2009 Grant applications are due to the Chapter office by Friday, September 12, 2008.   Notification letters will be sent out in early January and the grant cycle is from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009.  For more information please download the 2009 Chapter Grant Application.

 FUNDING PRIORITY AREAS

All grant proposals must address the March of Dimes mission of improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.  Priority will be given to projects that, based on community needs, address increased access to health care and/or prevention services to help reduce disparities in preterm birth. Project interventions may be provider and/or consumer focused.

Availability and Quality of Health Care/Prevention Services for:
 

All Women of Childbearing Age:

a)      Increasing risk reduction education and/or services (excluding billable services).  This may include women at high-risk due to previous adverse pregnancy outcomes, chronic conditions or other risk factors in which pre/interconception or prenatal care could help prevent adverse outcomes. *

b)      Increasing education and services (excluding billable services) for urinary and reproductive tract infections identified before or during pregnancy. This may include sexually transmitted infections.

 Pregnant Women:

c)      Increasing participation in state or local maternal child health programs (e.g. Medicaid, SCHIP, WIC) through enhanced outreach, education and public awareness.

d)      Enhancing education and support services that focus on reducing disparities in birth outcomes. This may include March of Dimes programs such as Stork's Nest® and Comenzando bien®. **

e)      Enhancing care through the CenteringPregnancy® model of group prenatal care and/or providing training to providers who plan on utilizing CenteringPregnancy®.

f)       Increasing smoking cessation services. Preference will be given to prenatal health education and information/referral services that utilize the "5 A's" counseling approach. ***

g)      Increasing health education and information/referral services available to pregnant women who use alcohol or other drugs.

h)      Increasing professional education about “17P” (17a hydroxyprogesterone caproate) treatment for women who have had a previous singleton preterm birth.

Availability of Genetics Services and Folic Acid Education

i)        Enhancing the availability, quality and utilization of genetics services and/or other patient services related to preventable birth defects.

j)        Increasing folic acid education and use of multi-vitamins among women of childbearing age.

 SIDS Education

k)      Increasing education related to reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in high-risk communities, consistent with the 2005 American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines.

* For more information, go to www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/19695.asp for a list of specific risk areas.

** For more information on these March of Dimes programs, contact the local chapter.

*** For more information on the "5'As" counseling approach, visit http://www.acog.org/

Community Awards can be made to support activities such as: purchase and distribution of March of Dimes health education materials, implementation of March of Dimes community programs (e.g. Stork's Nest® and Comenzando bien®), or a conference for health professionals.  To view our product catalog, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com.

Community Awards are smaller than Grants and typically range from $250 - $1500.  For more information about how to apply for a Community AWARD please download the 2009 Chapter Grants Award Application.  Please note, applications for community awards are accepted year-round but we encourage applicants to apply early in the year as the funding is limited.