Building Community Power Fund

Currently accepting Letters of Intent until Friday, October 23, 5 PM. 

Every day in Montgomery County, community organizations and leaders are working to address and improve civic engagement, racial and social equity, public policies and systems, and social determinants of health and well-being. HealthSpark’s grantmaking, convening, and leadership will stand behind and support their inspirational and essential efforts. Through our strategic goals—Community Power, Leadership, and Solutions— we aim to support transformative leaders, build thriving communities, and achieve opportunities and justice for all. 

We believe health equity can only be achieved when people have real community power: influence and control over the policies, programs, and practices that affect their lives. The Building Community Power Fund supports nonprofit organizations in building that power. 

Our Approach 

Health is shaped by far more than health care. Where people live, work, learn, and connect with one another has a profound effect on their well-being. 

We believe the people closest to an issue are often closest to the solutions. Our role is not to prescribe those solutions, but to invest in the leadership, relationships, and collective power residents need to shape the conditions that affect their lives. 

What We Fund 

The Building Community Power Fund supports efforts to change the social and structural conditions that affect health and well-being in Montgomery County. We are particularly interested in projects that address one or more of the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) - the conditions in which people live, work, learn, and connect. We give priority to work that strengthens social connection, belonging, civic participation, community safety, and residents' influence over local decisions. We also welcome efforts that build resident power to address related conditions, including housing, economic opportunity, education, food access, transportation, and neighborhood and environmental conditions. 

Organizations that provide direct services are welcome to apply. This Fund focuses on work that goes beyond meeting immediate needs to change the conditions that create them, moving from services and awareness toward advocacy and collective action. 

Funding may support activities such as: 

• Developing resident leaders, especially residents historically excluded from decision-making 
• Training residents to serve on community boards, commissions, and other decision-making bodies 
• Nonpartisan voter education and registration 
• Civic education and support for residents to take part in local decision-making 
• Board and staff training on allowable and impactful nonprofit advocacy 
• Developing or strengthening advocacy strategies 
• Building relationships with elected officials, policymakers, and other decision-makers 
• Developing educational materials and communications for residents, decision-makers, and the public 
• Building coalitions, shared community agendas, and community-led campaigns 
• Hosting educational or advocacy events with a clear strategic purpose 
• Other activities that strengthen residents' ability to influence the decisions affecting their lives 

How We Understand the Connection to Health Equity

Work that is a strong fit for this Fund: 

• Seeks to change a Social Determinant of Health (SDOH) -- a social or structural condition that affects health and well-being -- in Montgomery County 
• Is led or shaped by the residents most affected by that condition 
• Aims to influence specific decisions, policies, systems, or practices 

The questions in the Letter of Intent ask you to describe these concepts in your own words and explain how your work connects to health and well-being.

What We Value in Applicants 

• Deep roots and trust in the local community
• Engagement with and led by people affected by the issue or challenges they seek to address
• Commitment to racial and social justice, coalition-building, and partnerships
• Ability to mobilize and inspire community involvement or action 

Grant Funding Details  

HealthSpark anticipates:  

• Awarding grants with a maximum of $20,000 for a one-year period beginning in December. 
• Grants may be awarded as general operating support or programmatic (restricted) support. 
• Announcing award decisions in December.   

Note: Receiving funding from this grant program does not disqualify an applicant from receiving other funding from HealthSpark through other grant programs.  

How to Apply 

We are now accepting Letters of Intent (LOIs) for the Building Community Power Fund. The deadline for submitting LOIs is Friday, October 23, 2026, 5 PM. After reviewing all submissions, a limited number of selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal. All applicants will be notified Monday, November 9, 2026.

What to Include in Your LOI: 

1. Organization Overview: 

   Tell us about your organization: your mission, the community you serve, and the work you do. (You may link to your website or attach a brochure instead.)

2. The Issue and Who It Affects: 

   What health issue or condition in your community are you working to change? What are you proposing to change and how?

3. Social Determinants of Health:

   What Social Determinant(s) of Health are you looking to address, who is most affected, and how are those residents involved in shaping your work?  

4. Your Proposed Work: 

   What will you do with this funding? If your organization also provides direct services, tell us how this work goes beyond meeting immediate needs. Please name the specific eligible activities listed above in the “What We Fund” section that you will complete, e.g., nonpartisan voter education and registration, hosting educational or advocacy events with a clear strategic purpose, etc.

5. Previous Grantees (if applicable):

   If you have received a Building Community Power Fund grant in any previous grant cycle, what have you learned from that work, including successes and challenges, and how is it shaping what you're proposing now?

6. Contact Information:

   The name, title, organization, email, and phone number of the primary contact for the LOI. 

LOI Length and Submission: 

• Please keep your LOI to no more than two pages.
• Submit your LOI as an attached PDF via email to Akshara Vivekananthan,Director of Programs at avivekananthan@healthspark.org.  

Eligibility Requirements  

• Projects must serve Montgomery County residents; applicants must have a 501(c)(3), or have a fiscal intermediary/sponsorship relationship, or be a religious organization, or part of Montgomery County government. 
• Organizations that are not Montgomery County-based (i.e., statewide or national organizations) must clearly demonstrate their established connections and work to Montgomery County, the relationships with organizations in Montgomery County, and the connection to and understanding of Montgomery County residents and their needs. Grants awarded to these regional, statewide, or national groups will be in the form of a restricted grant to take place in Montgomery County, where work is centered.  

Questions  

We truly welcome phone calls about this program before applying and have found that consultations result in clarity about alignment and stronger applications. If you have any questions or are thinking about applying to the Building Community Power Fund, please contact Akshara Vivekananthan, Director of Programs at avivekananthan@healthspark.org.  

About HealthSpark Foundation 

HealthSpark Foundation is a private, independent foundation serving Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. We are guided by principles of courage, justice, integrity, and hope. We vision transformative leaders, thriving communities, and opportunity and justice for all, and our mission is to achieve healthy, equitable, and hopeful communities throughout Montgomery County. Learn more at www.healthspark.org.