Fit Community Initiative
The
Fit Community initiative is a strategy supported by the NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund (
www.HealthWellNC.com) to address growing rates of obesity among North Carolina adults and children. The
Fit Community initiative is a designation and grants program that promotes a holistic, community-based approach to address obesity in the state, given the growing body of evidence which shows the important role that communities play in implementing the types of policies and environments that make healthy choices easier and more accessible for all citizens. Designation awards recognize North Carolina communities' current and ongoing efforts to support physical activity, healthy eating, and tobacco use prevention initiatives in communities, schools and workplaces. Grant awards reward North Carolina communities' new efforts to support physical activity and/or healthy eating initiatives in communities, schools and/or workplaces.
A "community" is broadly defined as serving the neighborhood, town, city or county level. Designation applicants must apply on behalf of a municipality or a county. Grant applicants are strongly encouraged to focus the targeted setting(s) as narrowly as possible. This increases the chance for success when using the 5P approach. Note: a narrowly targeted setting does not preclude broader policy change work, e.g., at the municipal, county school board level, etc.
Ideally, each applicant will be a part of community-wide, multidisciplinary team of community leaders, professionals, and citizens who represent three or more disciplines including (but not limited to): health, planning, parks and recreation, transportation, as well as relevant school, business, and elected officials. The partnership should work together to complete the Self-Assessment for the designation application. The partnership is a prerequisite component, but it is also expected that grantees will further develop/strengthen their partnerships.
Application Process
Under the NC General Statutes, a state agency, a local government, or a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (that has as a significant purpose promoting the public’s health, limiting youth access to tobacco products, or reducing the health consequences of tobacco use) are entities eligible to receive a grant from HWTF. For the purposes of this designation and grant program, eligible applicants are:
- county agencies;
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations representing a county partnership;
- municipal agencies; and
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations representing a municipal partnership.
It is expected that the lead agency from any one municipality or county will be the same for both the designation and grant funding. Other entities interested in being involved with this initiative may apply in partnership with an eligible organization to receive grant funding.
Only one designation application and one grant application will be allowed per municipality, and one per county. Municipal applications must be endorsed by the Mayor, and county applications must be endorsed by the County Commission Chair. Please note that if a county applies, it is acceptable for any municipality within that county to apply separately. (NOTE: your community may apply for a grant without applying for a designation if: 1) you already received a designation award within the last two years (for 2008-2011 or 2009-2012); or 2) you submitted a designation application in January 2009 that did not result in a Fit Community designation status. In both cases, however, a preliminary grant application is still required in order to be considered for grant funding.)
Communities with a valid Fit Community Designation need not complete the full designation application to apply for grant funding, however, they are required to complete the Preliminary Grant Application (Part III of the designation application) on or before the January 16, 2009 deadline in order to be eligible for grant funding. Since the 2009 grant application requires that the Self-Assessment inform the proposed grant project, please refer to your previously submitted Self-Assessment application to identify opportunities for improvement that could lead into a grant funded project.
The purpose of the endorsement is to avoid competing applications at the municipal level or at the county level, and to encourage collaboration between community leaders, government officials, business owners, and/or non-profit directors. Therefore,
Fit Community applications must be endorsed by the Mayor’s office (for municipal applications) or by the County Commission Chair’s office (for county applications). Because the Preliminary Grant Application comprises a section within the designation application, it is only necessary to obtain one endorsement form for the complete Fit Community application (see the Fit Community web site for the form:
www.FitCommunityNC.comThe Fit Community RFP document provides an overview of all relevant content that needs to be considered while preparing a designation and grant application. The designation program is described in Section III.; the grant program is described in Section IV. Key criteria that must be considered for both applications is included in Section II. An informational conference call and/or individualized technical assistance are also available, but applicants should first and foremost read the RFP.
The complete grant application is not available on the Fit Community Web site until January 15, 2010, at 5:00 pm. It will also be emailed to proposed Project Directors immediately upon receipt of a complete designation application (including Part III, the Preliminary Grant Application), and communities are therefore encouraged to submit designation applications before the January 16 deadline, if possible. If you have questions about the type of information will be required for the full grant proposal, please see the RFP document, Section IV, Part D, which describes the core elements that successful grant applications must contain.
