NACCHO, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), released a funding opportunity for The Improving Vaccine Access, Education, and Outreach Through Faith-Based Partnerships Project to support local health departments in collaborating with faith-based partners to identify and implement strategies to improve COVID-19 and routine vaccine confidence, education, and access. NACCHO recognizes the growing role faith-based organizations play in their communities in promoting and facilitating vaccinations. These organizations often serve as trusted messengers within their communities, leveraging their moral authority and close-knit networks to disseminate information about the importance of vaccinations. They play a crucial role in dispelling myths and addressing concerns related to vaccines by using their platforms to provide accurate and culturally sensitive information. By fostering a culture of trust, understanding, and cooperation, faith-based groups contribute significantly to the broader public health efforts, ensuring that their communities are informed and resilient in the face of health challenges.
Through this request for proposals, NACCHO will award up to $50,000 to a consultant or consulting firm to assist NACCHO with technical assistance to selected LHDs to strengthen capacity related to building and maintaining faith-based partnerships and increasing vaccination coverage in the community. These LHDs are working with a variety of faith-based groups and demographics. Ideally the consultant would have vast knowledge on different faith-based groups.
The selected consultant will provide technical assistance in the following areas for the Faith-Based project demonstration sites:
- To support LHD capacity for building and maintaining faith-based partnerships;
- To advance LHD capacity to communicate with and message towards local faith-based communities;
- To enhance coordination and connection with faith-based community leaders and organizations;
- To provide tailored technical assistance, develop and identify resources, lessons learned, and best practices for LHDs; and
- To document and share strategic approaches to addressing vaccination confidence and uptake among faith-based communities, including addressing health equity
To view the full request for proposals, view RFP here and submit applications no later than March 1st, 2024, at 11:59 PST. Application notice of award will be given the week of March 4, 2024. Anticipated contract start date is April 1, 2024, and ends September 30, 2024. For more information, email immunization@naccho.org.
