepts applications for community engagement projects on a rolling basis – health departments may submit an application for this category at any time. MTPHI will provide a funding decision with 2 weeks of submission.

Application

Support & Technical Assistance

To help advance equitable public health outcomes, MTPHI is committed to keeping the application process low-barrier, inclusive, and supportive. All applicants will have access to the following resources:

Kickoff Webinar

MTPHI hosted a webinar on October 6th that introduced the grant opportunity, reviewed eligibility and application requirements, and answered questions. This session was recorded and is available here.

Grant Application Office Hours

MTPHI staff will host office hours during the application process where applicants can drop in to ask questions, talk through project ideas, or get feedback before submitting.

Friday, October 10th at 9am. Register here.
Wednesday, October 15th at 2pm. Register here.

Dedicated Staff Support

Each applicant will have access to a designated staff member who can provide free technical assistance at every step of the process, including:

Idea development and refining project concepts
Budget planning and allowable cost guidance
Crafting a compelling story of need and impact
Understanding the review and reporting process

After funding decisions are made, each awarded health department will be paired with a MTPHI staff liaison who will serve as their ongoing point of contact for questions, reporting, and vendor payment logistics.

Eligibility Criteria

These opportunities are open to any local or tribal health department in Montana.

Selection Criteria

MTPHI recognizes that each application is different and reflects the unique needs of each health department. When we review proposals, we look at the overall picture – what’s strong, what might need more support, and what challenges could come up.

More information about our selection criteria can be found in the MTPHI Community Engagement Grants Overview document.