Rhode Island Attorney General’s 6/10 Children’s Fund

Grant deadline: September 10, 2025

Background

As part of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s negotiation of a court-approved settlement related to the construction of the Route 6/10 Interchange, the 6/10 Children’s Fund was established at the Rhode Island Foundation in May 2025 with $10 million in funding, to be spent within 10 years. The purpose of the fund is to address the health needs and concerns of children residing in Providence, prioritizing those living in the Olneyville, West End, and Silver Lake neighborhoods.

In recent years, the Rhode Island Foundation has partnered with a range of state and federal government agencies to administer several grant programs, including the Clean Competition Fund and the Opioid Settlement Impact and Recovery Grants Program.

Current Focus

Dental care is health care. Poor oral health leads to or exacerbates other diseases or health conditions, and its negative impacts spill over into other parts of our health and social care systems. Nationally, poor oral health among children is a leading cause of school absenteeism, resulting in approximately 51 million school hours lost each year. About 80% of tooth decay occurs in only 25% percent of children – those from families experiencing low-income – and children attending schools in lower income communities are twice as likely to have untreated tooth decay than those in wealthier districts.

According to the Rhode Island Department of Health, one in three kindergarteners and almost half of all third graders in the state experience tooth decay – a situation that is particularly dire in Providence: 21% of kindergarteners and 24% of third graders in Rhode Island have untreated tooth decay, higher than the national average of 15%.

According to data collected by dentists who serve children in Providence public schools, each school year hundreds of elementary and middle school students have unmet dental care needs, like deep cavities, gum infections, abscesses, and tooth decay.

Moreover, multiple studies have highlighted oral health disparities by socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity. Children attending schools with more than 75% of their students eligible for free or reduced school meals, including many in the Providence Public School District, are twice as likely to have untreated tooth decay than those in wealthier districts.

Given this need, for this initial funding opportunity, we welcome proposals to improve access to oral health services for children in Providence, with specific focus on the Olneyville, West End, and Silver Lake neighborhoods.

If you have questions about this funding opportunity, please contact Zach Nieder. You can also directly schedule a meeting with Zach using the link provided here.

Proposal Criteria and Program Priorities

•    Proposals can include funding to support planning at the outset of the grant period.

•    Proposals should have a substantial reach in underserved communities in Providence. Proposals can include a scope that encompasses all or parts of Providence, but there should be a focus on the Olneyville, West End, and Silver Lake neighborhoods.

•    Preference will be given for proposals that demonstrate a path toward sustainability beyond the grant period.

•    Proposals should detail specific disparities in access and how the proposed approach will ensure compliance with Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Service Standards (CLAS).

•    Proposals should demonstrate that the scope of work will respond to the needs and priorities of community members, including by ensuring resident voices are incorporated into the work on an ongoing basis.

•    Proposals should demonstrate that the proposed intervention(s) will be rooted in methods for which there is evidence of success (e.g., significantly improved health / social outcomes, significant reductions in disparities).

•    While capital costs can be included in the proposal budget, there should be clear justification showing that this expenditure is in service to the proposal’s programmatic goals.

•    Proposals should include meaningful collaborations (e.g., clear demonstration of how partners will be accountable to each other, develop shared goals and outcomes, and demonstrate collective impact), including, but not limited to, school and childcare systems. Proposals should include Memoranda of Understanding or letters of support from any partner organizations.

•    Proposals should detail how there will be efforts to facilitate any relevant familial consent process for receiving services.

•    Proposals should detail any planned integration of dental and primary care services and/or take into consideration challenges around continuity of oral health care services.

•    Proposals should demonstrate how they will braid other sources of funding to implement and/or sustain the work, including but not limited to third-party reimbursement or existing governmental or non-governmental programs.

•    Proposals should include plans for program evaluation and data collection and monitoring to facilitate evaluation, including key performance indicators and a timeline for achievement of program goals.

•    Proposals should demonstrate operational capacity, including but not limited to the ability to meet regulatory and licensing requirements for the project being proposed (e.g., Permitting, Construction, Capital Purchases, Medicaid billing, HIPAA compliance, clinical licensure).

•    Proposals should focus on children between the ages of birth and 18 but may also serve adults up to the age of 21 and pregnant women.

Funding Availability and Awards Eligibility

•    Nonprofit, 501(c)3 organizations are eligible to apply. We also recognize there are entities and efforts without a 501(c)(3) IRS designation that align with this funding opportunity. Given that, we will also consider grant applications from groups using a fiscal sponsor with a 501(c)(3) IRS designation.

•    This program can support capital funding, but does not fund individuals, scholarships, research, endowments, or fundraising events.

•    Grants may support faith-based organizations for secular programs or projects.

How to Apply

To apply for this funding opportunity, click here. See opportunity-specific priorities included above. The deadline to apply is September 10, 2025, at 3:00 p.m.

Please submit a completed application, together with the following, via our online grants portal:

Proposal Budget
Please follow instructions to complete the multi-year budget template.
Organizational Budget
Please include your organization's budget for the current fiscal year with year-to-date actuals.
Audited Financials
Please include your organization's most recent audited financials or 990 if available, or your most recent board-approved financial statement.
Board List
Please attach a copy of your organization's board list.
IRS 501(c) Tax Determination Letter (not a tax-exempt certificate)
Required only if your organization has never applied to the Rhode Island Foundation for funding. If an organization is serving as the fiscal agent for this project, please submit the IRS 501(c) tax determination letter for the fiscal agent.

NOTE: If you already have started an online application, please log in to your account page to edit the application that is in progress.