Most ECHO programs run on grants, contracts and philanthropy, and the search for funding starts long before the first session. This guide covers the two things the ECHO Institute’s grants team is asked about most: where to look for funders, and what to think through when you build the budget that goes into a proposal.
This article is adapted from “Funding Your ECHO Program: Grant Prospect Research and Budget Preparation,” a session of the ECHO Institute’s Partner Launch Training presented by its grants team. Reach the team at ECHOGrants@salud.unm.edu.
The funding landscape
In the United States, the ECHO 2019 Act, signed in December 2020, authorizes federal grants and technical assistance to develop and evaluate technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity-building models such as the ECHO Model. It is worth naming in proposals to U.S. federal and state agencies, because it signals that the approach has legislative backing.
Two reports are useful background reading and good sources to cite when you make the case for your program:
- Project ECHO: Review and Research Agenda, commissioned by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- *Project ECHO: Policy Pathways to Sustainability* from the Center for Health Care Strategies
Where to find funders
Federal grants and contracts
- Grants.gov lists federal opportunities. Subscribe to its daily email updates so you see new notices as they post.
- Grants.gov training and webinars explain the application process if you are new to federal funding.
You must have a Unique Entity ID (UEI) and an active SAM.gov registration to apply for federal grants and contracts. Registration takes time, so start it before you find the opportunity you want to pursue.
State and local grants and contracts
State and local departments of health, education and similar agencies fund training and capacity-building work in their own priority areas. They are often a better fit for a single program than a national funder, and the relationships are easier to build.
Foundations and private funders
- Research local funders and resources. How are similar organizations in your area funded?
- Look at community foundations and donor-advised funds. They are frequently overlooked and often prefer local work.
- Find grant maker associations in your region and look for opportunities to engage with them.
- Use funding research databases such as Candid’s Foundation Directory Online, GrantWatch, GrantForward, Instrumentl and Pivot.
- Create a prospect research process for your organization so the search is repeatable rather than a scramble before each deadline.
Useful resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Rural Health Information Hub: Funding and Opportunities | Summaries of the latest and ongoing funding opportunities for rural communities, including federal, state and foundation programs. Search by type, sponsor, topic or state. |
| Candid Foundation Directory Online | A database of more than 140,000 grant makers that you can filter by location or funding geography, topic, asset size and more. Provides access to Form 990s and often lists program officer contacts. Requires an annual subscription, but many university and public libraries offer free access. |
| Philanthropy News Digest | A daily news service from Candid. Register to receive philanthropy-related articles, features and funding opportunities across many fields and locations by email. |
Building your budget
Start by understanding your funder’s budget requirements: allowable costs, indirect rates, budget periods and the format they expect. Then work through the questions below. Not every program needs every line, but every line is something a reviewer may ask about.
| Budget area | Questions to answer |
|---|---|
| Planning | Will you need a planning period to develop the curriculum, train hub team members or recruit participants (spokes)? Do you need to complete a needs assessment first? |
| Staffing | What positions do you need to manage the program? Who is on your hub team, and how will each person be paid? Do not forget the facilitator, a medical or clinical director if the topic calls for one, and IT support to set up Zoom access for the hub team and train participants on using it. |
| Coordination | Someone has to issue didactics, collect case presentations, schedule sessions, develop agendas, upload materials to PERL and review iECHO data. Budget the hours honestly. |
| Continuing education | Will you provide CME or other continuing-education credit? Accreditation fees and the staff time to administer them belong in the budget. |
| Evaluation | Will there be an evaluation component? Will you need to hire an external evaluator? How will you track and measure your outcomes? |
| Travel and in-person events | Will there be travel to recruit participants or attend conferences? Will the program involve in-person meetings or training? |
| Equipment | Will you purchase equipment to provide to participants, or for clinic or school sites? |
| Other direct costs | Supplies, postage and shipping, printing and duplication. |
For the evaluation line, iECHO already records attendance and can run session feedback surveys, which covers much of the routine monitoring a funder expects; see the iECHO Analytics Center. Budget separately for anything beyond that, such as follow-up surveys, focus groups or an external evaluator.
Materials in PERL
The Project ECHO Resource Library (PERL) has a Funding and Grant Writing folder with the grants team’s current resources for ECHO partners. Questions about funding your program can go to ECHOGrants@salud.unm.edu.