Jun 21, 2023
Groundworks New Mexico, the Con Alma Health Foundation, and the New Mexico Public Health Association are pleased to share the below invitation for organizations working on health equity efforts in New Mexico to submit a brief sharing their work to inform three indepth discussions to advance health equity in New Mexico:
Dear Community Partner,
The COVID-19 pandemic and recent forest fires have intensified our awareness about the necessity for informed and coordinated action to respond in fair, just, and humane ways. These challenges have also given us new opportunities to align across sectors to improve the lives of New Mexicans. Groundworks NM, Con Alma Health Foundation, and the New Mexico Public Health Association are hosting three indepth discussions this summer and fall with the goal of understanding how government agencies and philanthropic organizations can work together in new ways to advance health equity in New Mexico. We know how important it is to continue lifting community, non-profit, and grassroots voices to inform how government and philanthropy work.
Background
We know that community based, grassroots, and non-profit organizations are part of sophisticated networks with philanthropy and all levels of government. There are leaders and decision-makers in state government and philanthropy who are already deeply committed and informed around issues of community wellness and health equity. Many of those people are trying to keep pace with dynamic and changing communities that are also responding to challenges and crisis. Others in state government and philanthropy are newer to work around health equity but are willing to accelerate their learning curve. We hope you will help contribute to their learning so that they can better partner to address core issues in NM in just and equitable ways.
Request for Information
Phase 1- 1 to 2-page brief We are looking for people and organizations that are doing leading-edge work within community to address structural and social determinants of health in ways that advance health equity. To participate, please submit a 1-2 page brief describing a health equity effort that you are already working on and want to highlight to teach about what health equity means in your work by June 30, 2022 at 5pm. The brief should address the following topics/questions.
- Name of the organization/initiative and confirmation of 501 c3 status.
- Key partnerships- Who do you work with to make a positive impact?
- Overarching goals/aims- What are you trying to accomplish related to health equity in the initiative you’re highlighting?
- Highlights of progress made- What about your work is making a positive difference that others could learn from?
- Lessons learned from COVID and shifts in your approach to health equity- How did COVID change the focus of your work or how you move it forward?
- Significant policy and systems barriers- What are the two biggest challenges to improving health equity in your effort?
- Areas of underinvestment both geographically and programmatically- Are there places within your community or within your approach to community that are under resourced?
- Contact Information
Brief must be submitted to [email protected] by 5pm on 6/30/22.
Phase 2– Videos from Selected Groups Approximately 5-7 of the briefs will be selected for translation into a short video or presentation by the submitting organization. The recorded talk should not be professionally produced. We’re not looking for anything that is slick or expensive to produce. You can submit a video recording taken on a cell phone or provide a recording of a talk about your effort from a virtual meeting platform like Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet. Your video and 1-2 pager will be made available to all of the state and philanthropic leaders who join for the health equity learning series as educational materials. Your knowledge and experiences are valuable and a meeting about health equity funding would not be as meaningful without community perspectives.
A 10 to 15 minute video or recording should be sent to [email protected] by 5pm on 7.12.22.
Phase 3- Technical Assistance People for Discussion Series Leaders in philanthropy and state
government health equity efforts will be engaging in a series of facilitated conversations to understand
New Mexico’s health equity landscape and build stronger public and private partnerships. The first
conversation is scheduled for Tuesday, July 19th from 2:30-4:30pm. The discussion will focus on health
equity and opportunities for alignment with community-based efforts, the State Health Improvement
Plan, community health assessments, and the 2021 House Memorial 2 recommendations. A
representative of each of the health equity examples selected will also be asked to participate as
resource people to answer technical questions during the learning series for philanthropy and state
government. Please save the date July 19th 2:30-4:30 just in case. An additional date will be set for the
2nd conversation in August.
Valuing Community Wisdom
A $1,500 honorarium will be made available for each non-profit organization whose 1–2-page brief
about health equity efforts in NM is selected. The honoraria will cover the time to create a recorded
presentation and attend the 2 hour July and August health equity conversations.
All 1-2 page briefs that highlight health equity efforts in NM will be made available to State government
and philanthropic partners as well as each organization that responds to the request for information.
We’re all learning with and from one another.
Recap of Important Dates
- 1-2 page brief must be submitted to [email protected] by 5pm on 6/30/22.
- Selected projects/efforts will be notified by 7/5/22 at 5pm that they’ve been selected.
- A video or recorded presentation is due to [email protected] by 5pm on 7/12/22.
- The first meeting in the health equity series is July 19, 2022 from 2:30-4:40pm.
- The second meeting will be scheduled in early to mid-August.
With respect and appreciation,
Denise E. Herrera, PhD, MCHES, Executive Director
Con Alma Health Foundation
505.438.0776 x 3 | www.conalma.org
Leah Sanchez, Co-executive Director
New Mexico Public Health Association
505.414-1500 | [email protected]
Kristi Dorr, Esq., Executive Director
Groundworks New Mexico
505.226.0960 | [email protected]