McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) is dedicated to the responsible administration of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds by investing in and supporting community-driven projects to deliver inclusive, innovative, long-term benefits across the County as it recovers and transforms from the pandemic.

MCDH and the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) collaborative are pleased to announce the launch of the Community Health Initiative—an ARPA funding opportunity to address community health priorities in McHenry County. Several categories for community project proposals will be considered for funding. Applications are open to agencies throughout the County who are working on community health initiatives tied to the McHenry County I-PLAN.

The McHenry County Community Health Plan is a systematic plan used to address identified health priorities in McHenry County. The purpose of the plan is to improve the health of McHenry County residents by collaborating with partners to implement measurable strategies and interventions that reduce barriers to good health, improve lifestyle choices and reduce the risk of death and disability. MCDH has been using MAPP to address health priorities since 2006.

Selected projects must align to one or more of the health priorities defined in the McHenry County Community Health Plan (Appendix A). The priorities are: Behavioral Health, Diabetes, Obesity & Active Living, and Access to Care. Applications will be evaluated across a range of factors, informed by federal reporting requirements and MCDH priorities, including:

• Health priority selected
• Alignment with goals listed in Appendix A
• Targets those impacted by the pandemic
• Impact vs. effort
• Proposed project budget
• Project fiscal sustainability
• Project risks and uncertainties
• Leveraged funds (e.g. matching grants and collaboration)
• Structure for performance tracking
• Equity considerations
• Evidence-based practices

McHenry County Department of Health has $1,215,000 available to award to community partners. Maximum funding per project will be based on a budget plan that is realistic to meet program objectives. Successful applications should detail well thought-out project proposals that take full advantage of opportunities for community collaboration, demonstrate clear need related to the McHenry County health priorities, document substantial benefits and evaluation metrics, and are accessible and inclusive for McHenry County residents. Projects and dollars expended must be completed by December 31, 2026.

How to Complete the Application

The application can be accessed from the link below. Before accessing the application link, you should download the Budget Template Form. This is an Excel file that will need to be filled out and attached to your application before submitting.

• Community Health Initiative Overview document
• Download Budget Template Form
• Access the Application