MoCAP

Description

The Missouri Foundation for Health's MoCAP program helps nonprofit and governmental organizations in its 84-county service area (67 of which are rural) apply for federal/national funding for health-related programs.

Services offered

MoCAP connects nonprofits and governmental organizations with consultants that provide grant writing consultation and technical assistance to strengthen their applications for nationally competed funding opportunities. MoCAP support is provided at no cost to the organization, and organizations can request assistance twice per year. Only organizations located in or providing services within the Missouri Foundation for Health service area are eligible for MoCAP.

Interested organizations within MFH's service area are asked to complete the MoCAP application. To provide enough time to coordinate support and for the organization to work with the consultant, MoCAP asks that requests for support be made 5 to 8 weeks in advance of the grant opportunity deadline when possible.

Results

Since 2010, MoCAP has provided support for over 800 proposals and helped bring in more than $465 million in funding. The program has a $51 to $1 return on investment, and a 37% success rate.

MoCAP has worked with a number of Missouri rural organizations to submit applications to HRSA's Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP). To date, Missouri has received more than 15 RCORP grants, with MoCAP providing grant writing and technical assistance on 12 of the 17 applications. MoCAP has also helped several rural organizations successfully pursue HRSA's Rural Health Network Development Program funding.

In 2021, MoCAP helped the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) receive $36.5 million in funding from the CDC National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities to support the strained public health infrastructure in the state. In 2022, MoCAP helped DHSS capture over $50 million from the CDC for the Strengthening U.S. Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems grant program.

MoCAP also helped entities in the St. Louis metro region capture $12 million in funding from the CDC for the Community Health Workers for COVID response and Resilient Communities Initiative. MoCAP supported several entities new to federal funding throughout Missouri, who were successful in pulling in funding from the USDA, HRSA and the DOJ.

Challenges

It can be challenging to identify organizations with the appropriate level of readiness and to effectively communicate information on open funding opportunities. Some organizations seeking help from MoCAP have little or no outside grant procurement experience at the local, national, and/or federal level. MoCAP primarily provides direct support in the development/writing stage of applications; however, additional support and technical assistance may be needed if the organization receives the grant. This support may not only help the organization in the successful implementation of its grant but also better position it for future funding from that agency or other similar funders in the future. Organizations may also need support on identifying appropriate funding opportunities, as well as front-end capacity-building and infrastructure support to be ready to receive federal funding.

In addition, MoCAP services are for federal or national funding opportunities, which limits support for smaller and/or newer organizations that may be better positioned for state-based or local funding opportunities.

Many federal and national funding opportunities are open for a short amount of time, which can make it difficult to assess eligibility and coordinate support in adequate time. Concept papers help staff to assess readiness for the funding opportunity and MoCAP support, but also take time to prepare.

Replication

MoCAP has partnered with consultants, statewide agencies like the Missouri Primary Care Association and Missouri Rural Health Association, as well as local organizations to determine a fit for funding opportunity and MoCAP support. This assessment includes identifying the state's high-need areas and issues; opportunities; and organizations, partnerships, and projects that may be well positioned to pursue identified funding opportunities. Recently, MoCAP has implemented a partnership with Grants Plus, to provide readiness assessment and vetting support for MoCAP requests.

It has been critical for the MoCAP program to be able to quickly mobilize grant writing support once an opportunity has been identified. Federal and national funding opportunities are typically open for a relatively short time, and it is important to maximize the amount of time the grant writing support is in place.

MoCAP staff have monitored opportunities that are offered on a regular or annual basis to identify potential support that could be in place before the funding opportunity announcement. It is important to build in enough staff capacity to be proactive in identifying funding opportunities, connecting with organizations, and vetting requests for eligibility and readiness.

Matching organizations with consultants who have experience with the specific funder, funding opportunity, or topic area has also been particularly helpful in securing federal and national funding.

Making use of technology and online tools has been helpful in streamlining and increasing efficiency in MoCAP's intake and assessment processes.

For more information: MoCAP FAQ

Contact Information

Alyssa Curran, Strategist – Responsive Philanthropy
Missouri Foundation for Health
MoCAP
acurran@mffh.org