AMA - Fund for Better Health

Fund for Better Health

Encouraging Healthy Lifestyles in Communities Across America

The philosophy of the AMA Foundation Fund for Better Health begins with the idea that local communities and organizations have great knowledge and insight into their community's health care issues. Based on this thought, the AMA Foundation, with support from the AMA Alliance, created the Fund for Better Health. Through this program, the AMA Foundation provides seed grants for grassroots, public health projects that target the issue of healthy lifestyles. Over the years, the fund has provided over 200 grants totaling nearly $300,000 to projects throughout the United States.

Fund for Better Health recipient Girls on the Run Manhattan

“Girls on the Run has taught me to keep going and push myself when I’m tired and I feel like I can’t keep going. The program taught me to stand up for myself,” said Lila, a nine-year-old who is in her second year at Girls on the Run Manhattan.

Grantseekers

Eligibility

Organizations are eligible to apply for grants which further the charitable and educational purposes of the AMA Foundation. Grants made in 2009 support programs addressing the issue of healthy lifestyles in these three areas:

Nutrition and physical fitness
Alcohol, substance abuse and smoking prevention (includes smoking cessation)
Violence prevention (domestic violence, Internet safety, bullying)

Three types of organizations are eligible to apply:

Organizations with annual operating budgets of $1 million or less; or
New organizations begun in the last 5 years; or
Established organizations starting a new service or expanding a current service to an underserved population

Funding

A maximum of $5,000 will be distributed to each grant recipient. None of the funds awarded are to pay for staff salary or overhead expenses. The number of grant recipients will be determined by the AMA Foundation after all applications have been received. Typically, the number of grants awarded does not exceed twenty. An external panel of experts will oversee the selection of the grant recipients in each category.

Application and deadline

The next opportunity to apply for a Fund for Better Health grant will be in the spring of 2010.

Note that if you have applied for a 2009 grant, you will be notified via postal mail as to the status of your application in mid-September.

Fund for Better Health frequently asked questions
For organizations interested in applying for Fund for Better Health grants

Guidelines to request funding from the AMA Foundation
Tips on applying for funding and grant-writing, description of AMA Foundation funds, and links to other resources.

Grant recipients

Instructions for Fund for Better Health grant recipients

2009 Grant recipients must submit a final report form.
2008 Grant recipients must submit a final report form.

2009 Grant recipients
2008 Grant recipients
2007 Grant recipients

Learn about Fund for Better Health recipients

Girls on the Run Manhattan
Fostoria Community Hospital—Smoke Less, Breathe More
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine—ACTive for Kids Health

Recipient Quotes

“On behalf of the Girls on the Run program…we would like to thank you for your gift for new curriculum production for the program. We are proud to bring this important program to the community, but can only do so because of the generosity of people like you…these lessons help to prepare the girls for a successful future based on their ability to achieve the goals that they have set for themselves.”

—Charisse Smith Mitchell, Executive Director, Girls on the Run

“…partners like you are the heart and soul of what makes the Foundation effective. With your support, we’ll be able to continue to provide training, technical assistance and resource materials to these Physician Champions and their communities to promote healthy lifestyles and reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Words cannot adequately convey how much we appreciate your support that makes our work possible!”

—Carol Lee, Esq., President and CEO, California Medical Association Foundation

“Thank you and the AMA Foundation for the generous grant to People’s Grocery! Your partnership is a critical force to achieving our shared vision to increase access to healthy food and food justice in the West Oakland community.”

—Brahm Ahmadi, Executive Director, People’s Grocery

“Thank you so much for this generous grant. The Drug Free School program has had a great impact in an impoverished region of Appalachia where the students are at great risk for substance abuse and an area where there is the greatest increase in deaths from prescription drug abuse. The AMA Foundation grant will allow the VCOM program to reach even more at risk students.”

—Edward via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM), Blacksburg, Va.

“BodyLove is the soap opera that is good for you – it tells stories that change people’s lives. While BodyLove is first entertaining, it also promotes messages for healthy living and addresses the primary causes of morbidity and mortality among low-income African Americans in the U.S. – diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.”

—Media for Health, Birmingham, Ala.

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Dinah Goldenberg

"I donate to the AMA Foundation because of the wide variety of programs they sponsor to improve health care and the state of medicine. Most recently I have donated to the Fund for Better Health because I have seen the direct benefit of the grant funds in my local community."

—Dinah Goldenberg
AMA Foundation Board Member
North Dakota Medical Association Alliance

Donate now
Donate to the AMA Foundation Fund for Better Health to help organizations across the nation improve the health of their communities.

Public Health