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Understanding and Supporting Anchor Businesses to Build a Culture of Health

 

Purpose: This call for proposals will focus on supporting empirical research to understand the ways that for-profit anchors advance health and well-being in the communities where they are located. Funded studies are expected to include rigorous empirical research that will inform the business case for why and how more companies serve as anchor institutions in their immediate surrounding geographies. Studies will also inform future RWJF strategies to motivate companies to act in a way that promotes health and well-being. Potential research questions might include:

  1. What factors facilitate or hinder anchor businesses from addressing health equity or social determinants of health?
  2. The motivations and incentives of anchor businesses across a range of sectors;
  3. What kind of equity-promoting narrative and framing resonates with the leaders of corporate anchor institutions?
  4. Understanding the positive and negative consequences of corporate anchors (e.g., gentrification);
  5. What interventions (led or co-led by corporate anchors) appear to be effective or show promise?
  6. Understanding the policy solutions that could motivate corporate anchors to collaborate to builder safer, healthier communities.
  7. What tools and resources would most help leaders of anchor businesses who are committed to community health improvement?
  8. How does the motivation and impact of corporate anchors compare to non-profit anchor institutions?
  9. How can RWJF and other funders work most effectively to strengthen anchor businesses’ investment in their communities?

RWJF is especially interested in for-profit anchors in small and midsized cities (less than 500,000) and is open to headquarters or local operations of companies.
Receipt Date: Expires: June 12, 2019 by 3 p.m. ET
Total Awards:
  • Recommended project funding is up to $250,000 each to accommodate studies of up to 18 months.
  • Three to four studies will be funded.
  • Projects that exceed the recommended budget range must provide strong justification for the proposed budget.
  • Up to $900,000 will be available under this call for proposals.
Eligibility: 
  • Proposals must discuss approaches focused in one or more geographically defined communities.
  • Researchers, as well as practitioners in the public and private sector working with researchers, are eligible to submit proposals through their organizations.
  • Projects may be generated from disciplines including: Business management and administration, Finance, Marketing, Economics, Labor, Anthropology, Communication science, Sociology, Program evaluation, Political science, Public policy, Public health and health care, Public administration, Law, other related fields.
  • Preference will be given to applicants that are either public entities or nonprofit organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and are not private foundations or Type III supporting organizations. The Foundation may require additional documentation.
  • Applicant organizations must be based in the United States or its territories.
Link: https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/funding-opportunities/2019/understanding-and-supporting-anchor-businesses-to-build-a-culture-of-health.html