For Immediate Release                                                          Contact:  Don McCrabb
January 12, 2022                                                                                   dmcrabb@uscatholicmission.org

 

Kaiser Permanente awards Catholic Cares coalition $250,000 grant to
support promotion of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and equity

Washington, D.C. — The Catholic Cares Coalition, which is a growing group of 60 U.S.-based
Catholic organizations committed to promoting COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and equity, is
honored to be the recipient of a $250,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente. Having previously
been funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, this grant has provided an ongoing, and wider
opportunity for the Coalition to continue its work toward advocating for equitable distribution of
the COVID-19 vaccine. The funds will be used over six months to encourage creative and
collaborative activities that positively impact vaccine acceptance and equitable distribution by
organizations in seven designated areas: Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii,
Colorado, Georgia, and the Mid-Atlantic cities of Baltimore and Washington DC.

The dissemination of microgrants, in the amount of $10,000-$15,000, will be awarded to
nonprofit organizations, aligned with Catholic Social Teaching, working to educate and create
opportunities for African American and Latino populations to have access to and accept the
COVID-19 vaccine. Grant recipients will be offered multiple levels of support through consulting,
marketing, and communications assistance through the Catholic Cares Coalition.

In February, the Catholic Cares Coalition will be marking its one-year anniversary. The work of
the Coalition is far from over as the pandemic continues to create challenges both domestically
and globally. The Coalition is committed to maximizing members’ influence by supporting
various grassroots efforts on vaccine equity and distribution. Pope Francis spoke of receiving
the vaccine as an “act of love,” similarly, Catholic Cares Coalition considers vaccine acceptance
as an act of charity and solidarity. Infused with the richness of our Catholic Tradition, the
Coalition seeks to continue this timely and needed work to move toward a healthier and happier
future for all. May this new year bring renewed energy toward meeting these goals.

Any organization interested in applying for these microgrants can find the application on the
website—catholiccares.org—or can reach out to the grant coordinator, Sara P. Marks
(sara@finacatalysts.com), to find out more information.

###