The District of Columbia Department of Health (DC Health) supports public health initiatives and health services with local, private (donations) and federal funds. DC Health is awarded an average of $120 million annually in federal funding. These funds address priority public health and service needs of District of Columbia residents.
Through grant awards, DC Health has partnerships with federal agencies, private grantors or donors, other DC government agencies, as well as community partners who receive grant awards from DC Health. The funds are used to manage and deliver public health initiatives for residents in need of such services as immunization, prenatal care, HIV testing and referral services, substance abuse prevention and recovery services, and occupational injury surveillance. Funds also support public health emergency preparedness services and food safety programs for all residents and guests of the District.
DC Health’s largest grant awards come from federal agencies like the Departments of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development and Department of Agriculture. DC Health applies for funding and accepts these funds through grant agreements. DC Health also accepts responsibility to comply with all Federal and local DC Government laws, regulations and mandates for receiving funds, spending them appropriately and adhering to standards for delivering services. DC Health creates policies and procedures to ensure these funds are utilized according to approved plans, monitored by responsible DC Health personnel and made available to community partners in a process that is open, fair and competitive. We emphasize accountability, best practices and performance.
The Office of Grants Management (OGM) is available at (202) 442-9237.
The Office of Grants Management is located within the Office of the Director. OGM is the central oversight and processing unit for DC Health’s grant programs.
DC Health Funding Opportunities
DC Health grant funding opportunities can be found on the DC Register and the District Grants Clearinghouse. Information on pre-application conferences can be found on the Office of Grants Management’s Eventbrite page. Click “follow” on the Eventbrite page to receive notifications when new events are announced.
Eligibility Documents
The following list of documents are required for every grant application. These documents are used to verify that an applicant organization is eligible to receive grant funds from the District of Columbia and thereby DC Health.
- Certificate of Clean Hands dated within 60 days of the application deadline
- Current Business License/Certificate of Licensure or proof to transact business in local jurisdiction
- Current Certificate of Insurance
- Copy of Cyber Liability Policy
- IRS Tax-Exempt Determination Letter (for nonprofits only)
- IRS 990 Form from most recent tax year (for nonprofits only)
- Current List of Board of Directors, on letterhead, signed and dated by a certified official from the Board (this cannot be the Executive Director)
- Assurances and Certifications
Every applicant will also be required to submit at minimum the following documents as part of their application proposal.
- Proposal Abstract
- Project Narrative
- Budget Table
- Budget Justification
- Organization Chart
- Work Plan
- Risk Self-Assessment
As outlined in the Request for Applications (RFA), additional documents may also be requested.
Applying Indirect Costs to Subgrants
Indirect costs are costs that are not readily identifiable with a particular project or activity but are required for operating the organization and conducting the grant-related activities it performs. Indirect costs encompass expenditures for operation and maintenance of building and equipment, depreciation, administrative salaries, general telephone services and general travel and supplies. For federally-funded grants, indirect costs are applied in compliance with 2 CFR 200.332.
For locally-funded grants, DC Law 23-185, the Nonprofit Fair Compensation Act of 2020 (D.C. Official Code sec. 2-222.01 et seq.) allows any grantee to apply a federal Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) to the grant funds and approved budget, negotiate a new percentage indirect cost rate with the District grantmaking agency, use a previously negotiated rate within the last two years from another District government agency, or use an independent certified public accountant’s calculated rate using OMB guidelines. If a grantee does not have an indirect rate from one of the four aforementioned approaches, the grantee may apply a de minimis indirect rate of 10% of total direct costs.
Vendor Registration in DIFS
All applicants that that are new vendors with any agency of the District of Columbia government require registration in DIFS, the District’s payment system. To do so, applicants must register with the Office of Contracting and Procurement. It is recommended that all potential new vendors with the District begin the registration process prior to the application submission.
Grantee Terms and Conditions
All grantees of DC Health accept and must comply with DC Health’s Standard Terms and Conditions.
Grantee Compliance Trainings
- Protecting Pregnant Workers
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Language Access
EGMS External Users Resource Guides
External Users may access DC Health’s Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS) here.
- EGMS 2.0 Ref Guide 01a User Registration for Primary Users
- EGMS 2.0 Ref Guide 01b User Registration for Secondary Users
- EGMS 2.0 Ref Guide 01c Primary User Approval of Secondary Users
- EGMS 2.0 Ref Guide 03 Application Submission
- EGMS 2.0 Ref Guide 03b Complete Drafted Application for Primary and Secondary Users
- EGMS 2.0 Ref Guide 04 External Reviewer Registration
- EGMS 2.0 Ref Guide 04c Application Review for External Reviewers
- EGMS 2.0 Ref Guide 05a Respond to Pre-award Task for Primary Users
- EGMS 2.0 Ref Guide 05b Pre-Award Negotiation for Primary Users
- EGMS 2.0 Ref Guide 06g Grant Acceptance for Primary User
- EGMS 2.0 Ref Guide 07a Payment Request for Primary Users
- EGMS 2.0 Ref Guide 08a Progress Reports for Primary Users
- EGMS 2.0 Ref Guide 09 Site Visit Documents for Grantees
- EGMS 2.0 Ref Guide 10a Initiate Cost Extension Change Request for Primary Users
- EGMS 2.0 Ref Guide 10b Initiate Award Increase or Decrease Change Request for Primary Users
- EGMS 2.0 Ref Guide 10c Initiate Budget Revision Change Request for Primary Users
- EGMS 2.0 Ref Guide 10d Initiate No-cost Extension Change Request for Primary User
DC Health Administrations
The OGM works closely with subject matter experts in units within DC Health called Administrations. Administration grant teams are responsible for developing program priorities, applications for funding, and for monitoring grant funds.
- Community Partners funded by DC Health - 2021 [PDF]
DC Health Dispute Resolution Policy
The DC Health Dispute Resolution Policy outlines how applicants can address disputes related to the DC Health competitive award process. Any questions regarding this matter should be directed to [email protected].
