New grant from Foundation for a Healthy St. Pete seeks bold ideas for health equity

two people are talking across a table to one another at a grant application event


In partnership with Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital, the Foundation for a Healthy St Petersburg announced the launch of its Healthy People 2025 grant application, a funding opportunity aimed at dismantling barriers to health equity. This initiative will award four multi-sector collaborations with grants of up to $250,000 each to support systemic change projects that address the social determinants of health.

Learn more about the grant, and see a full agenda here.

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Doors open at 8:30 a.m. on April 23, and breakfast will be provided. Participants are encouraged to register in advance to learn more about the application process, eligibility, and expectations for grantees.

Healthy People 2025 dismantles barriers to health equity

Too often, health outcomes are less about medical care and more about the conditions in which people are born. This is known as the social determinants of health, such as job opportunities, education, housing, transportation, and community safety. According to the Foundation, up to 80% of our health outcomes are shaped by these external factors.

“Have you ever thought, ‘If only this policy existed,’ or ‘If only these voices were heard’?” says the grant announcement. “Those moments of clarity are often where systemic change begins.”

a graphic explaining the different levels of systems change through a reverse pyramid

What does a systems change look like

The Healthy People 2025 initiative is about encouraging organizations to think differently and to think systemically. That means identifying a persistent problem, understanding the forces that keep it in place then finding leverage points that can shift those conditions.

  • Structural Change (explicit): Policies, practices, and resource flows
  • Relational Change (semi-explicit): Power dynamics and relationships
  • Transformative Change (implicit): Shifts in mental models and collective mindsets

One past example of a successful systemic shift was the Home Ownership Family Self-Sufficiency program. Previously, families in Section 8 housing were discouraged from saving money, as increased assets risked losing their benefits. A new policy changed the game, allowing savings to be built in escrow accounts without penalty.

Why multi-sector collaborations matter

This grant supports multi-sector collaborations, which means applicants must partner across at least two different sectors, whether that’s government, non-profits, community groups, private businesses, or public agencies.

The Healthy People 2025 grant is not about funding one-off programs or short-term fixes; It’s about investing in ideas that create healthier, more equitable systems for everyone regardless of race or background.

Join the launch event on April 23 at the Foundation’s Center for Health Equity (2333 34th St S) to hear more about the grant opportunity. Click here to register.

Made possible by Foundation for a Healthy St. Pete

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