All required steps for the designation and grant applications appear in a checklist on the last page of each application document.
There is no minimum or maximum page count for the designation application. However, any written responses must appear only in gray, space-limited text boxes. Written responses for summary questions are typically limited to 250 words each. The designation application form must not be altered or changed in any way.
The proposed project narrative (Part II) is limited to five pages, using 1-inch margins and 11-point Arial font. This page limit does not include any of the other required information in parts III – VII of the grant application.
Most of the application documents are locked Word document forms and must not be altered or changed in any way (in other words, only the gray text boxes should contain new information). Any additional written material provided should use one-inch margins, single spaced lines, and 11-point Arial font. The title of all email attachments should begin with the community’s name (e.g., Wrightonville Designation App.doc).
HWTF has yet to determine whether they will have funding available for another round of Fit Community designations and grants.
Application Assistance
Active Living by Design is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and is part of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health in Chapel Hill. This program helps more than 50 community partnerships across the country establish innovative approaches to increase physical activity through community design, public policies and communications strategies. See the Active Living by Design web site at
www.ActiveLivingbyDesign.org for more information.
Technical assistance is available during the application process and after grants are awarded. ALbD staff welcome and encourage applicants’ questions and will provide guidance via email or phone at any time. One conference call will be held for applicants to learn more about the process and ask questions. Additionally, ALbD will provide tailored feedback to all grant applicants on their required Preliminary Grant Application, which appears in Part III of the Fit Community designation application (this does not guarantee receipt of a grant, however). Grant recipients will receive ongoing technical assistance in the form of monthly calls between grantees and ALbD staff, and up to two site visits per year. Grant applicants are strongly encouraged to call or email Active Living by Design early in the application process to gain feedback on their proposal ideas (see RFP, Section V. C. - D.).
One toll-free applicant conference call has been scheduled on October 22 at 11 am. Registration is required at least 24 hours in advance of the call. To receive dial-in information, follow the registration instructions in the RFP, Section V. C. Before participating in the conference call, applicants should read the RFP, FAQs, and all application materials thoroughly.
If neither you nor any of your partners can participate in a conference call, you may listen to a recording of the call anytime between October 22, 2009 and January 15, 2010. To receive instructions to register for the recording, follow the registration instructions in the RFP, Section V. C.
Questions about any matters related to the
Fit Community initiative should be directed to Active Living by Design’s
Fit Community staff: Cara Crisler: 919-843-3298; Jen Gilchrist Walker: 919-843-3079; email:
fcinfo@activelivingbydesign.org.
• The primary deadline for the 2010 Fit Community program is January 15, 2010, 5:00 pm. At that time, Designation applications are due. Note: If a community seeks grant funding, the Preliminary Grant Application (Part III of the designation application), must also be completed by the January 15 deadline. • All applicants who submit a Designation (with a completed Preliminary Grant Application, Part III in the designation application) are automatically invited to submit a complete grant proposal. The complete grant proposal – including all hard copies – must be received by mail no later than 5:00 pm on February 24, 2010.
Yes, you are encouraged to submit the designation application early, if possible. Applicants will receive the complete grant application by email and will be able to schedule feedback on their Preliminary Grant Applications from ALbD immediately upon receipt of the Designation application.
Email designation application materials to:
fcinfo@activelivingbydesign.org by 5:00 p.m. on January 15, 2010. There is no need to mail (postmark) the designation application.
The complete grant application package (eight copies of the full grant application materials) must be received by mail in ALBD’s office no later than February 24, 2010 and addressed to: Jen Walker, Active Living By Design, 400 Market Street, Suite 205, Chapel Hill, NC 27516. Please also email complete grant application materials to:
fcinfo@activelivingbydesign.org.
The title of each email attachment should begin with the community’s name (e.g., Wrightonville Designation App.doc).
Application Review
Designation applications will be screened and scored by ALbD staff, and recommendations will be made to HWTF, who will make the final determination. At the same time, ALbD staff will review Preliminary Grant Proposals and provide feedback and technical assistance to grant applicants. Complete grant applications will be screened by ALbD and HWTF, who will work together to select the strongest proposals as finalist candidates. The finalists will then be invited to participate in a reverse site visit process. An external review panel will help evaluate the merit of all finalists and present HWTF with a set of funding recommendations. Final award decisions will be determined by the full HWTF Commission.
