Grant program helps local nonprofits with cancer research and education
With support from VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Community Grant Initiative is building more capacity for local organizations to bridge the gap between cancer research and their community.
February 05, 2024
Representatives from the Health Brigade (formerly Fan Free Clinic) and Hitting Cancer Below the Belt accept funding from VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center. (VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center)
By Amy Lacey and Sara McCloskey
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center continues to grow partnerships to improve the health of Virginians through supporting community-based organizations.
This is the second year of Massey’s Community Grant Initiative, which provides funding to strengthen the capacity of local partners and aims to bridge the gap between cancer research and communities. The organizations also work closely with the cancer center to increase outreach, engagement and research opportunities to improve cancer treatment and patient health.
The funding is broken up into three tiers: Seed, Cultivate and Harvest. The seed grant is the first level funding available through the initiative, awarding organizations $5,000 for one year.
One of the 2023 recipients was Hitting Cancer Below the Belt (HCB2), a Midlothian-based nonprofit that has been providing colorectal cancer education and services since 2012. The seed grant helped HCB2 create educational resources in both English and Spanish to better assist organizational partners in educating and raising screening rates among patients 45 years of age and older.
Massey team members also share their guidance and expertise with community-based groups to improve patient outcomes. The collaboration and learning opportunities help to increase cancer screenings and better care for medically vulnerable or historically underserved populations.
“Since 2017, HCB2 has worked to reduce and eliminate major barriers to CRC screening among low-income and uninsured populations pertaining to screening access and cost for both stool-based testing and colonoscopy,” said HCB2 Program Director Renee Malone, M.P.H. “Massey’s support has helped us to address one other major screening barrier pertaining to the lack of provider-led discussion and screening recommendation, and through this work we’ve also learned of additional issues surrounding patient navigation and language barriers that continue to affect timely screening.”
New awardees for the 2024 Community Seed Grants are expected to be announced in February.
Here is the full list of the 2023 Community Seed Grants recipients:
