MGH Community Health Impact Funds

Priorities and strategies

Learn more about the funding priorities and strategies chosen by the Community Advisory Board and guided by the community-driven 2022-2023 CHNA/CHIP process.

View priorities and strategies

Priorities

Throughout the spring and fall of 2022, the Community Advisory Board (CAB) reviewed MGH community engagement and Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) data and met with experts in the field. In the winter and spring of 2023, the CAB selected four priorities and strategies for funding and determined how much Community Health Impact Funds would be allocated to each area. See below for a more detailed description of the strategies selected with a draft timeline of when dollars will be released over the next 8 years.

Strategies

Economic/Financial Stability and Mobility

• Innovative Workforce Development: Adopt innovative workforce development strategies to train low- and moderate-income residents, as well as returning citizens (e.g., through apprenticeships, as well as promotion and training for new careers such as Community Health Workers (CHWs) and community liaisons, childcare specialists, etc.). $6M
• Invest in Multilingual Workforce: Provide opportunities for bilingual/multilingual individuals so they may be recruited in healthcare, education, and other industries. This strategy also includes proper training for translators and interpreters. Increase the workforce with specialized training (e.g., mental health/substance use training allows for an increase in CHWs & recovery coaches) who represent low-income, immigrant, LGBTQ, seniors, and/or communities of color. $6M
• Training on Wealth Building and Business Loans: Provide entrepreneurs within the community with training on financial management and sustainability, how to establish wealth, and financing for new businesses (e.g., new childcare businesses, etc.). $3M

Housing

• Production of Affordable Housing: Advocate for and support public and private funding to support the production of affordable housing (e.g., fund affordable housing trust funds and community land trusts, support fair housing and local zoning reform, and transitional housing, etc.). $8M
• Eviction Prevention: Support policies that prevent evictions and create resources for residents at risk of displacement. $4M
• Support CDCs & Other Non-Profit Development Corps: Increase CDCs’ ability to buy, construct, preserve, and manage affordable housing (e.g., provide no- or low-cost capital [that can be revolving] to help nonprofits afford multi-family buildings when they go on the market to avoid displacement and secure long-term affordability). $6M

Mental/Behavioral Health

• Expand Behavioral Health Services: Increase community-based behavioral health centers and other similar initiatives (e.g., restorative justice and community-led behavioral health initiatives, group work) for substance use disorder (SUD) and trauma-informed care for Black, Hispanic, and non-English speaking individuals. $7M
• Innovative Youth Well-Being Interventions: Engage schools in health and wellness programs, exercise education, SUD and mental health prevention and interventions. $8M

Food and Nutrition Security

• Policy & System Change: Support policy, systems, and environmental changes to increase access to affordable, healthy foods and physical activity in communities and school environments. $6M
• Access to Healthy Foods: Address local access to healthy foods in Suffolk County through investments that support the infrastructure of market outlet for farms including the local food for schools’ program. $3M*
  • As of June 2025, this priority has been updated.
• Create New Innovative Systems for Food Growth: Create and support hydroponic and new green technologies for growing, rooftop gardens, vertical food farming, etc. $3M

Funding Distribution Timeline

The CAB has recommended a timeline for distribution of the funds over the next eight years. This initial timeline is subject to change based on capacity restraints, community opportunities/changes, and allocation committee decisions. Funding distribution pdf.

Timeline and important dates

Read more about the distribution timeline, allocation committees, and other important calendar items for our four priorities—housing, mental health, economic mobility, and food security.

View timeline and important dates

Funding Distribution Timeline

The Community Advisory Board (CAB) has recommended a timeline for distribution of the funds over the next eight years. This initial timeline is subject to change based on capacity restraints, community opportunities/changes, and allocation committee decisions. View funding distribution pdf.

Allocation Committees

In the summer of 2023, CAB responsibilities shifted to four Allocation Committees designated for each of the MGH Community Health Impact Funds priorities -- economic mobility/financial stability, housing, mental/behavioral health, food and nutrition security. The charge for each of the Allocation Committees is to oversee a competitive process for awarding funds for the health priorities identified through the community engagement process. Members are expected to meet monthly for a set amount of time until funds are released.

Food and Nutrition

The funding process for the food and nutrition projects has begun and will continue through 2030. A new food and nutrition Allocation Committee was formed in the winter of 2025.

In 2025:

• $6 million in funding will be allocated to support policy, systems, and environmental changes to increase access to affordable, healthy foods and physical activity in communities and school environments.

• $3 million in funding will be allocated to increase access to healthy foods, supporting the procurement and distribution of local Massachusetts farm foods. This allocation includes:

  • A non-competitive award of $1 million to the Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) to support the purchase of Massachusetts-grown farm produce to be distributed to food pantries, local food hubs, other distribution partners, or by the entity itself, in Suffolk County (Boston, Revere, Chelsea, Winthrop).
  • A competitive award of $2 million through an open RFP for food distribution centers and school food coordinating entities, to support the purchase of Massachusetts-grown farm produce to be distributed to food pantries, local food hubs, schools or other distribution partners, or by the entity itself, in Suffolk County (Boston, Revere, Chelsea, Winthrop).
  • RFP period opens: June 13, 2025
  • Informational Forum: June 18, 2025, 11-12:30
  • RFP Deadline: July 11, 2025 @ 7 p.m.
  • Notifications of Awards: End of August

In 2026:

• $1 million in funding will be allocated to create and support hydroponic and new green technologies for growing , rooftop gardens, vertical food farming, etc.

