Healthy Alliance IPA and United Way of the Greater Capital Region launch fund to support BIPOC-led community organizations

The Changemaker Fund will provide critical funding and resources for 13 local organizations working to advance positive social change

TROY, N.Y., July 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 13 BIPOC-led organizations, whose work centers around elevating and amplifying community voices, are the recipients of the inaugural Changemaker Fund, created by Healthy Alliance IPA, sister organization of Alliance for Better Health, and United Way of the Greater Capital Region. From distributing COVID-19 vaccines to sowing food equity from an Afro-Indigenous farm, this year’s Fund recipients are charting a course for positive change. Collectively, they are working to address wide-ranging systemic inequities, including mental health, food security and sovereignty, housing, youth success, and financial security—particularly among Black, Latinx, immigrant, refugee, and rural communities.

This year’s awardees are: BirthNet, Black Nurses Coalition, BlueLight Development, Capital District Latinos, CEK RN Consulting, Centro Civico, In Our Own Voices, Miracle on Craig Street, Mom Starts Here, Mission Accomplished Transition Services, Soul Fire Farm, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, and Youth FX.

“Grassroots community-based organizations are integral to reducing health disparities, but are often underfunded,” said Erica Coletti, CEO of Alliance for Better Health. “We created this fund in partnership with United Way to provide resources as a step toward addressing that void. Together, we believe that the best way to make a difference is to work alongside each other, be intentional, and remain laser-focused on our shared mission to address inequities of all kinds.”

The Changemaker Fund provides unrestricted operational funding, technical support, and leadership development for the awardees. Each of the Fund’s recipients will receive an initial award of up to $25,000, with the opportunity for additional funding in the future. As part of the program, organizations will implement Alliance’s digital referral platform, Healthy Together (powered by UniteUs), to send and receive referrals across a network of medical, social, and behavioral health organizations, and contribute to the ongoing collection of social determinants of health data. Awardees will also have the opportunity to participate in a tailored learning curriculum, ranging from leadership development training to interactive workshops, designed to empower and connect leadership across organizations and within communities.

“The Changemakers are having a major impact on our communities and neighborhoods,” said Peter Gannon, President & CEO of United Way of the Greater Capital Region. “Building on the success of the first cohort of Five to Watch, this partnership provides more significant financial support for more organizations while enhancing the capacity-building cohort model.”

This partnership is an example of how collaborative funding supports those in need and most apt to affect real change. By promoting collaboration across the philanthropic sector, Healthy Alliance IPA and United Way are working to address resource gaps and reduce the burden of multiple applications and reporting requirements for awardees, making it possible to more meaningfully target systemic problems.

About Healthy Alliance IPA
Healthy Alliance IPA, one of the first IPAs in the region focused entirely on social determinants of health, collaborates with community partners to address social needs―food insecurity, housing assistance, benefits navigation―before they turn into medical problems. Established in 2015, Healthy Alliance IPA’s sister entity, Alliance for Better Health, engages medical, behavioral, and social service providers in developing innovative solutions to improve community health.

About United Way of the Greater Capital Region
United Way of the Greater Capital Region is an organization that fights for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in every community. It unites donors, volunteers, and community organizations in a common mission to strengthen our community and improve social conditions in the Capital Region and beyond. Learn more at www.unitedwaygcr.org or www.Facebook.com/UnitedWayGCR

Media Contacts
LaunchSquad for Healthy Alliance IPA
alliance@launchsquad.com

Claire Reid, Chief Impact Officer
United Way of the Greater Capital Region
Claire@unitedwaygcr.org