Because of the large number of applications/proposals received in any given grant period, it is recommended that proposals be sent with a return receipt (this can be done with email and regular mail), so that you can track your package. Please do not call ALbD to track a proposal or to discuss the status of your proposal.
During the week of March –11, 2010, finalists will be notified to begin preparation for a reverse site visit. By the month of June, 2010, all applicants will be notified in writing about the status of designation and grant applications.
Finalists will be notified during the week of March 11, 2010, at which time ALBD will schedule their reverse site visits. Finalists will have until April 16 to make revisions to their project plans and prepare their conference call reverse site visit presentations. During that time, ALBD will provide additional technical assistance upon request via phone and/or email. Reverse site visits will be held from April 21 – 23 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Each finalist partnership may bring up to 5 partners and is required to attend on one of those days.
Yes, up to a limited amount. Each partnership will be reimbursed for: 1) up to two hotel rooms for those traveling distances over 150 miles (one way); 2) all mileage (roundtrip); and 3) meals, based on the state per diem rates (please refer to:
www.osbm.state.nc.us/files/pdf_files/2003_budget_manual.pdf).
Fit Community designation awards recognize and reward North Carolina municipalities and counties that currently excel in supporting physical activity, healthy eating and tobacco use prevention in the community, schools, and workplaces. The application for designation contains three parts: Part I-Community profile (required for all applicants), Part II-Self-Assessment (required for all applicants), Part III-Preliminary Grant Application (required only for applicants who are also interested in grant funding.
Starting in 2009, the Fit Community Designation will be awarded at four “tier” levels: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. This is different from previous years, when there was only one level of designation. Following are the Fit Community Designation Award levels: Platinum - A model community with tremendous support and opportunities across all key environments to enable healthy lifestyles among residents. Great potential to share lessons and knowledge with other communities; Gold - Outstanding achievements in supporting healthy lifestyles across all key environments; potential still exists to bring about more supports; Silver - Significant progress in making healthy lifestyles more accessible across the community; gaps in some areas suggest potential for future achievements; Bronze - Demonstrated efforts to making healthy lifestyles more accessible in the community; greater gaps suggest ample potential to strengthen local supports.
Designations are valid for three years. Designated communities can re-apply before their designation expires if they wish to aim for a higher designation level, or they may also wait until their designation expires before re-applying for designation status. Communities that were designated prior to 2009 will keep their original Fit Community designation award until their designation period expires. After that time, they may re-apply for a tiered designation award.
Top designee recipients: The Platinum award sets a very high standard, and HWTF will ensure special and highly visible recognition and opportunities for exclusive media coverage for applicants who attain this distinction; Platinum and Gold designees receive highway signage for the entrance to their community. All designee recipients: A Fit Community plaque to be hung in the Mayor’s or County Commissioner’s office; Recognition in statewide media and on the Fit Community web site; Use of the Fit Community designation logo for use at the recipient’s discretion; Brochures to distribute to community residents and others.
Past designation applicants report several positive outcomes as a result of completing the designation application process: Improved communication and collaboration among different stakeholders / new partners in the community; New momentum and an advocacy tool within the community for policy and environmental changes that support routine physical activity and healthy eating; Ideas for potential new projects based on the community’s strengths and weaknesses; Supporting data and material for use in other grant proposals; You can use your completed application to apply for grant funding up to two separate application rounds.
No. In addition to incorporated municipalities, a North Carolina county may also apply for the Fit Community designation and grant funding. If a county applies, it is still acceptable for any municipality within that county to apply separately.
Applications will be screened to ensure that submitted data is valid. Strategies that focus on Policy and Physical Projects are weighted more heavily than those that focus on Preparation, Promotion, and Programs. In order to achieve a designation of platinum, gold, silver, or bronze, communities must reach a threshold established for each designation level. Since some of the strategies are weighted more heavily than others, the number of ‘points’ available does not correspond directly to the number of ‘check box’ options in the Self-Assessment. Instead, scoring takes into account weighted criteria in addition to assigning proper credit for the range of options available to communities of different types and characteristics (e.g., counties vs. municipalities; urban vs. rural).
