Kari Hartwig, DrPH¹, Margot Zaharek, MS, CD-N², Michelle A. LaRovera², Richard Louis Dunville, BS¹, Zubaida Faridi, MBBS, MPH², and David L Katz, MD, MPH³. (1) Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale School of Medicine, 60 College Street, P.O. Box 208034, New Haven, CT 06520, (2) CBPR Division, Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, 130 Division Street, Derby, CT 06418, (203) 732-1265, margot.zaharek@yalegriffinprc.org, (3) Yale School of Medicine/Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, 130 Division Street, Derby, CT 06418

Background: One of the goals of Healthy People 2010 is to eliminate health disparities. The Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center received a grant from DHHS to pilot a microgrant (or mini-grant) initiative that addresses the national HP2010 objectives. Community-based and health and human service agencies across the state of Connecticut applied on a competitive basis to receive grants of $2,010 that reflected local community health priorities.

Methods: Data collection methods included quantitative methods: (1) pre and post-grant surveys (i.e., documenting organizational characteristics, populations served, HP2010 objectives, and changes in organizational capacity); and qualitative methods: (2) narrative reports; and (3) three focus group interviews with select organizations (e.g., long-standing (> 20 years), young (<5 years) and non-traditional public health agencies [e.g., churches, homeless shelters]). Analysis included generating descriptive statistics and frequency analyses of agency characteristics and content analysis of reports and focus group transcripts.

Results: Of the 100 projects that were funded, 67% were located in four cities where there are the greatest disparities in health and 55 exclusively targeted ethnic minority populations (Hispanic and African American) while other projects included a mix of ethnic representation including new immigrants (Bosnian, Polish, Central American). Many projects noted their ability to extend their services to economically disenfranchised populations whom they were usually unable to reach. Examples of projects will be included in the paper.

Conclusion: Small grants with few strings attached are an effective mechanism to encourage both public health and non-public health agencies to target our most vulnerable populations and reduce health disparities.

Learning Objectives: