Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Funding Opportunities
The Minnesota Healthy Brain Community Grant Program funds organizations to do the following community work:
- Educate communities about dementia risk reduction
- Understand the importance of early detection and diagnosis
- Provide support for people living with dementia and their caregivers
Healthy Brain Initiative Request for Proposals (RFP)
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Aging and Healthy Communities Unit's Healthy Brain Initiative is requesting proposals to reach and engage communities in Minnesota impacted by Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias to improve brain health. The focus is on engaging communities disproportionately impacted by underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis. These communities include Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC); Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+); American Indian; people living with disabilities; and communities in Greater Minnesota.
Project proposals will demonstrate how organizations create, improve, or amplify brain health messages and strategies that reduce dementia risk, detect and diagnose dementia earlier, and support people living with dementia and their care partners.
This grant RFP is supported through funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) BOLD Public Health Programs to Address Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (CDC-RFA-DP23-0010). The purpose of this funding is to increase early detection and diagnosis of dementia, provide culturally responsive education and awareness about dementia risk reduction and the benefits of early diagnosis, and enhance wellbeing for people living with dementia and their care partners.
Key Dates
- Oct 15: Information Session (slides from session below)
- Oct. 18: Last day to submit RFP questions
- Nov. 12: Proposal applications due
- Dec. 20: Notice of Funding
- March 3, 2025: Estimated grant start date
- Sept. 29, 2028: Grant ends
The MDH Aging and Healthy Communities Unit hosted an information session on Oct. 15. View the presentation here to grab additional information about the grant. Questions from the session can be found in the FAQ section below.
Healthy Brain Community Grant Information Session Slides (PPT)
Proposal Documents
Health Brain Community Grant: Request for Proposals (PDF)
Additional attachments:
- Attachment A: Application (Word)
- Attachment B: Scoring Criteria (Word)
- Attachment C: Budget Form (Excel)
- Attachment D: Due Diligence Form (PDF)
- Attachment E: Applicant Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form (PDF)
Application Submission
Applications must be submitted by email to health.healthybrain@state.mn.us no later than 11:59 p.m. CT, on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024.
All questions regarding this RFP must be submitted by email to health.healthybrain@state.mn.us. All questions and answers will be posted on this page within seven business days. Please submit questions no later than 4:30 p.m. Central Time on Oct. 18, 2024.
How long is this grant period?
This Healthy Brain Community Grants RFP is designed to fund grantees over 42 months (3 year and 6 months). It follows the awarded grant cycle set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Bold Health Programs to Address Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (CDC-RFA-DP23-0010), starting Sept. 30. The first year of this grant cycle will be 18 months. We anticipate a start date of March 3, 2025, in order to select grantees and fully execute grant agreements.
Is this RFP Open to researchers as well or only community organizations who provide direct services?
Researchers may apply, but the proposed work may not include research activities, per CDC funding restrictions. Mandatory Project Requirements can be found in section 2.4 of the RFP.
Eligible applicants may include but are not limited to:
- Community-based organizations
- Tribal governments
- Nonprofit organizations
- Faith-based organizations
- Social service organizations
- Clinics or health care organizations
- Community Health Boards/Local Public Health
- Local government
- Community Coalitions
What is Dementia Risk Reduction?
Reducing modifiable risk factors that may prevent or delay dementia or slow the progression for someone already living with dementia. The Alzheimer's Association lists that potential risk factors include high blood pressure, physical activity, diabetes, traumatic brain injury, tobacco and alcohol use, diet and nutrition, sleep, sensory impairments, and social connections. For more information visit: Risk Reduction | Alzheimer's Association.
What is early detection of dementia?
The BOLD Public Health Center of Excellence Early Detection of Dementia defines early detection of dementia as "identifying the problem when it is affecting a person's life - before a crisis occurs." For more information, visit their website: Early Detection of Dementia | Bold Center of Excellence on Caregiving.
What is caregiver support?
For this funding opportunity, the term caregiver or care partners refers to anyone providing any grade of care for another person, whether paid or unpaid, professional trained or not. The Rosalyn Carter Institute for caregivers adds, "Too often we hear caregivers describe themselves as 'just' a daughter, husband, friend, or neighbor. If you provide support [for] such errands as grocery shopping, wound care and prescription management, or cooking, cleaning, and personal care at home - you are a caregiver and you deserve to be seen and supported." Visit the Rosalyn Carter Insititute for more information on caregiving.
How many grants will be awarded?
Up to four applicants will be awarded.
What is the award range for each organization?
Each organization can ask up to $20,000 per year. The maximum award for each organization for the 3.5-year grant period is $60,000.
What is the reporting requirement?
Grantees are required to submit two reports each grant year: one mid-year report due six months after the grant period begins and one final report due at the end of each grant year. For more information on specific dates, please see the Healthy Brain Community Grants RFP page 15.
What is the Activity Tracker and how often is it due?
The Activity Tracker is a spreadsheet designed to help grantees track their progress and activities. MDH staff will demonstrate how to use the Activity Tracker and provide grantees with the template. Activity Trackers are due two times in one grant year; they are due at the same time as the mid-year and final reports.
Should the budget include all three years or just the first year?
