NJPHA Receives Grant to Help Strengthen Its Capacity to Protect Public Health

NJPHA was recently awarded two mini-grants to help strengthen its capacity to improve and protect public health. The NJPHA, an Affiliate of the American Public Helath Association, was one of 13 APHA Affiliates chosen to receive this funding.

The NJPHA is very pleased to receive this grant. This funding will allow us to increase membership and develop a strategic plan. We look forward to continuing to help address the public health challenges in New Jersey.

The funding will be used to increase membership in the NJPHA. The NJPHA will outreach to undergraduate and graduate programs in public health. NJPHA will provide membership at no cost for graduating students, with the intention that they will be come an active member of the association. NJPHA will create dialogs with at least five undergraudate/graduate programs in public health, provide NJPHA membership at no cost to graduating students, and initiate a program for students, that includes mentoring, job possibilities, and involvement in NJPHA activities.

The second part of the funding will be used to assist in the formation of a strategic plan for the organization. The last version of the strategic plan was developed in 2000. This funding will help us to bring a consultant to help us in the process, by conducting focus grpuos of members and non-members, and help the current leadership develop a comprehensive strategic plan that will enable NJPHA to grow into a strong affilate, meeting the mission of NJPHA to provide public helght education and advocacy in New Jersey.

The grants, which are awarded by APHA, are made possible thanks to a $165,000 grant from the Pfizer Public Health Gropu. Funding may be used for member recruitment; public health activities to benefit the community and Affiliate activities; and strategic or business plan development.

The mini-grants are part of the larger APHA Affiliate Capacity-Building Initiative, which delivers financial and technical resources to APHA Affiliates over five years. The initiatives supports Affiliates to improve their leadership, management, programs and services, and to improve their ability to engage their communities in responding to new and emerging public health threats such as pandemic flu or other emerging infections disease.

"On behalf of APHA, I would like to congratulate NJPHA on this award and thank them for their continued commitment ot improving public health and the well-being of their communities," said Georges C. Benjamin, MD FACP, FACEP (E), execustive driector of APHA.