Responsive Fund RFP | Interact for Health
June 23 – July 31
Apply by Friday, July 31, 5 p.m.
Nonprofits can apply today for Interact for Health’s Responsive Fund RFP
Interact for Health is launching a Responsive Fund RFP with up to $2 million in support to respond to emergent needs in the nonprofit community. Across the region, communities are navigating volatile conditions, sudden policy shifts, and rising demand for services. The organizations closest to this work are carrying more than ever, often with fewer resources and shorter timelines than the moment requires. Traditional funding streams and processes alone cannot keep pace with that reality.
The Responsive Fund aims to meet that gap, with the goal to respond when communities face urgent or unanticipated needs, sustain the civic infrastructure that holds the region together, and maintain a healthy nonprofit sector.
General Information
Background
Interact for Health is launching a Responsive Fund with up to $2 million available to address emergent needs in the nonprofit community. The organization recognizes that the needs of nonprofit partners are evolving and that opportunities to build resilience require dedicated funding.
Across the region, communities are navigating volatile conditions, sudden policy shifts, and rising demand for services. The organizations closest to this work are carrying more than ever, often with fewer resources and shorter timelines than the moment requires. Traditional funding streams and processes alone cannot keep pace with that reality.
The Responsive Fund is built to meet that gap. It allows Interact for Health to respond when communities face urgent or unanticipated needs, sustain the civic infrastructure that holds the region together, and invest in the people behind the mission. Burnout is real, and the well-being of the staff and leaders doing this work is inseparable from the wellbeing of the communities they serve. Caring for the local nonprofit workforce is part of how Interact for Health cares for the community.
RFP Goal
The goal of the Responsive Fund RFP is to address immediate, emerging, or unanticipated needs within the community.
RFP Overview
Organizations may apply for multiple funding areas; however, only one application may be submitted per organization per funding area. Please coordinate funding requests within your organization.
Opportunities open to new and returning partners:
1) Grant Funding for Critical Services: Sustaining Civic Infrastructure – total investment up to $1.5 million
This funding supports the continuity of critical community infrastructure and services by addressing the time-sensitive operational and programmatic needs of partners. These investments provide the essential resources required to navigate a volatile environment. Proposals for funding should focus on critical gaps or unmet needs with deep ties to community relationships. Organizations should demonstrate readiness to deploy resources quickly if funded. Examples of potential projects include: support for summer youth employment programs facing unexpected funding reductions, immigrant serving organizations responding to sharp increases in demand for mental health and direct services, and maintaining basic needs and civic infrastructure across the region.
Grants are available at three levels: $50,000, $75,000, or $100,000 for general operating or programmatic support. Applicants should request the amount that best reflects the scope of their proposed activities. This opportunity is open to grantee and nongrantee partners.
2) Support for Sustainability Consultations and Capacity Building Support
Interact for Health will partner with trusted consultants to offer a new round of sustainability consultations for a small group of nonprofit organizations beginning in late 2026, with implementation starting in January 2027.
The program will provide up to 30 hours of individualized consulting support over approximately 6–8 months, focused on strengthening both short- and long-term financial and organizational sustainability. The process will be organization-led, with nonprofit leadership determining the priorities, direction, and format of the engagement. Meetings may be held virtually or in person, depending on organizational needs.
Examples of support may include:
- Scenario planning
- Legal support
- Sustainability and development planning and implementation
- Diversified funding strategies and implementation
- Exploring collaboration, partnerships/alliances, shared services, and/or mergers
Strategic planning and revisions
Opportunities open to current grantees only:
3) Grant Funding for Organizational Resilience and Workforce Well-being – total investment up to $200,000
Interact for Health believes that the people who work at nonprofits are the heart of the sector. When they thrive, organizations thrive — and communities ultimately benefit.
Burnout is not an individual failing — it is a systemic risk that threatens the long-term capacity of nonprofit organizations. This funding addresses that risk by providing dedicated resources to support the health and well-being of nonprofit staff and leadership.