Using the budget template, please only submit the budget for the first year. The budget period for the first year should be from March 3, 2025 - Sept. 29, 2026.
Do we need to submit a budget for all three years?
You do not need to submit a budget for years 2 and 3 with this application. MDH staff will work with grantees on the budget for years 2 and 3.
Is there a match requirement?
No, there is no match requirement.
Are you focusing on innovative and cutting-edge solutions or just education for people living with dementia, caregivers, and providers?
We encourage applicants to submit innovative and creative activities and solutions that address the needs of the communities they work with and serve. The proposed activities should include ways to learn and talk about risk reduction, early detection and diagnosis, and caregiver support.
If we wanted to work in a specific part of Minnesota and the full state, do we submit an application for each part of Minnesota we want to work?
Lead organizations can only submit one application. Organizations that are not listed as the lead organization can be listed as partner organizations on more than one application. If you are the lead organization on one application, you may be listed as a partner organization on a different application.
What are care services?
Care services refer to home care services that include assistance with tasks of daily living as bathing, cooking, cleaning etc.
Can we use grant funds to focus on actual delivery of care services to people living with dementia?
Funds may not be used to pay people to provide or deliver direct care services for people living with dementia or respite care. Funds may be used to support educational programming or programming that address dementia risk factors for people living with dementia and their caregivers. Educational programming should include aspects of risk reduction, early detection and diagnosis or caregiver support. For more information on modifiable dementia risk factors see The Lancet article here, Dementia Prevention, intervention, and care.
Examples of appropriate use of funds includes, but is not limited to:
- Dementia friendly trainings for staff and caregivers
- Training for evidence-based programs that support caregiver health and wellbeing
- Staff time to develop a referral system
- Staff time to establish a caregiver health and wellbeing program
Is it possible to front-load the budget with the total if the startup needs more support?
No, grantees may not front-load the budget. The maximum budget for each year is $20,000.
Can we use grant funding to pay for speakers for a community brain health workshop that is free to the public?
Yes, funding can be used to compensate and sub-contract professional, academic and community experts and speakers for brain health events hosted by the organization. Any funds used for this purpose cannot exceed $500/year for each speaker and will have to be included in the budget and approved by MDH staff.
Who do I contact for questions?
Please direct questions to health.healthybrain@state.mn.us or call 651-201-5400 and leave a message for the "Aging and Healthy Communities Unit".
- Caregiver: We define caregivers as any person who tends to the needs or concerns of a person with short or long-term limitations due to illness, injury, or disability. The term 'caregiver' can refer to a professional caregiver or family caregiver. We also use 'care partners' interchangeably with caregivers. Visit the Center for Excellence on Dementia Caregiving for more information and resources on caregiving.
- Community: The term community is inclusive and may be used for a geographic, cultural, racial, or ethnic community or group.
- Social Determinants of Health: Healthy People 2030 define social determinants of health (SDOH) as "the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affects a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks." (Social Determinants of Health - Healthy People 2030 | health.gov)
- Disproportionately: Unequally or more than expected if all were affected equally.
Learn more about the Minnesota Dementia Strategic Plan (PDF).
2022-2023 Minnesota Healthy Brain Community Grantees
Learn more below about the scope and work of each community grantee. Grantees are actively engaging their communities through community events and gatherings to talk about brain health and memory loss factors, signs and symptoms, and resources that are available to help caregivers and people living with dementia.
Centro Nazareno de Compasión Agape Inc.
Serves the Latino community through 26 churches in 14 counties across Minnesota. Centro has an Agape Seniors Project that provides older adults and community members with food and emotional support. As part of the Healthy Brain Community Grant, Centro will educate and connect families and churches to understand the signs of early detection, dementia risk factors, and provide emotional support for caregivers caring for older adults.
Northwoods Caregivers
Provides caregiver consulting, caregiver support groups, community outreach, and evidence-based classes in northern Minnesota. Through partnerships with elders in the local American Indian and rural communities, Northwoods Caregivers plan to expand their evidence-based curriculum to be more culturally appropriate, particularly for American Indians. The Healthy Brain Community Grant funds will expand Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health (REACH), a culturally appropriate Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias (ADRD) risk reduction and caregiver wellbeing program at Northwoods Caregivers.
Restoration for All (REFA)
Works with African refugee and immigrants and plans to expand outreach and advocacy to increase early detection, and develop a communications campaign. REFA specializes in culturally relevant conversations and education materials about memory loss and dementia risk reduction, and connects caregivers to community resources.
The Remember Project
Is a program that produces and performs theatrical plays to encourage audience members to talk about memory loss and help people living with dementia process their stories. With the Healthy Brain Community Grant, the Remember Project plans to expand their work with Black, Indigenous and communities of color in the Twin Cities metro area. The Remember Project will host a virtual tour of “Mango Songs”, a theatrical video of an autobiographical play written and performed by a BIPOC artist that explores the intersections of identity, migration, memory and belonging. Handouts, materials and resources that focus on dementia risk reduction, caregiver wellbeing, and early diagnosis will be available at these dissemination events.
Contact Us
If you have questions about the Healthy Brain Community Grantees, please email us at Health.HealthyBrain@state.mn.us