Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Grant Opportunity
Request for Proposals
Overview
Cone Health Foundation is pleased to announce this year’s Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Grant Opportunity to support community-driven solutions that advance health equity and improve quality of life across the Greensboro area.
Recognizing that social, economic, and environmental conditions shape health outcomes, this funding opportunity prioritizes innovative, community-informed initiatives that address the root causes of inequities. While Cone Health Foundation values direct services for immediate needs, this funding focuses on strengthening systems, expanding access, and driving long-term community impact.
Funding will prioritize initiatives that demonstrate measurable impact, elevate community voice, and strengthen long-term pathways toward healthier and more equitable communities.
This one-time funding opportunity is intended for organizations already doing impactful work in our community. Grant requests up to $75,000 are welcome.
The application deadline is July 31, 2026 at 5:00 PM.
Please note: organizations can apply for only one open CHF grant opportunity.
Funding Priority Areas
Proposals must align with one or more of the following priority areas:
Access to Health Care: physical, financial, cultural, and linguistic access, as well as system navigation, timeliness, and continuity of care.
Other examples may include:
- Behavioral and mental health services
- Community health navigation and outreach
- Maternal and child health
- Primary and preventive care access
- Transportation barriers to care
Access to Healthy Food: collaborative strategies that strengthen food systems infrastructure and policy to improve access for underserved populations, as well as initiatives that provide access to healthy, affordable, quality, and culturally relevant food.
Other examples may include:
- Community food distribution
- Culturally responsive healthy eating programs
- Food security initiatives
- Nutrition education
- Urban agriculture and local food systems
Economic Mobility: including workforce pathways leading to living wage employment.
Other examples may include:
- Employment readiness programs
- Financial empowerment and literacy
- Small business and entrepreneurship support
- Workforce development and career pathways
- Youth workforce initiatives
Education: school readiness and educational access, persistence, and quality from prenatal through 3rd grade, and in post-secondary education.
Other examples may include:
- Academic enrichment and support
- Career exposure and postsecondary readiness
- Early childhood development
- Health and wellness education
- Youth leadership development
Safe and healthy housing: healthy home repairs, habitability interventions, and tenant stability efforts such as eviction prevention and rent-reporting programs.
Other examples may include:
- Environmental health and safety improvements
- Healthy homes initiatives
- Housing stability and homelessness prevention
- Supportive housing services
Funding Considerations
Organizations are encouraged to move beyond short-term relief efforts and toward strategies that create lasting change and equitable opportunities. Collaborative and partnership-based applications are encouraged.
Preference will be given to proposals that:
- Center equity and community voice
- Address disparities affecting historically marginalized populations
- Demonstrate cross-sector collaboration
- Utilize evidence-based or promising practices
- Include measurable outcomes and evaluation strategies
- Build sustainable, long-term community impact
While direct service programs are important, competitive proposals will demonstrate how activities:
- Address root causes and systemic barriers
- Build long-term community capacity
- Center community voice and lived experience
- Produce measurable and sustainable outcomes
- Strengthen coordination across organizations and sectors
Funding Information
This one-time funding opportunity is intended for organizations already doing impactful work in our community.
Maximum Award Amount: $75,000
Grant Term: 12 to 24 months, depending on the scope and timeline of the work
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must:
- Be a nonprofit, community-based organization, coalition, or other community group in Greensboro. Organizations without a 501(c)(3) status must have an eligible fiscal sponsor
- Serve residents within the Greensboro area
- Demonstrate alignment with at least one SDOH priority area
- Have the organizational capacity to implement and evaluate the proposed initiative
- Be in good standing financially and operationally and have an operating budget less than or equal to $500,000
- Not be a current grant partner whose funding cycle has not ended
To ensure sustainable and diversified funding streams, our grants are limited to 25% of an organization’s total annual budget.
Timeline
RFP Release: June 9, 2026
Application Deadline: July 31, 2026 by 5:00 PM
Proposal Review Period: August–September 2026
Award Notifications: October 2026
Grant Period Begins: January 2027
Desired Outcomes
Funded initiatives should aim to:
- Improve equitable access to health-related resources and opportunities
- Reduce barriers impacting health and well-being
- Demonstrate measurable community-level impact
- Strengthen protective factors and long-term resilience
- Increase community engagement and trusted partnerships
Proposal Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on:
- Alignment with SDOH priorities (20%)
- Community need and target population (20%)
- Program design and feasibility (20%)
- Impact and measurable outcomes (20%)
- Organizational capacity and partnerships (10%)
- Budget clarity and sustainability (10%)
Submission Instructions
You can access the grant application here.
While all applications must be submitted through the link above, click here to see a PDF of the full application.
Applications must be submitted electronically through the designated application portal by July 31, 2026 at 5:00 PM.
Late, incomplete, or ineligible applications will not be reviewed.
Questions?
If you have any questions, please reach out to Luke Wallace, Finance and Grants Manger, foundation@conehealth.com.
We will also be hosting several information sessions, both virtual and in-person, where you can ask questions and learn more:
- Tuesday, 6/23/26 (2-3p): Virtual session
- Wednesday, 6/24/26 (2-3pm): In-person session (CHF, 324 W. Wendover Avenue Suite 170 – Greensboro, NC 27408)
- Thursday, 6/25/26 (11am-12pm): Virtual session
- Monday, 6/29/26 (4-5pm): Virtual session