The number and diversity of designated Fit Communities will depend on the strength of the individual applications.
No. Applicants seeking a Fit Community designation do not have to apply for grant funding. If you do not plan to apply for grant funding, you do not need to complete the Preliminary Grant Application (Part III) in the designation.
In the previous three rounds of Fit Community, designation and grant awards were disconnected. Communities were asked to complete an extensive Self-Assessment, but not provided any formal opportunities to identify areas for improvement that arose from the Self-Assessment. In contrast, the current application process asks applicants to generate specific improvement ideas based on Self-Assessment outcomes. The Preliminary Grant Application requires that proposals directly lead to at least one of the self-identified opportunities for improvement. Not only does this process better connect the designation and grant initiatives, but it also provides applicants the opportunity to receive one-on-one feedback in direct response to their proposal ideas before submitting a complete grant application. The feedback and technical assistance, provided by ALBD, is designed to help applicants submit more competitive Fit Community proposals.
Self-Assessment for Fit Community Designation
The Fit Community Designation Self-Assessment tool helps North Carolina municipalities and counties assess the extent to which community, school, and workplace environments provide citizens with opportunities to engage in healthy lifestyles. The tool examines the use of five key strategies (Preparation, Promotion, Programs, Policy, and Physical Projects) to promote physical activity, healthy eating, and tobacco use prevention. The Fit Community Self-Assessment aims to serve as an evaluation tool and sets a high standard. The Self-Assessment tool presents a range of different options that may or may not be appropriate for a community, depending upon its size and characteristics. Such variations are taken into account in the review and scoring process.
No, not effectively. The Self-Assessment tool should be completed by a multi-disciplinary team in order to capture the full range of strategies used across the community, schools, and workplaces. In fact, the Fit Community initiative and Self-Assessment process is intended to encourage this type of community-wide collaboration. HWTF and ALbD encourage the local lead agency and partners to divide various sections of the Self-Assessment and gather information from relevant sources in the community in order to complete the application.
The “Resources” section in the designation application, found in Appendix A on page 49, provides suggestions of people, organizations, and data sources that may be helpful in order to complete the Self-Assessment in an accurate and timely manner. Most answers will be found by communicating directly with community leaders. Technical assistance for completing the Self-Assessment is also provided by Active Living by Design: call (919) 843-3079 or 3298, or email
fcinfo@activelivingbydesign.org.
It is neither possible nor expected that communities will come close to meeting all criteria in order to become designated. Instead, Self-Assessment criteria present a broad range of possible options different types of communities may employ to make healthy living more accessible, which builds flexibility into the scoring process to account for the differences and unique assets among communities. Additionally, the “other” checkboxes found throughout the Self-Assessment provide applicants with opportunities to explain and receive credit for unique assets within a community. Previous applicants have described the Self-Assessment as a learning tool, one that brought new partners together, and an overall beneficial process regardless of whether or not designation was achieved.
Many different types of communities – urban and rural; municipalities and counties – have achieved a designation in the past. Self-Assessment criteria present a broad range of possible options different types of communities may employ to make healthy living more accessible, which builds flexibility into the scoring process to account for the differences and unique assets among communities. Every effort is made to ensure that communities are not penalized when they lack strategies that would not be relevant based on their particular characteristics. It is also helpful to use the “other” checkboxes to explain and receive credit for a community’s unique assets.
Fit Community Grant Funding
The Fit Community grants program will provide funding and technical assistance to North Carolina communities for innovative strategies that increase routine physical activity and/or healthy eating among a defined target setting(s) and target population(s). HWTF is committed to selecting a portfolio of grantee communities that represent a broad geographic range, diversity of needs, and range of strategies used to address those needs. Grants will provide up to $60,000 over two years. Proposals should focus on achieving/implementing Policy and Physical Project strategies as a means to bring about future behavior change. Grantees are encouraged to use Preparation strategies (e.g., partnership building, assessment, community engagement, and leveraging additional resources) in order to achieve project goals. The extent of Preparation strategies will likely vary depending on applicants’ readiness to engage in Policy and Physical Project change. Additionally, grantees may also propose Promotion and Program strategies to the extent that they support the overall project goals of Policy and Physical Project change. In-kind funding for these strategies is encouraged wherever possible.
