Improving Community Health Through Government Funding Policies

Community-based organizations (CBOs) are an indispensable part of public health infrastructure. They provide essential services and meet community needs in circumstances where government entities are unable or less equipped to do so. By partnering with CBOs, state and local agencies can increase their reach and impact, promote equitable solutions to meet community goals, and encourage residents to engage in decision-making.  

However, agency processes and decisions can unintentionally create barriers that prevent CBOs from accessing critical funding. Contracting and procurement processes, which shape government decision-making on funding distribution and management, are established by federal, state, and local laws and regulations and are guided by administrative policies. Most of these measures are enacted to ensure good stewardship of taxpayer dollars, preventing fraud and favoritism so that limited public funds are fairly distributed. Yet, governments can balance these goals while reducing unnecessary financial and administrative strain on CBOs. 

This resource summarizes the challenges that CBOs face in accessing funding from government entities and provides government agencies with concrete actions they can take to address those challenges. Government entities have a valuable opportunity to improve how resources are invested, allowing them to support CBOs as vital public health partners, strengthen the relationships between government entities and communities, and make funding more accessible for the communities that face the greatest health inequities.