SOCIAL DRIVERS OF HEALTH

2026 - STEPS TCI IS TAKING TO BE A BETTER FUNDING PARTNER

As we enter into 2026, we will be implementing several efforts to be a better funding partner in a time of extraordinary need. What we perhaps can’t provide in direct funding support due to our own finite resources, we can try to provide in other ways, including giving our nonprofit collaborators back in the opportunity cost of time and hopefully making ourselves more accessible as a resource. Below are a few of the ways we plan to achieve this.
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PRE APPLICATION: Building on our past use of a Letter of Interest, TCI will utilize a preapplication in 2026. This abbreviated initial proposal is designed to take less time to complete, but still offer enough information for us to make an informed decision about the possibilities and potential of your need, intervention, and proposal plan. From this submission, TCI will invite a select group of applicants to a final proposal round. Only those moving on to this second step will complete the full proposal. This is designed to be a better opportunity cost of applicant planning and proposal time.
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APPLICATIONS TO OTHER FUNDERS: Not all of our states possess a common grant application accepted by multiple funders. Also, though the pre-application described above will be a shortened application, we are fully aware most applications coming for TCI consideration are also being developed for other institutional funding sources as well. In 2026, applicants will have the option to submit a proposal you’ve submitted to another funder as an alternative way to present a funding concept for TCI consideration instead of you repackaging essentially the same material in a TCI format. This is envisioned as a way to give you back valuable time for other pursuits.
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MULTI-YEAR SUPPORT: Continuing what we successfully introduced in 2025, TCI will again provide 24-month funding periods for our Strengthening Families & Communities grant competitions. Our funding will continue to advance social drivers of health through our funding themes of Healthy Birth Outcomes and Parent Resiliency & Protective Factors. At the end of 2026, we’ll review cumulative data of applications that we received, funded, and are creating impact across Iowa, Illinois, Colorado, and Oklahoma to determine any modifications to 2027 funding approaches within these priority areas.

More details on our 2026 funding opportunities will be released in mid-February In the meantime, if you have any questions or want to discuss a funding idea, please contact Matt McGarvey at:
• Email: mmcgarvey@telligenci.org
• Website: www.telligenci.org
• Phone: 515-554-2908
• To schedule a discussion time: click Here

GRANTEE SPOTLIGHTS

STRENGTHENING FAMILIES & COMMUNITIES

THE COMMUNITY BUILDERS

With support from a Telligen Community Initiative grant, The Community Builders is strengthening the Oakley Square Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) to help youth facing significant adversity build esilience and stability. YEP is a comprehensive initiative designed to reduce the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and increase the ability of at-risk youth to thrive within the violence-impacted Oakley Square community in Chicago.

The program provides academic support, leadership development, emotional resilience training, and social empowerment activities, offering consistent guidance that youth and families can rely on. The program fosters a safe and supportive environment that strengthens protective factors and encourages personal growth. A core focus is delivering positive, structured after-school opportunities during the critical 3–5 p.m. hours. TCB staff provide meaningful mentorship, and youth remain highly engaged through interest-driven activities such as esports and youth football, which build connection and reduce exposure to unsafe environments.

Although challenges such as staff retention and the demands of serving a high-needs community persist, TCB remains a steady and trusted presence. Ongoing collaboration with youth-serving partners continues to deepen program impact, supporting violence prevention and promoting long-term youth well-being. Learn more at The Community Builders.

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ALICE IN OKLAHOMA

A Study of Financial Hardship is brought to you by Tulsa Area United Way (TAUW) in partnership with United For ALICE, a driver of innovative research and action to promote financial stability for ALICE® (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households that earn above the federal poverty level but still cannot afford the basic cost of living in their communities.

With support from TCI’s Strengthening Families and Communities grant, TAUW and United for Alice worked to assess the true cost of living in every Oklahoma county, city, district, and ZIP code — providing a comprehensive and realistic measure of financial hardship across the state. With a commitment to economic justice, United For ALICE and United Ways across Oklahoma share this work with foundations, government, corporations, and other nonprofits to inform policy and promote positive change for ALICE households.

United For ALICE partners with Tulsa Area United Way to bring this research, which is sponsored by Telligen Community Initiative, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, and JPMorgan Chase, to Oklahoma. This fall, TAUW released the Oklahoma ALICE Report and hosted the Oklahoma ALICE Summit, bringing together stakeholders to explore key findings and discuss policy and community action. TCI is proud to support this initiative and looks forward to seeing Oklahoma stakeholders use these resources to strengthen datadriven decision-making and resource allocation statewide. For more information, go to: Oklahoma | UnitedForALICE.

Collective Impact Funding Collaborative

A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY

Data-informed community solutions provide the best strategy to achieve cost-effective and high impact outcomes. While a multitude of public programs support individuals and households experiencing economic instability, the efficacy of these programs is often untested. Examining program interventions through scientifically valid research can help identify which interventions work best and better inform decision makers regarding the best use of public and private funds.

In the mindset of doing better together, Telligen Community Initiative is small part of a collective impact funding collaborative supporting the Central Iowa Emergency Rental Assistance Study. Mid-Iowa Health Foundation (MIHF) is the leading organization around this important work. "We are excited to partner with TCI once again on an economic mobility research to inform policy project,” stated MIHF President and CEO, Dr. Nalo Johnson. “We believe leveraging our public and private resources to identify data-driven community solutions allows us to activate philanthropic practices in the most transformational way.”

