March of Dimes Texas Chapter Community Grants Program

Grants ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 to Texas nonprofit organizations and government agencies for programs that help women have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies. Applicants are invited to attend the August 19 and September 15 phone conferences to learn more. Eligible projects include providing financial support to research and education that will help mothers before and during their pregnancies.

It also includes working with local medical groups and organizations to improve prenatal care and newborn screening.

Funds are awarded based on a number of criteria, including the group or organization’s ability to accomplish its goals, as well as the potential impact a project will have in helping prevent premature births, birth defects and infant mortality.

Proposals will be accepted from organizations focusing on one of the following priorities:

1) Interventions that address health disparities in African-American and Hispanic populations in Texas that will decrease prematurity, infant mortality and birth defects.

2) Providing or enhancing premature birth risk reduction education and/or services. Risk reduction projects include, but are not limited to:

-Implementing community programs that aim to promote equity in birth outcomes. This may include March of Dimes programs like Stork’s Nest®, Project Alpha and Becoming a Mom/Comenzando bien®.

-Enhancing services for pregnant women with chronic diseases that increase the risk of premature birth such as diabetes and hypothyroidism.

-Enhancing care through a group prenatal care model (e.g. CenteringPregnancy®). Initiating a quality improvement program related to premature birth prevention with the goal of catalyzing systems change.