No. All communities who apply for a designation are eligible to receive grant funding, even if they do not receive a designation award. The review processes are separate, and the outcome of one does not influence the outcome of the other. Also, communities that receive the designation do not automatically receive a grant.
• In most cases, no. All grant applicants must also apply for the Fit Community designation, including Part III (the Preliminary Grant Application), which is due on January 15, 2010. Complete grant proposals are due on February 24, 2010. • The two exceptions to this requirement are: 1) your community already received a designation award in 2008 or 2009; or 2) your community submitted an unsuccessful designation application in 2009. In either of these cases, communities must complete Part Part III (the Preliminary Grant Application) by January 15, 2010, but do not need to complete the full Self-Assessment application (Parts I and II) for the designation.
No. Part III of the designation application, the Preliminary Grant Application, must be completed as part of the designation application if a community wishes to apply for grant funding. All sections of the designation application are due on January 15, 2010, without exception.
No. You need only submit one signed endorsement form. The Preliminary Grant Application, to be submitted as Part III of the designation application, prevents the need for communities to submit an additional endorsement form for the full grant application. You will find the Fit Community Endorsement Form on the
Fit Community Web site:
www.FitCommunityNC.com.Successful grant applicants will demonstrate: Clearly stated need/rationale for target setting(s) and target population(s); Policy and Physical Project strategies are the primary focus, and are directly complimented by Preparation, Promotion, and/or Program strategies where appropriate, with the goal of increasing routine physical activity and/or healthy eating; Map of proposed Physical Project(s) (and, if possible, other strategies); Interdisciplinary partnership with strong project leadership, organizational capacity (or potential for building capacity), commitment from diverse stakeholders, and clear understanding of organizational roles, responsibilities and contributions; Community engagement, especially among the target population(s); Capacity to sustain the initiative after grant period ends; Ability to lead by example and serve as a model for other North Carolina communities; Openness to receiving feedback and ongoing technical assistance; Willingness to enter into a partnership with ALbD as a technical assistance provider (see Section V.).
Yes.
• One informational conference call with applicants on October 22, 2009. The call will be recorded and available until January 15, 2010 (see RFP, Section IV. C.); 2) The designation Self-Assessment provides a wide range of different strategies that may be appropriate for a community, depending upon its size and characteristics. Improvement idea(s) generated from the Self-Assessment process must directly inform the grant proposal; 3) ALbD will provide, via phone, tailored feedback to all grant applicants on their required Preliminary Grant Application in order to ensure that proposals meet Fit Community program goals and to help increase proposal competitiveness. Additionally, Applicants are strongly encouraged to call or email Active Living by Design early in the process of developing ideas for the Preliminary Grant Proposal to gain up-front feedback (see RFP, Section V. C.); 4) A list of various resources for the grant application can be found on the Fit Community web site:
www.FitCommunityNC.com. This list is provided to help applicants get a sense of strategies a community might implement with Fit Community grant funding; it includes sources for general information, specific tools, case studies, success stories, and more.Yes.
HWTF strongly discourages any requests for indirect costs in grants of this size. Projects requesting funding for costs associated with providing only direct programs and services (e.g., supplies, education materials, portions of salaries, physical projects, etc.) are viewed much more favorably.
Grant-funded Project Proposals
Applicants are encouraged to describe complimentary healthy eating and active living 5P strategies in their proposals. However, the choice to focus on just one behavior will not be penalized. Applicants are encouraged to call or email Active Living by Design early in the application process for assistance with plans to create a complimentary healthy eating and active living grant proposal.
No. In fact, communities are encouraged to narrowly focus their grant proposal activities in a particular setting in which a strong need or opportunity exists. However, a narrowly-focused target setting does not preclude broad policy change work (e.g., at the municipal, county, school board level, etc).
