About Sweetgrass Grants
Our Sweetgrass grants support public health programs related to chronic disease prevention and management. Part of our Community Grants Program, Sweetgrass grants award up to four grants of $10,000 to urban Native health and human services organizations and to urban Indian organizations with programming focusing on Indigenous approaches to chronic disease.
The Community Grants Program Request for Applications (RFA) encourages the use of American Indian and Alaska Native traditional, cultural, and regional knowledge in developing, implementing, and/or supporting chronic disease education, prevention, management, and survivorship initiatives among urban Indian communities.
For the purposes of this grant, we define chronic disease as illnesses that last longer than one year and require ongoing medical attention, limit daily activities, or both.1 Chronic diseases such as cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, and diabetes are among the top ten leading causes of death in the United States.2 Many chronic diseases can be avoided by making healthy choices. Tobacco cessation, healthy eating behaviors, regular physical activity, and preventive screening tests are some of the best ways to help prevent, delay, or manage chronic diseases.3
In the 2020–2021 cycle, we awarded grants of $10,000 to organizations with programs addressing chronic respiratory disease in urban Indian communities. Learn more about how past grantees have used this funding.
Background
Chronic diseases are illnesses that last longer than one year and require ongoing medical attention, limit daily activities, or both.1 Chronic diseases such as cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, and diabetes are among the top ten leading causes of death in the United States.2 Many chronic diseases can be avoided by making healthy choices. Tobacco cessation, healthy eating behaviors, regular physical activity, and preventive screening tests are some of the best ways to help prevent, delay, or manage chronic diseases.3
As a result of the loss of traditional ways of life, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people experience higher rates of chronic diseases when compared with other racial or ethnic groups. AI/ANs have the highest prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes in the United States and are twice as likely as non-Hispanic Whites to have diabetes.4 The prevalence of obesity, a major risk factor for developing diabetes, cancers, and other chronic diseases, has also increased dramatically in AI/AN populations over the past 30 years.5
A respiratory disease is a type of disease that affects areas of the respiratory system, such as the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract. Examples of respiratory diseases include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, and respiratory cancers.
In 2013, the prevalence of COPD among AI/ANs was almost double the prevalence of NHWs.6 AI/ANs also have higher rates of asthma (9.4%) when compared to white persons (7.7%), although the prevalence was highest for persons of multiple races (14.1%).7 In addition to COPD and asthma, respiratory diseases also include cancers affecting areas of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus. Specifically, for urban AI/ANs, data from 2010-2014 shows that types of cancer affecting the respiratory system (trachea, bronchus, lungs) were the top cause of cancer related mortality.8
Important Dates
| RFA and Application Materials released | Friday, December 12, 2025 |
| Pre-application webinar | Friday, December 19, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. PT |
| Funding application deadline | Friday, January 30, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. PT |
| Award notification | Friday, February 20, 2026 |
| Grantee orientation | Monday, March 2, 2026 |
| Funding period | September 30, 2025 – September 29, 2026 |
Pre-Application Webinar
Eligibility
To be eligible to receive the funding under this application, your organization must be one of the following:
- an Urban Indian Organization (UIO)—a Title V program as defined by the Indian Health Service
- a member of the National Urban Indian Family Coalition (NUIFC)
- A not-for-profit urban Indian organization whose leadership and board are made up of a majority of urban Indians, and whose mission is to provide public health services to urban Indians may be eligible to apply on a case-by-case basis.
Applicants must also participate in performance measurement, evaluation activities, and a chronic disease community of practice (includes annual webinar-based trainings and optional technical assistance services) to be coordinated by UIHI.
Funding Restrictions
Some funding restrictions apply to this application.
Recipients may not use funds
- for research.
- for clinical care.
- to purchase furniture, equipment, or clinic/patient supplies.
Recipients may use funds for
- reasonable project purposes, including personnel, travel, supplies, and services.
- salaries.*
*If requested, salaries are restricted to project activities.
Application Components
Submission will include a completed Application Form, Work Plan, and a Budget Worksheet and Justification, which can be found below.
Request for Applications
(RFA)
Work Plan
Budget Worksheet and Justification
Application Form
Submission Instructions
Please use this Online Application Link to access the application form. You will need to upload your completed work plan and budget as part of this application.
*Applicants with limited online access may download an application form as a word document here and email the completed application form, work plan, and budget to Julia Wejchert at cdp@uihi.org with the subject line: 2025-2026 Sweetgrass RFA: <insert agency name>.
Only one application form is required (online form OR word document).
Application Technical Assistance
Applicants may contact the CDP team via phone or email to obtain clarification of RFA application requirements and process.
Inquiries may be sent to:
Chronic Disease Prevention Program
Urban Indian Health Institute
cdp@uihi.org | 206–324–9360 ext. 1211
References
- CDC. About Chronic Diseases. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated April 28, 2021. Accessed June 18, 2021. www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/about/index.htm
- Kochanek KD, Xu JQ, Arias E. Mortality in the United States, 2019. NCHS Data Brief, no 395. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2020.
- CDC. How You Can Prevent Chronic Diseases. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated April 28, 2021. Accessed June 18, 2021. www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/about/prevent/index.htm
- CDC. Native Americans with Diabetes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated January 10, 2017. Accessed June 18, 2021. www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/aian-diabetes/index.html
- Halpern, Peggy, and Jerry Regier. Obesity and American Indians/Alaska Natives. USDHHS, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation: Washington, DC (2007).
- CDC. 2015. Employment and activity limitations among adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – United States, 2013. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 64(11). www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/wk/mm6411.pdf
- CDC. National Center for Health Statistics. 2012. Trends in asthma prevalence, health care use, and mortality in the United States, 2001-2010. NCHS Data Brief, (94). www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db94.pdf
- Urban Indian Health Institute, Seattle Indian Health Board. (2016). Community Health Profile: National Aggregate of Urban Indian Health Program Service Areas. Seattle, WA: Urban Indian Health Institute.