“Zeroing In” Grant Program: Supporting Health and Wellness

Deadline: 15-Sep-23

The Gilead is offering grants to support organizations working to increase the overall health and wellness of priority populations that have been most impacted by HIV.

The program also builds on the support of community organizations in the Latin America and Caribbean region that have a history of working with their local communities to advance health equity by addressing stigma, discrimination and other barriers to well-being.

Gilead seeks to provide support to LAC-based not-for-profit organizations registered with a charitable status to receive U.S./international funds whose programs are community-driven; align with established global health and HIV goals, as well as local health priorities and strategies; and promote evidence-based strategies for HIV prevention and care.

Projects should focus on one or more of the overall Zeroing In: LAC program goals:

• Improve access to comprehensive care among priority populations most affected by HIV.
• Decrease stigmatization of HIV patients within LAC region.
• Address inequities in HIV screening, diagnostics and care

Focus Areas

• Projects must prioritize key populations most affected by HIV (e.g., MSM, transgender women, sex workers, people who inject drugs and their sexual partners, aging, indigenous or migrant populations), be informed by local needs and align to one or more of the following three activity focus areas:
  • Innovative comprehensive HIV programs:
    • LAC is a diverse region and people and groups most affected by HIV require a flexible approach to meet them where they are with HIV prevention and care. Innovative comprehensive HIV programs could include but are not limited to:
      • Programs that integrate HIV into primary care.
      • Programs that offer innovative screening, linkage to care, retention or prevention programs.
      • Digital health innovations, which can include tools to advance digital health literacy or education/communications for those key populations who may face language barriers or have limited health literacy.
    • Note: Gilead will not consider applications for funding of online marketing or the development of proprietary software and/or applications.
  • Culturally and socially-affirming support services:
    • Support services that are tailored to each individual’s needs provide the best possible chance to improve health outcomes for people with or at risk of HIV. With the right support services, people with unmet need are more likely to be diagnosed with HIV, stay in treatment or have the tools they need to prevent HIV and stay healthy. These support services are also vital to combat the stigma that prevents communities from seeking HIV testing, treatment and prevention in the first place. Potential programs could include but are not limited to:
      • Supportive health care, such as mental health, harm reduction, STI, and other preventive services, that meets the needs of key populations and better supports them to access HIV care or prevention.
      • Programs that provide culturally-affirming services and break down barriers between stigmatized communities and service providers, such as key populationled health services.
      • Programs that provide greater social support to combat isolation and encourage retention in care such as integration of mental health services into the program offering as well as peer counseling.
  • Community outreach and education:
    • Community-driven partnerships will be vital in improving HIV rates throughout LAC. These embedded organizations are working to reach underserved populations and provide resources that improve the health and wellbeing of their constituents. Potential programs in LAC could include but are not limited to:
      • Awareness efforts, including evidence-based education, that can be provided alongside testing and/or linkage to care services.
      • Programs and campaigns to reduce stigma and discrimination that negatively affect key populations.
      • Advocacy training for people living with HIV to support policies that increase access to HIV education, prevention and care for key populations.
      • Engagement with local policymakers to better understand the HIV epidemic.

Funding Information

• Gilead will consider grant requests up to $100,000 from individual organizations and up to $250,000 for collaborative requests that include two or more organizations.
• Projects must begin in the first three months of 2024 (January, February or March), and have a timeline for completion of up to, but no more than, 18-months from project start date.

Eligible Countries

• Caribbean: Anguilla, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Maarten, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos.
• Central America: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama.
• North America: Mexico, Puerto Rico.
• South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Eligibility Criteria

• Organization(s) must have an active status as a not-for-profit and have an interest and history working in public health, including but not limited to providing social services, education or advocacy for underserved populations. Collaborative submissions are encouraged.
• Eligible organizations must demonstrate:
  • A proven track record of sound financial stewardship and ability to deliver impactful programming;
  • That they have proven excellence in program development and implementation, when and where applicable;
  • That they have been established for at least two calendar years;
  • Institutional infrastructure, including administrative capacities and a track record of delivering successful programs;
  • Core content expertise and strong grounding in existing data and methodologies in HIV prevention and care;
  • A strong network of partners and demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively.
• Gilead seeks an equitable balance between large and small organizations receiving funding, so organizations of a range of sizes/income levels are welcome to apply. Additionally, applications for programs and initiatives that have multiple sources of funding are encouraged.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Gilead funding cannot support:
  • Medications or purchasing of medications
  • Direct medical expenses, including labs
  • Existing deficits
  • Basic biomedical research, Gilead-sponsored clinical research or clinical trials
  • Projects that directly influence or advance Gilead’s business, including purchase, utilization, prescribing, formulary position, pricing, reimbursement, referral, recommendation or payment for products
  • Individuals (including, without limitation: individual health care providers, physician group practices and/or government officials) or their salaries
  • Events or programs that have already occurred
  • Government lobbying activities
  • Organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression

For more information, visit Gilead.