Asthma Education Services Provider Capacity Building
This Request for Applications (RFA) is for local partner organizations that want to develop the infrastructure and build organizational capacity to become a provider of in-home asthma education services as part of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ (WI-DHS) Asthma-Safe Homes Program. The total available funds is up to $80,000.00.
Timeline
Monday, October 19, 2026
RFA released
Friday, November 13, 2026
Applications due by 5 p.m. CST
Week of November 30, 2026
Notification of awards
Friday, January 1, 2027
Anticipated grant start date
Thursday, September 30, 2027
Grant end date
The purpose of this request for applications is to seek local partner organizations that want to develop the infrastructure and build organizational capacity to become a provider of in-home asthma education services as part of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ (WI-DHS) Asthma-Safe Homes Program.
This program is available through a Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) health services initiative (HSI) funded through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). The Asthma-Safe Homes Program’s target service area for capacity building during 2026–2027 is Brown and Milwaukee counties. The grant is expected to begin on January 1, 2027.
Through the HSI, WI-DHS has funding available to improve asthma outcomes and reduce disparities in asthma control for children ages 2-18 years old and pregnant individuals who are diagnosed with asthma and enrolled in Wisconsin BadgerCare Plus (Medicaid or CHIP). There are more than 500,000 children and adults who have asthma in Wisconsin, P-02412-20 (PDF), and asthma remains the most common chronic disease for children with a statewide prevalence of 8.4%.
Asthma disproportionately affects communities of color, with Black and Native American populations having 1.5-2 times the current prevalence as the White population (13% and 15%, respectively, versus 9%). These same populations also experience disparities in asthma control, with only 30% of non-White populations reporting well-controlled asthma compared to 64% of the White population. High rates of uncontrolled asthma result in even more disparate poor health care outcomes among communities of color. In Wisconsin, health care utilization for emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations among the Black population are 8 and 5 times higher, respectively, than among the White population; Native Americans have rates over twice that of the White population. Annual household income is another factor that contributes to asthma disparities, with the lowest income group (earning less than $15,000) having over twice the asthma prevalence of those in the highest income group (greater than $75,000).
Social determinants of health such as poor-quality housing, poverty, and other historical and structural factors are known contributors to the disparity in asthma outcomes. This HSI funding opportunity aims to reduce disparities in asthma control and improve asthma outcomes in Wisconsin by promoting access to guideline-based medical management of asthma and healthy living environments.
An eligible organization must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Is located in the state of Wisconsin and provides community-based services in Brown or Milwaukee county
- Is a 501(c)(3) community-based organization, local or tribal health department, community-based healthcare organization, or Medicaid Managed Care Organization; organizations with deep community ties are encouraged to apply
- Has technical and administrative capacity to complete the deliverables listed in the Scope of Work section of this document
- Intends to apply to become an Asthma-Safe Homes Program asthma education services provider next grant period
- Provides culturally and linguistically appropriate services and reflects the community and population served
Applicant organizations and their partners must be inclusive and shall not discriminate based on race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status in any of its activities or operations.
Scope of work
Activities supported by this funding opportunity include capacity-building and infrastructure development related to being an Asthma-Safe Homes Program asthma education services provider and must include a pilot of in-home asthma education services. This funding opportunity will prepare participating organizations to provide outreach, in-home asthma self-management education, and home asthma trigger assessment to improve asthma management, decrease exposure to asthma triggers in the home, and improve asthma outcomes. It will allow organizations to identify community partnerships and streamlined referral sources, which are imperative to successful implementation of the Asthma-Safe Homes Program. It will also provide the opportunity to pilot in-home asthma education services for up to 10 clients.
Asthma self-management education includes education on pathophysiology of asthma, prevention and treatment of symptoms, and appropriate use of medication and devices (e.g., inhalers, spacers) utilizing the teach-back method. It also promotes use of asthma action plans and coordination with heath care providers.