Eligible activities include, but are not limited to:
- Team retreats and off-site planning sessions
- Mental health support (e.g., therapy, counseling access, or employee assistance programs)
- Wellness stipends for staff
- Collective care practices (defined broadly as structured organizational efforts to support staff well-being, such as peer support groups, restorative practices, or mental health days)
Grants are available at two levels: $5,000 or $10,000. Applicants should request the amount that best reflects the scope of their proposed activities. This opportunity is open to current grantee partners only. Eligible organizations will receive an email with the application.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must:
- Be a public nonprofit or governmental organization.
- Provide services in at least one county of Interact for Health’s 20-county service area.
Organizations that are not nonprofits or governmental entities may still seek funding through fiscal sponsorship. A fiscal sponsorship is a relationship between a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization (the sponsor organization) and charitable project that does not have a tax-exempt status (the sponsored organization).
Grantee Requirements
Awarded grantees will be expected to complete a short survey at the end of their grant period.
Proposal Selection Criteria
The following areas will be considered when selecting partners:
- Priority Populations: Organizations who serve the priority populations, including immigrant and refugee communities.
- Mission: Organizations working in alignment with the mission of advancing health justice and youth well-being.
- Values: Organizations who are in alignment with the values of Interact for Health.
In addition, the following principles will guide partner selection for Critical Services funding:
- Strategic Alignment: Prioritize organizations essential to the community infrastructure for advancing health justice and youth well-being.
- Demonstrated Urgency: Organizations must clearly define the severity of potential harm if the need remains unmet, providing specific evidence of immediate time-sensitivity rather than historical or general challenges.
- Operational Readiness: Organizations must have a concrete plan to deploy resources rapidly and effectively within the community.
- Community Trust: Priority is given to partners with a documented track record and deep-rooted relationships in the communities they serve.
- Resource Uniqueness: Focus on critical gaps or opportunities that cannot be addressed by other funders or existing programs.
Timeline
| Application Webinar | Tuesday, July 7, 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. |
| Application Deadline | Friday, July 31, 5 p.m. |
| Notification of Grant Award | September 2026 |
Proposal Webinar
A proposal webinar will be held to answer questions about the RFP concept and application process from 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. on July 7, 2026. Attendance is optional and not required in order to submit a proposal.
Proposal Submissions
Completed applications must be submitted by Friday, July 31, 2026, at 5 p.m., as directed below:
- Grant Funding for Critical Services: Sustaining Civic Infrastructure – Completed applications must be submitted via Interact for Health’s online grants management system. To begin the application process or to access a PDF of the required application questions, please visit the Open Funding page. If you have an open grant or have received a grant from Interact for Health in the past two years, your email address may already be registered in the system. For assistance with the application process, please contact Senior Grants Manager Kristine Niergarth at kniergarth@interactforhealth.org
- Support for Sustainability Consultations and Capacity Building Support – Completed applications must be submitted through this form.
- Grant Funding for Organizational Resilience and Workforce Well-being – Current grantee partners will be sent a link to the application form.
Questions
How is this funding different than other funding from Interact for Health?
This funding is intended to be both responsive to partners’ needs and aligned with Interact for Health’s mission and priority populations. Applicants should explain how funding would address an unmet need for their organization.
Is this general operating support or project-based support?
Responsive Fund Grants will be general operating support.
Can organizations apply to multiple areas of support?
Yes. Organizations may apply for multiple funding areas; however, only one application may be submitted per organization per funding area. Please coordinate funding requests within your organization.
Will Interact for Health continue to offer this support?
The Responsive Fund RFP is built on previous responsive efforts from Interact for Health, such as Rapid Response Funding, where $1 million was deployed amid Federal funding rollbacks and a $72,000 response to SNAP cuts in 2025. Future needs for responsive funding will be evaluated on an annual basis.
For any questions regarding the process, please contact the Responsive Fund Team, responsive@interactforhealth.org
About Interact for Health
Interact for Health works to ensure that people in the region have a just opportunity to live their healthiest lives, regardless of who they are or where they live. They advance health justice through grantmaking, collaboration, learning, convening, and engagement. Interact for Health is an independent foundation that works in 20 counties in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.
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