​​​​​​Early Childhood Education & Prevention Grants​

The Municipality of Anchorage (MOA) and the Anchorage Health Department (AHD) solicits proposals from qualified organizations to develop and sustainably operate services to prevent and promote healing from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) including child maltreatment, domestic violence, and sexual assault for residents of the Municipality of Anchorage.

This site is intended to be a quick reference document for potential applicants. Please visit the Municipality's Purchasing website and review the RFGP in full to see if your organization and program are eligible.

​Background

In April 2020, Anchorage voters supported a bold, practical solution to address Anchorage’s most pressing problems: a new sales tax on alcoholic beverages sold in the Municipality, with revenue dedicated as new funding towards three specific issues:

  1. Increasing community safety
  2. Reducing and preventing child abuse and neglect, sexual assault, and domestic violence
  3. ​Preventing and treating substance misuse, mental health issues, and homelessness

The collection of the tax began in 2021. This Request for Grant Proposal (RFGP) focuses on the reducing and preventing child abuse and neglect, sexual assault, and domestic violence intent of the Alcohol Tax. 

How to Apply

Please review the RFGP on the Municipality's Purchasing website. Once on the website, look for the Request for Proposals heading, under which you will see Alcohol Tax-Early Childhood Education & Prevention Grants. Click the plus sign on the left to see more information.

For applicant organizations with operating budget of less than $500,000 per annum, technical assistance is available. Please reach out to Grants and Contracts for additional​ information. 

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The intended priority population for services funded through this RFGP are residents of the Municipality of Anchorage who are more likely to have experienced inequities in social determinants of health and/or are at higher risk of experiencing ACEs than the general population. These funds can be used to support providers and caregivers who serve people in the priority population. The priority population includes individuals who are at higher risk for negative health outcomes related to ACEs and those already experiencing them. Examples of the priority population include but are not limited to:

  • ​Young children and their families who will benefit from increased access to quality early childhood supports and education
  • Parents of young children who need help with parenting challenges and/or behavioral health issues
  • Families who have interacted with the Office of Children’s Services (OCS), the homelessness response system, and/or juvenile justice or adult correctional systems
  • Community leaders and organizations with close interaction with children who could help prevent future ACEs and promote healing for those who have already experienced ACEs
  • Families and children who live in neighborhoods or communities within the MOA that have a higher proportion of households who...
    • are low-income and more likely to be housing and/or food insecure
    • need assistance promoting safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments where children live, play, and learn
    • experience higher rates of child maltreatment, sexual assault, domestic violence, suicide;
    • have historically experienced negative health outcomes resulting from inequities in social determinants of health

Grantees’ activities generally fall into two major categories:

Direct Services. Directly services directly serve the priority population. Examples include but are not limited to:
Programs for infants and families; early childhood supports and early-intervention programs such home  visits, assessments, mental health and specialized therapies, and wraparound services; programs for new parents at risk of leaving high school prior to graduation; early education and literacy programs for young children; writing, STEM, and other learning programs for children and youth; after-school and outside-of-school-hours activities, including sports and theatre, for children and youth; youth and teen programs that promote healthy behaviors such as mentoring, healthy relationships, behavioral health, and peer support; programs that decrease the risk of and promote protection from interpersonal violence, sexual assault, and domestic violence.

Workforce training. Workforce training programs target individuals who are direct service providers for the priority population. The goal of these services is to increase the skills and knowledge of those who serve children and families in Anchorage. This includes parents, providers, educators, coaches, and caregivers. Examples include but are not limited to:
  • Education for credits or professional development opportunities focused on increasing knowledge of Strengthening Families and Six Guiding Principles frameworks
  • Training for parents/providers/caregivers that:
    • Supports inclusion and decreases barriers by offering full tuition benefits, evening and/or online learning opportunities, classes in multiple languages, material supports (like laptops, cameras, etc.) for students—in-need, and tutoring support
    • Is culturally relevant, strengths-based, and focuses on parenting skills
  • Paid internships and learning opportunities that help to build a diverse and trauma-informed workforce
  • Training and Credentialing programs that address:
    • Prevention staff (such as early childhood and childcare providers)
    • Response staff (such as behavioral health providers)​​

For a full list of eligibility requirements, please review the RFGP on the Municipality's Purchasing website​. In general, the following organizations are eligible:

  • Community-based non-profit organizations, private non-profit corporations, community organizations established under Municipal Charter or Ordinance, Tribal organizations, institutions of higher education, or a combination of these entities who meet the criteria enumerated in the RFGP. 
  • The project must specifically serve individuals within the Municipality of Anchorage.
  • The project must be either new, an expansion of an existing project, or a project that was not funded by the Municipality in 2020.

The intended target population served by grant awards funded through this process are residents of the Municipality of Anchorage who are more likely to have historically suffered from the inequities built into the social determinants of health and/or are more likely to report higher Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) scores. Additionally, these funds can be used to support providers/caregivers who serve program participants/clients within this target population. The target population includes individuals who:

  • ​have already demonstrated negative health outcomes related to ACEs
  • need help to reduce stigma around seeking help with parenting challenges or for substance misuse, depression, or suicidal ideation
  • have interacted with the Office of Children's Services (OCS) and/or were involved in the homeless response system or youth and adult corrections systems
  • have the closest interaction with children who have ACEs and who could help prevent them
  • live in neighborhoods or communities within the MOA that: 
    • ​may be financially or food insecure;
    • need assistance promoting safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments where children live, play, and learn;
    • could benefit from building resiliency to overcome childhood ACEs;
    • display higher rates of child maltreatment, sexual assault, domestic violence, suicide, and/or early deaths; or
    • have historically suffered from negative health outcomes resulting from inequities in social determinants of health.

All funding is dependent on the finalized Municipal budget. However, based on previous years, we anticipate a total of $2 million in evidence-based grants will be awarded.

For organizations with an operating capacity under $500,000:
  • Maximum funded project budgets of $100,000

For organizations with an operating capacity larger than $500,000

  • Maximum funded project budgets of $250,000​​

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What Have Past Grants Accomplished?

Visit cheersanchorage.com​​ for information on some of the projects funded by Al​cohol Tax dollars in the past.

​​​ACT Child Sexual Abuse Community Readiness Assessment- Anchorage​​

​​​​Apply for a Grant

To look at the available grants please review the RFGP Municipality Purchasing Website.

​Technical Assistance

For applicant organizations with operating budget of less than $500,000 per annum, technical assistance is available. Please reach out to Grants and Contracts. 

ahdgrantsandcontracts@anchorageak.gov

907-343-4634​









Cheers to you, Anchorage! Learn how the Alcohol Tax is making a difference.    Reimagine Anchorage

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