Connections for Cardiovascular Health Next Generation

A program of the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation

In support of its overall mission to improve health, the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation launched Connections for Cardiovascular Health^SM (CCH), a program with the mission of improving cardiovascular health, in order to address a leading cause of death in the United States.

CCH provided grants to U.S.-based nonprofit organizations engaged in charitable work at the community level in the United States in support of the program’s mission. Since its inception in 2010, the Foundation’s CCH program has funded programs providing innovative, community-based approaches to improving cardiovascular health across the United States. CCH-funded programs use culturally appropriate approaches with measurable outcomes to address specific unmet needs of communities across the country, especially underserved communities.

In 2020, the Foundation launched CCH Next Generation which builds on the legacy of the CCH program. CCH Next Generation maintains CCH’s original mission to improve cardiovascular health in the US and many of the same criteria for funding and programs. What’s new is the focus on sharing nearly 10 years of Foundation and Grant Awardee learnings from the field so new applicants have the opportunity to modify or adapt these learnings when designing and implementing their own innovative, community-based heart health programs

Overview

In 2021, the Connections for Cardiovascular Health^SM Next Generation program will hold a closed funding cycle for current Grant Awardees. Information on future funding cycles will be updated on our website. Consider following the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation social media channels for the latest updates.

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Review our frequently asked questions for more information.

Are You Eligible?

To qualify for a Foundation Program Grant, nonprofit organizations based in the United States must be engaged in charitable work (at the community level or otherwise) that addresses the Foundation’s Connections for Cardiovascular Health℠ (CCH) mission and meets five key criteria:

Addresses cardiovascular health issues within the United States and its territories
Recognizes and works to address an unmet need related to cardiovascular health in the community
Responds to the urgency around addressing cardiovascular health issues, including cardiovascular disease or conditions contributing to cardiovascular disease
Improves the quality of participants’ and non-professional caregivers’ lives in connection with the services provided and work done
Demonstrates a clear plan for long-term program sustainability, to further improve cardiovascular health after Foundation grants are expended.

Foundation grant applications that meet the criteria and describe innovative programs with clearly defined outcomes and measurable results and processes will be considered for funding.

Through evaluating results from community-based programs from CCH, the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation and its evaluation partners have identified six innovative approaches commonly used to improve cardiovascular health at the community level. Applying organizations will need to align with one of six innovative approaches as the basis of their CCH Next Generation program or identify their own innovative approach. The six innovative approaches include:

Leveraging access for uninsured and underserved participants to improve cardiovascular knowledge and health
Bringing programs to participants
Educating children to serve as heart health ambassadors
Improving cardiovascular health through food-based programs
Using health coaches/promotores to improve cardiovascular health
Providing culturally sensitive program interventions to maximize participant outcomes

Applicants are encouraged to consult the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation’s Effective Program Practices Guide to help them when designing their own community-based cardiovascular programs.

How to Apply

Organizations whose applications are selected for funding will be asked to review and approve a Letter of Agreement that will include specific, periodic reporting requirements for the duration of the program.

Note, due to the historically large number of funding requests, not all applications that meet Foundation criteria will receive funding.

April – July 2021	Closed application cycle for current CCH Next Generation Grant Awardees
Fall 2021	2021 CCH Next Generation Grant Awardees publicly announced

*Organizations whose applications are selected for funding will be asked to review and approve a Letter of Agreement that will include specific, periodic reporting requirements for the duration of the program.

Past Grant Awardees

Since the inception of the Connections for Cardiovascular Health^SM program, nearly $24.8 million has been awarded to 58 organizations working to prevent cardiovascular disease in communities across the nation.

2020	CCH Next Generation awarded grants.
2019	CCH awarded continued funding to current Grant Awardees.
2018	CCH awarded Program Grants up to $150,000, along with Dissemination Grant funding for previous and current Grant Awardees.
2017	CCH awarded grants up to $100,000 to previous and current Grant Awardees via an invitation-only process, based on Board-approved criteria.
2015 - 2016	CCH awarded grants from $150,000 to $180,000.
Inception through 2014	CCH awarded grants of $150,000 and up.

Information about the Foundation’s past Grant Awardees can be found below.

Past Grant Awardees

Lessons Learned

The AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation is committed to sharing lessons learned from the Connections for Cardiovascular Health^SM program and its Grant Awardees. Through these efforts, we aim to broaden the reach of the CCH program and inspire other organizations across the country to work to improve cardiovascular health in their communities. Use the links below to access Foundation and Grant Awardee resources, and be sure to check back as we update this section with new information.

AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation Resources

Effective Program Practices Guide: Based on 10 years of learnings from the CCH program, the Effective Program Practices Guide is an educational resource designed to help organizations develop their own community health programs. The Guide includes general guidelines for building an effective community health program, as well as six innovative program approaches commonly used by CCH Grant Awardees for other organizations to adopt or modify. Check out the summary and infographic to learn more.
Dissemination and Communications Guide: Initially developed to support CCH Grant Awardees as they bring awareness to their programs, build sustainability and disseminate key learnings, the lessons in this Guide are generally applicable and may be used by other organizations working to develop, sustain and communicate about a community health program through traditional and social media.

Program Toolkits

Catherine’s Health Center: The Live Heart Smart Health Coaching Toolkit provides information centered on health coaching as an innovative practice used to assist with implementing a patient-centered approach to behavior change. Visit the Live Heart Smart program website for more information: https://catherineshc.org/live-heart-smart/.
Chesapeake Charities: The Partnering for Youth Cardio-Fit Project Toolkit provides detailed lesson plans for implementing a youth program that teaches youth to embrace the positive, preventative actions necessary to enjoy a lifetime of cardiovascular health.
Manna Ministries, Inc.: The MOVE Program Toolkit provides program outlines and resources to help implement an obesity reduction and cardiovascular health education program for adults and families.
Mid-Valley Family YMCA: The Activate Your Heart Program Implementation Guide provides detailed information on how to implement a community-based program aimed at reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, including tips for developing program partners and recruiting and retaining participants.
Saint Agnes Hospital Foundation: The Heart-to-Heart Program Toolkit provides key learning and steps to consider in order to develop a faith-based cardiovascular health program.
Sankofa Community Development Corporation: The Healthy HeartBeats Program Toolkit provides information to help other organizations implement community-based programs to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, including step-by-step tools and recommendations for developing, implementing and evaluating a program.
St. Mary’s Health Wagon: The Heart Health 1, 2, 3. Program Toolkit provides information on the key components, lessons learned and steps to implement a successful cardiovascular health program. Visit the Heart Health 1, 2, 3. program website for more information: http://thehealthwagon.org/hwwp/2018/08/09/heart-health-123-toolkit/.
West Virginia Health Right, Inc.: The SCALE Program Toolkit provides information on the key components and how to implement a weight loss and health status improvement program. Visit the SCALE program website for more information: http://wvhealthright.org/scale-program.
Westminster Free Clinic: The Corazones Sanos Program Toolkit provides information on the key components, lessons learned and steps to implement a culturally-sensitive and participant-centered cardiovascular health program. Visit the Corazones Sanos program website for more information: http://westminsterclinic.org/home/programs/chronic-disease-programs/heart-disease-prevention-program/.

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