Application Information

The first step in the Wisconsin Healthy Communities Designation application process is to submit a Letter of Interest by January 27, 2020. Eligible communities will receive detailed instructions and a link to the online application form on February 24, 2020.

Application Contents

While the application will differ by tier (gold, silver, bronze), it will include the following sections:

  • Community information

    • In this section, you will be asked to briefly describe your community and how you have assessed your community’s needs and resources.

  • Community accomplishments/initiatives

    • The number of initiatives you include will depend on the tier (gold: 7-9, silver: 5-7, bronze: 3-5). It is encouraged to include initiatives that are especially focused on the social determinants of health.

    • What Works for Health strategy & evidence rating

      • For each initiative, indicate whether it is included in the What Works for Health database or whether it is an alternative Community Innovation submission (an approach implemented in your community that does not appear on the strategy list or has an evidence rating of ‘insufficient evidence’ or ‘mixed evidence’). If it is in What Works for Health, list the strategy name, evidence rating, and relevant health factor area from What Works for Health (Health Behaviors, Clinical Care, Social & Economic Factors, Physical Environment).

      • Find instructions for navigating the What Works for Health database here.

    • Description

    • Reach/Target audience

      • *Reach* refers to the amount of community members and the areas of the community that are affected by this initiative.

    • Goals/objectives

    • Implementation rationale

      • Why was this initiative started? How did it come about?

    • Stakeholder involvement & collaborators

      • Please address the following: persons and organizations involved, timeline, description of implementation efforts, and plans for the initiative's sustainability.

    • Data collection & dissemination

      • How are you tracking success, outcomes, and other measures for this initiative?

    • Sustainability

      • How will this initiative be sustained? How are you leveraging resources to ensure its sustainability?

    • Health equity

      • Does this initiative advance health equity? If so, how?

  • Commitment and action to equitable and fair opportunity to health (health equity efforts)

    • We consider health equity efforts to mean actions towards supporting fair and just opportunities for health for all members of your community.

    • Gold/silver: Has your community developed or implemented a plan to support such efforts? 

    • Bronze: How has your community expressed a commitment to addressing health equity?

  • Sustainable & long-term solutions

    • How is your community building capacity to work on policy, systems and environment change? 

  • Sustainable leadership capacity

    • How is your community planning to build sustainable leadership capacity?

Application Platform

The Wisconsin Healthy Communities Designation uses Award Force, an online award platform, for managing applications. Your community’s lead applicant will receive an invitation to apply with a link to the online application. The lead applicant, co-applicant (if applicable) and collaborators are all welcome to share a log-in for easy collaboration. A printable application will also be made available.

Application Guidance

The application will include word counts for each section, in addition to hints and resources. You should discuss early on with collaborators what you would like to highlight under each section. Reviewers are looking for evidence-based programs that have been effective in your community in improving health and health equity. Each tier of the designation has different requirements in terms of what communities must demonstrate about the quantity and quality of an initiative’s results (in other words, the change produced because of the effort). Communities striving to earn the highest level of designation will need to demonstrate more robust, substantial health effects resulting from their implemented initiatives. They will also need to provide the data they gathered to support the claim that their initiatives had such an effect. Consult the program criteria for what is expected for each tier. PDF versions of the applications will be provided to applicants for easy collaboration offline.

You are required to reference the most relevant What Works for Health strategy and evidence rating for each community accomplishment/initiative highlighted in your application. It is expected that your initiatives are evidence-based. However, reviewers will accept one ‘Community Innovation Submission’, defined as an approach implemented in your community that does not appear on the What Works for Health strategy list or has an evidence rating of ‘insufficient evidence’ or ‘mixed evidence.’ Find instructions for navigating the What Works for Health database here.

Your community can submit additional documents relating to your initiatives or other community-wide work. However, your application must stand alone separate from those materials. 

Each collaborating organization (and co-applicant if applicable) is required to submit a Letter of Support for the application. Letters of Support should be attached to your application as one PDF in Award Force. 

We recommend that communities carefully review the program criteria and aim for the tier that seems the most appropriate. However, if reviewers determine that your application doesn’t meet the requirements for the tier you applied for, they may recommend a designation at a lower level.  

Focus on Health Equity

The Wisconsin Healthy Communities Designation has a unique focus on health equity. The program relies on the following definition of health equity: “Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be healthy. This requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences, including powerlessness and lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments, and health care.” (Braveman, Arkin, Orleans, Proctor, Plough, 2017). We anticipate every community to be at different levels in their journey to advance health equity. Applicants are encouraged to view the Health Equity Training Modules, created by MATCH and the Wisconsin Center for Public Health (WiCPHET).

Questions or Assistance?

The Wisconsin Healthy Communities Designation staff is available for assistance throughout the application process. Please contact us at wihealthycommunities@wisc.edu.