Housing

The housing Allocation Committee began meeting in the fall of 2023 to release $18 million in funding. Important dates for this priority:

• November 1, 2023: Release of Letter of Intent (LOI).
• November 8, 2023, from 12 to 1 PM: Information Forum (Open to all.)
• November 29, 2023: LOI Due.
• January 10, 2024: Applicants Notified of Status.
• January 26, 2024: Release of Request for Proposal (RFP).
• February 29, 2024: All Submissions Due.
• May 2024: Notification of Awards.

Economic Mobility/Financial Stability

The economic mobility/financial stability Allocation Committee began meeting in the winter of 2024 to release $3 million of $15 million in total funding. Important dates for this priority:

• April 22, 2024: Release of Letter of Intent (LOI).
• May 1, 2024, from 12 to 1:30 PM: Information Forum (Open to all.)
• May 17, 2024: LOI Due.
• End of June, 2024: Applicants Notified of Status.
• End of June, 2024: Release of Request for Proposal (RFP).
• End of July, 2024: All Submissions Due.
• October 2024: Notification of Awards (All applicants will be notified if the grant was awarded or not.).
• In 2025, $1 million in funding will be allocated for strategies to help create multilingual workforces. Dates for release of funding TBD.

Please see allocation timeline for expected allocation of additional funds.

Mental/Behavioral Health

• April 22, 2024: Release of Letter of Intent (LOI).
• May 1, 2024, from 12 to 1:30 PM: Information Forum (Open to all.)
• May 17, 2024: LOI Due.
• End of June, 2024: Applicants Notified of Status.
• July 10, 2024: Release of Request for Proposal (RFP).
• August 19, 2024: All Submissions Due.
• October 2024: Notification of Awards (All applicants will be notified if the grant was awarded or not.).
• In 2025, $1 million in funding will be allocated to innovative youth-well being interventions. Dates for release of funding TBD.

Please see allocation timeline for expected allocation of additional funds.

Learn more about the selection criteria for allocation committee members here.

Application process

Learn more about the current process to apply for funding for Food and Nutrition security priority.

View application process

A request for proposals (RFP) process is now open for the Food and Nutrition Security priority. $2M are now available for food distribution centers and school food coordinating entities, to support the purchase of Massachusetts-grown farm produce to be distributed to food pantries, local food hubs, schools or other distribution partners, or by the entity itself, in Suffolk County (Boston, Revere, Chelsea, Winthrop).

To apply for funding, please visit the Mass General Brigham SurveyMonkey Apply site:

Mass General Brigham (mgb.smapply.us)

View instructions on how to apply and a preview of the RFP questions (pdf).

Background:

In December 2024, 20 organizations were awarded $3M to support mental & behavioral health, with another 15 organizations awarded $3M for economic mobility & financial stability initiatives from our Community Health Impact Funds.

Economic Mobility and Financial Stability

$3M dollars in Community Health Impact Funds will be awarded for Economic Stability and Financial Mobility initiatives using the following strategies. Please note for this round of funding, proposed projects need to address strategies A & C only or a combination thereof. *Funding for Strategy B will award a total of $6M over multiple years starting in 2025:

A) Innovative Workforce Development:

Adopt innovative workforce development strategies to train low-and moderate-income residents, as well as returning citizens (through e.g., apprenticeships, as well as promotion and training for new careers such as Community Health Workers (CHWs) and Community Liaisons, Childcare Specialists, etc).

B) * Invest in Multilingual Workforce:

Providing opportunities for bilingual/multilingual individuals, so they may be recruited in healthcare, education, and other industries, with the goal of increasing the workforce by providing specialized training (e.g., mental health/substance use training allows for an increase in CHWs & Recovery Coaches) to low-income, immigrant, LGBTQ, seniors, and/or communities of color. This strategy also includes proper training for translators and interpreters. This is a wealth building strategy aimed at helping individuals to embark on a career with good earning potential, helping them to lead more stable and secure lives.

C) Training on Wealth Building and Business Loans:

Provide entrepreneurs within the community with training on financial management and sustainability, how to establish wealth and financing for new businesses (e.g., new childcare businesses, etc.).

Mental and Behavioral Health

$3M dollars in Community Health Impact Funds to support Mental and Behavioral Health initiatives using the following strategies:

A) Expanding Behavioral Health Services: Increase community-based behavioral health centers and other similar initiatives (e.g., restorative justice and community-led behavioral health initiatives, group work) for substance use disorder (SUD) and trauma-informed care for Black, Hispanic, and non-English speaking individuals.

B) Innovative Youth Well-Being Interventions: Engage schools in health and wellness programs, exercise education, SUD and mental health prevention and interventions.

Affordable Housing

LOI application process is also closed. MGH has awarded $18M dollars in Community Health Impact Funds to support affordable housing initiatives.