Community Grants Program

What is the Community Grants Program?

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (Fred Hutch) is inviting applications for innovative projects to address and improve multiple social determinants of health among under represented communities in Washington State, including but not limited to racial, ethnic, physical and mentalability, gender, sexual identity, geographic location, income, and education inequities.

To expand community capacity, we aim to build sustainable outreach and research capacity with diverse communities in Washington State. Fred Hutch’s Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (OCOE), Community Benefit Program, and the National Cancer Institute funded U54 New Mexico State University - Fred Hutch Partnership for the Advancement of Cancer Research have combined their Small Grants Programs for the 2023 application cycle.

The goals of this Community Grants Program are to:

Address significant health inequities within affected communities.
Implement projects to address a community identified need.
Maintain collaborative activities with key partners.

For example, some cancer health inequities are differences in cancer health outcomes, screening rates, number of new cases, cancer stage at diagnosis, death rates, and quality of life after cancer treatment and survivorship. These inequities place underrepresented populations at a disadvantage.

The Community Grants Program works to build strong relationships between organizations who support diverse racial, ethnic, and underrepresented communities in Washington state can enhance ability develop, implement, and evaluate tailored programs.

Eligible applicants include community-based organizations, non-profit, 501(c)3 organizations, and Tribes located in Washington State (WA). Services must be provided in or serve residents in WA. Applicants must have experience working with/in diverse racial, ethnic, and underserved communities.

Request for applications (RFA) to the Community Grants Program must include:

Information about the organization
Budget request and justification
What identified problem would like to be addressed
Specific aims and objectives of the overall project goal

Every grant applicant has the option to work with a mentor from the Cancer Consortium who has expertise in Community Based Participatory Research.

See link to RFA below.

Projects may ask for up to $15,000 total costs (direct + indirect costs).

Indirect costs, (facilities and administrative (F&A) costs), if applicable, should be no more than 10% and should be included in the $15,000 budget. Projects should be proposed for up to one year. At the discretion of reviewers, award amounts may be decreased. Awards pursuant to this RFA are contingent upon the availability of funds and the receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious requests. If no applications are considered meritorious, the RFA will be reissued.

2023 Request for Applications

Click here to download RFA

2023 Request for Applications

Click here to download RFA

Health care is not experienced equally or equitably across the nation and several communities shoulder an unequal and unjust burden of cancer.

Project Examples

There have been more than 40 community grants awarded to community-based organizations and Tribes in WA. Past examples include:

Breast cancer education among African American women
Evaluation of online tool used to share genetic risk information in families with hereditary cancer syndromes
Colorectal cancer education material development for Hispanics/Latinos
Adaptation of evidence-based curriculum on blood pressure for Asian populations
Exploration of barriers to HPV vaccination among Indigenous populations living in urban areas
Promoting vaccine education & immunization within refugee and immigrant communities in King, Pierce, & Snohomish Counties