Grant Funding Sources for Health Literacy Programs

Identifying and securing funding sources for programs that address health literacy is critical for long-term viability. Rural communities can take advantage of funding offered by federal agencies, regional agencies and associations, foundations, and other organizations to sustain community health literacy efforts.

To review potential funding agencies, associations, and organizations, visit Funders of Rural Programs in the Rural Community Health Toolkit.

Examples of Federal Agencies and Other Funding Sources for Rural Health Literacy Programs

• The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) lists its notice of funding opportunities for health literacy research and programmatic work. In 2020, AHRQ released a Special Emphasis Notice (SEN) expressing special interest in research on improving organizational health literacy to prevent and manage chronic disease.
• The National Institute of Health (NIH) offers several grants focused on improving the process and mechanisms for gathering and using health information to improve health outcomes and promote health literacy.
• In an effort to keep up with the public's need for equitable health communication efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) issued the Advancing Health Literacy to Enhance Equitable Community Responses to COVID-19 funding opportunity (2021-2023).
• The Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) provides funding opportunities for research and programs looking to address health literacy in different parts of the country.
• The Native American Library Services Basic Grant seeks to improve core library services in Native American communities with a primary goal of increasing access to information in a variety of formats to support needs for education, workforce development, economic and business development, health information, and critical thinking skills, as well as digital literacy, financial literacy, and other types of literacy skills.

Examples of Foundations that Fund Rural Health Literacy Programs

• Philanthropic organizations like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) have been working to improve health and healthcare in the U.S. RWJF supports research, programs, policies, and practices that center equity and aim to enhance health and well-being within all communities including rural areas. RWJF has also been working to address health literacy as a priority to improve population health, increase healthcare quality, and reduce healthcare costs.
• The Humana Foundation supports organizations seeking to advance health equity through their investment in the social determinants of health. The Humana Foundation has 8 communities of focus in Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Texas.
• The Carolyn Watson Rural Oklahoma Community Foundation was founded in 1995 to help improve the quality of life for rural southern Oklahoma communities. The foundation provides grant funding and scholarships to improve teaching in classrooms and deliver community literacy programs in local public libraries.
• Founded in Reston, Virginia, the Wish You Well Foundation funds adult literacy and educational programs to improve adult and family literacy in the U.S. The Wish You Well Foundation supports a variety of nonprofit organizations looking to enhance adult literacy and promote thriving communities.

Additional funding opportunities for programs looking to promote health literacy can be found in our Rural Funding & Opportunities section.

Resources to Learn More

Health Literacy Resources: Funding
Website
A list of government and private funding opportunities supporting health literacy research and programs.
Organization(s): University of Maryland Health Sciences and Human Services Library