The Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) 2024 Health Promotion Mini-Grant Program is now open for application! This program will award up to $20,000 in total funding to projects that promote healthy eating, physical activity, or youth mental health.

Eligible groups include community organizations, schools, businesses, garden and farm programs, and government agencies that serve Cambridge.

A project proposal must address one of the categories below and is only eligible for one type of mini-grant (healthy eating and physical activity or youth mental health and wellness) per funding cycle.

• Healthy Eating and Physical Activity. $1,000 mini-grants are available for projects that promote healthy eating and/or physical activity in children and adults. Up to 10 projects will be funded. Last year’s winning projects included a community cooking program, a public dance and wellness program, and a garden-to-table community cooking program.
• Youth Mental Health and Wellness. $2,000 mini-grants are available for projects that promote mental health and wellness in Cambridge youth, with a focus on youth age 12 to 18. Up to 5 projects will be funded. Last year’s winning projects included an arts and activism curriculum designed by middle schoolers, a full-time social worker to support campers and families, and workshops and events to build community between program staff and parents/guardians and caregivers.

See the full list of 2023 Health Promotion Mini-Grant Winners.

The mini-grants are competitive. All applications are reviewed by representatives from the CPHD and partner organizations. The deadline for submission is Friday, April 5, 2024.

The mini-grant guidelines and application are available on the CPHD website: www.cambridgepublichealth.org/services/mini-grants

CPHD is also offering two live info sessions to answer questions on March 12 and March 14.

The mini-grant program is funded by the CPHD, Cambridge in Motion, and the Hideo Sasaki Foundation.

To learn more, contact Brigitte DeVeau at bdeveau@cambridgepublichealth.org for healthy eating and physical activity projects, or Sarah Lincoln at salincoln@cambridgepublichealth.org for youth mental health and wellness projects.

Cambridge Public Health Department

The Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) protects and promotes the health of everyone in Cambridge through services, information, policies, and regulations. Main focus areas are communicable disease prevention and control, emergency preparedness and community resilience, environmental health, epidemiology, population health initiatives, regulatory enforcement, and school health.

Cambridge in Motion

Cambridge in Motion strives to make it easier for all people in Cambridge to access healthy, affordable, culturally appropriate food options and stay physically active. Cambridge in Motion is coordinated by the Health Eating Active Living Unit of the Cambridge Public Health Department.

The Hideo Sasaki Foundation

The Hideo Sasaki Foundation believes design has the power to address the most urgent challenges facing us, from social equity to environmental resilience. Design is an agent of change. And yet, access to design—for communities who need it the most—is often limited. Making change requires collective impact. At the intersection of philanthropy, education, and community, the Hideo Sasaki Foundation is committed to advancing the value of design, inviting diverse partners to co-create change.