In July 2026, the funding collaborative’s research partner will begin implementation of an emergency rental assistance study designed to inform local decisionmakers regarding the most effective length of time to provide assistance so a low-income working household regains their economic stability. The study will examine health, education, employment, and long-term stability impacts of receiving rental assistance. Through scientifically valid research, the project seeks to provide recommendations so that decision makers can design and implement cost-effective, impactful rental assistance programs.

Current rental assistance programs offered in central Iowa are limited and funding for federal programs administered by the state are targeted for specific populations. The Central Iowa Emergency Rental Assistance Study is designed to fill the significant gaps in understanding of the impacts of rental assistance on low-income households and to provide clear policy guidelines on the cost effectiveness and scalability of the study’s recommendations.

Although this work is in its early stages, TCI is proud to have recently made a $100,000 commitment to advance this effort. More details and funding partners will be announced soon. We are proud to be part of identifying best practices that keep families housed and decrease their need to access additional systems of support.

Changes to public funding support to address homelessness and resource homeless service providers are creating challenges for all parts of the sector. The future may very well require different funding mechanisms, practices, and non-traditional collaborators to fill the void. TCI views this collective impact project as a significant opportunity to inform central Iowa of optimal ways to structure rental assistance programs designed for maximum impact and potential replication in other communities.

ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

CAPACITY BUILDING

In 2025, Telligen Community Initiative successfully introduced a new Capacity Building grant program. Through an invitational funding opportunity, 20 awards were successfully made on a rolling basis throughout the first half of the year. Capacity-building proposals focus on strengthening a nonprofit’s ability to fulfill its mission. Goals often are to adjust the organization’s efficiency, size, or effectiveness. Methods vary but a strong nonprofit seeks to develop and sustain a quality workforce, stable finances, and effective oversight, and is representative of the population it serves. TCI aims to provide resources that support this end – which is very different from our historically focused efforts on project or program implementation. Below is a summary of the primary focus areas of the proposals that we have received and funded.

We’re now at the stage of being able to report on the success of individual grantees and the impact they are having. We’re starting to learn what approaches are successful and lessons we can take forward on how to best plan and collaborate with nonprofits – particularly during an increasingly challenging time across the sector. Below is a summary of an individual awardee, Reach Out and Read Colorado.

CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT: REACH OUT AND READ COLORADO

With support from a 2025 TCI Capacity Building Grant, Reach Out and Read Colorado has strengthened its internal data capabilities through development of a new organization-wide dashboard. Designed to streamline reporting, automate data collection, and provide real-time insights, the dashboard is helping improve program tracking, fundraising efforts, and collaboration between the organization’s Program and Development teams. The tool will strengthen Reach Out and Read Colorado’s capacity to serve more children, optimize resource allocation, and drive greater impact beyond the funding period.

Since implementation, the dashboard has reduced staff time spent on manual data entry and improved how the organization makes data-informed decisions and shares outcomes. Looking ahead, Reach Out and Read Colorado plans to continue refining the tool to support long-term strategic planning and expand its ability to serve more children and families across Colorado. This $25,000 investment demonstrates how targeted capacity-building support can create lasting organizational improvements—helping nonprofits amplify impact far beyond the grant period. For more information, visit Reach Out and Read Colorado.

“This dashboard has changed the way we work. With real-time data and automatedreporting, our team can make faster, more informed decisions that directly strengthen our programs and fundraising," said Amy Malik, Development Director, Reach Out and ReadColorado. "TCI’s support is helping us build the infrastructure we need to expand ourreach and deepen our impact for Colorado children for years to come.”

Going Forward: In 2026, Telligen Community Initiative will continue our Capacity Building grant support, which is designed to strengthen the inner workings of nonprofits – addressing things that may not be visible, but will have a long-term effect on an organization’s structure and potential impact. At this time, we’re going to continue to implement this new funding approach for TCI on an invitational basis but will limit support to Iowa and Oklahoma-based project investments. In 2025, we made seven capacity building grant commitments in Colorado and Illinois and awarded three grants in both Iowa and Oklahoma. By focusing our available 2026 investments in Iowa and Oklahoma, we’ll end up with an approximately equal number of awards in all four TCI states over a two-year period (2025-2026). From there, the TCI Board of Directors will make decisions on how to maximize impact in this funding model. We’re excited to add this work to our grantee investment options going forward.

TCI SYNERGY CENTER

SHARING SPACE, IGNITING IDEAS

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The Synergy Center’s mission is to support multiple health organizations that focus on upstream approaches to ultimately improve the health and well-being of the community. The Telligen Community Initiative Synergy Center is a 6,800-square-foot, multi-tenant, collaborative office project in Des Moines, Iowa. Since 2017, The Synergy Center has brought together healthfocused, nonprofit organizations sharing a modern, office space environment and resources funded by Telligen Community Initiative.

The collaborative environment fosters the creation of new relationships, leading to knowledge sharing that helps organizations advance their respective missions. Organizations housed in The Synergy Center each focus on different elements of the social drivers of health. Current nonprofits utilizing the Central Iowa shared space can be found at Synergy Center.

For roughly the annual monetary equivalent of one TCI grant award in our Strengthening Families & Communities program, we’re able to simultaneously assist 12 nonprofits with this shared space. TCI’s support covers all rent, utilities, Wi-Fi, and janitorial costs. Our vision has been to provide these core functions so each nonprofit can focus on delivering its mission – effectively taking other overhead expenses off the table.

Through our collaboration with Hubbell Realty on our office rental property, TCI has been in our current location since 2019. The TCI Board of Directors recently extended our commitment to the concept in our current location through the end of 2029. We’re proud of this creative form of philanthropic support and only feel it will become more important in the coming years for those nonprofits utilizing the space to its full potential.