The 5P Model looks at Policy and Physical Project strategies as the most impactful and sustainable means to bring about future behavior change in a community. Policy and Physical Projects should therefore comprise the central focus of a proposal, and are weighted more heavily in the review process for both designations and grants. The 5P Model also recognizes that supporting strategies help to bring about policy and physical project change, and ultimately, behavior change. Applicants should ask themselves how these supporting P strategies – Preparation, Promotion, and Programs – can further their core objectives for Policy and Physical Project change, as well as behavior change. For a full description of the 5P model, complete with examples, refer to the RFP, Section II., and ALbD’s “Community Action Model,” which can be found at:
www.ActiveLivingbyDesign.org/index.php?id=293.No. A Fit Community grant does not have to be the initial source of funds for all of the 5P strategies. Implementation steps that are already underway in the community may contribute to an integrated project. For those projects addressing both healthy eating and physical activity behaviors, other funding sources and strategies already underway will be essential. As a general guideline, HWTF and ALBD strongly discourage spending more than 75% of grant funding on any one “P” strategy. Proposals that demonstrate sufficient support (i.e., grant funding and in-kind dollars) will be reviewed much more favorably than those that propose to spend all of their funding on a single P strategy, such as a physical project or program, without sufficient support for other key strategies such as policy and preparation.
The Fit Community program is interested in promoting a holistic, community-based approach to addressing the issue of obesity, physical inactivity and unhealthy eating. Because a comprehensive set of strategies and collaboration among a multidisciplinary partnership is required, the available range of Fit Community funding is usually insufficient to cover 100% of the cost of a competitive project proposal. HWTF prefers to be a funding partner along with other sources of funding. An application is strengthened by the provision of matching funds and in-kind sources. You are highly encouraged to seek multiple sources of support, as this is a key indicator of sustainability of the project.
Grant Funding Restrictions
Grant funds may not support any of the following:
- Research studies, unless it is directly linked to evaluation purposes.
- Efforts to engage in political activities or lobbying. Note, however, that advocacy work and education on particular policy issues are allowed and encouraged when appropriate to the project.
- Support for indirect expenses, e.g. computers and laptops, fax machines, rent, furniture, cell phones, PDAs, etc.
- Only a small amount of this grant funding may be used to support incentive items (in general, no more than $2,000 per budget year).
Restricted political and lobbying activities include, but are not limited to, support of or opposition to candidates, specific legislation, ballot initiatives, referenda, or other similar activities.
Advocacy and education for policy change at the local level is an important part of the Fit Community initiative. This might include a wide range of promotional activities—in the form of written materials or verbal presentations—targeted to decision/policy makers in the community (e.g. elected officials, employers, school officials, etc.). These materials and/or presentations should not refer to, and/or take any positions on pending legislation.
Letters of Support and Agreement
Letters of Support should be obtained from collaborating individuals or organizations (other than partnering organizations) submitting letters of agreement. Examples of these include your local health department, the city planning office, the parks and recreation department, a local YMCA, the school district, the Chamber of Commerce, etc. Letters should be addressed to the NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund.
Letters of Agreement should be obtained from partnering organizations that will serve in a subcontracting role, or will receive some of the Fit Community funding.
Feedback on Past Applications
No. The Fit Community initiative is a completely separate program than that of Active Living by Design, which is national in scope. However, technical assistance for the Fit Community application process is provided by ALbD staff.
Yes. Returning applicants are all encouraged to receive feedback on a previously submitted proposal. Contact Active Living by Design’s Fit Community staff: Cara Crisler: 919-843-3298; Jen Walker: 919-843-3079; email:
fcinfo@activelivingbydesign.org.Designation and grant funding decisions will be announced by the HWTF Commission in late May or early June, 2010.
For those awarded a designation, all entities who partnered on the Fit Community grant proposal will be able to use the logo. For example, if a county planning department is a partner on a municipality project, the planning department would be able to use the logo and specify what town or city was designated a “Fit Community.”
Once the grant is approved and HWTF has all necessary materials (including an approved project action plan), a grant contract is prepared and sent to the grantee for signatures. Initial funds can only be transmitted once both parties sign and execute the grant contract. Grant contracts will begin on July 1, 2010 for a one-year period. Grants will be subject to a renewal for year two.
Read more about successful Fit Communities.