Home asthma trigger assessment means the identification of asthma triggers commonly found in the home, including allergens (e.g., dust mites, pets, pests), irritants (e.g., environmental tobacco smoke, volatile organic compounds), and moisture sources. This assessment informs asthma education addressing strategies to reduce asthma triggers.
Grantees will be expected to:
- Commit weekly staff time for capacity building activities
- Develop a staffing plan and operating procedures needed to be an Asthma-Safe Homes Program education services provider, including positions that provide grant and fiscal administration, staff supervision, and in-home asthma education (information about program components and required skills will be provided by Asthma-Safe Homes Program staff)
- Complete partner mapping to identify community partners that will serve as referral sources for the Asthma-Safe Homes Program, and conduct meetings with partners to inform client recruitment processes and marketing efforts
- Develop a program marketing plan that includes client recruitment strategies
- Participate in training to be determined by Asthma-Safe Homes Program staff
- Attend monthly one-on-one meetings with Asthma-Safe Homes Program staff
- Attend periodic grantee cohort meetings (if multiple capacity building grantees)
- Provide in-home asthma education services (i.e., 2-6 home visits and 2-week and 3-month follow-up calls) for up to 10 clients
Grant budget and use of program funds
A total of $80,000 will be available for capacity building and infrastructure development activities starting January 1, 2027 through September 30, 2027, contingent on state and federal funding. Up to two grants, totaling $40,000 each, may be awarded through this opportunity.
Grants are awarded in the form of reimbursement for actual staff time and related expenses incurred during the funding period. Grantee must have their own financial resources and capacity to support staff time and salaries prior to invoicing for reimbursement. No reimbursement is provided as a prior or upfront payment of any kind in any circumstance. There is no carryover funding as part of this opportunity; all funds must be spent during the grant period. The grants resulting from this request for applications will be stand-alone grants; there is no match requirement.
Grant funds will reimburse organizations for the following:
- Staff time to participate in capacity building activities at billable rate equal to staff salary and fringe
- Mileage reimbursement for travel related expenses
- Supplies and materials
- Training stipend up to $500 per staff member
- 10% indirect administrative cost
- Client services including:
- Minimum of two and maximum of six home visits for asthma self-management education and 2-week and 3-month post-intervention follow-ups provided by asthma educator, averaging $1,500 per client that completes the program (includes mileage reimbursement at the federal mileage rate)
- Purchase and distribution of durables to reduce asthma triggers up to $1,000 per household, including asthma-friendly cleaning kits, HEPA vacuums, air purifiers, and other supplies
Application information
To be considered for funding, organizations must submit an online application by November 13, 2026 by 5:00pm CST.
The following information is required in the application submission:
- Contact and organization name and contact information
- Responses to questions for each selection criteria (see below)
- Supporting documents (uploaded), including:
- Most recent financial statement to show available capital to finance operations
- Resumes of key personnel for the project
The application will be scored according to the points indicated for the selection criteria below (totaling 50 points). Grants will be awarded to the two applications with the highest scores.
Selection criteria 1: Applicant experience (15 points)
Applicant describes why their organization is interested in becoming an Asthma-Safe Homes Program asthma education provider.
Selection criteria 2: Qualification statement (15 points)
Applicant describes how they believe this funding opportunity will build their organization’s capacity to be an asthma education provider, including what area(s) they think need the most development.
Selection criteria 3: Partnerships (10 points)
Applicant provides an example of how they have developed partnerships (internal or external to their organization) to address public health issues.
Selection criteria 4: Community engagement (10 points)
Applicant describes their organization’s history of and ability to authentically engage and positively impact members of the community they serve.
DHS reserves the right to reject any and all applications. DHS may negotiate the terms of the grant agreement, including the award amount, with the selected applicant prior to entering into a grant agreement. If grant negotiations cannot be concluded successfully with a recommended applicant, DHS may terminate grant negotiations with that applicant.
Contact information
Please direct all questions about this request for applications to Molly Zemke, program manager, and Pat Batemon, grants specialist at DHSAsthmaSafeHomes@dhs.wisconsin.gov