Strengthening the Capacity and Resilience of U.S. HIV Organizations - RFP Online Application

1. General Organizational Information
2. Organizational Financial Information 
3. Attestations
4. Proposal Narrative 
   • Section 1: Organizational Mission, Community and Organizational Description, and Impact on Community Served – 10 Points 
   • Section 2: Demonstration of Need and Expected Benefits – 40 Points  
   • Section 3: Staffing Plan – 30 Points 
   • Section 4: Performance Monitoring and Reporting – 10 Points 
   • Section 5: Budget – 10 Points 
   • Section 6: Addendum

The Merck Strengthening Capacity and Resilience of U.S. HIV Organizations Program utilizes an online application process. All application materials must be submitted electronically on or before 11:59pm EST on December 8, 2025.   

Special accommodations can be made for organizations not able to submit their applications electronically.  Please use the following email address: ResilienceHIV@CAIGlobal.org to contact the CAI Coordinating Center to arrange for alternate ways to submit your proposal. 

A full outline of the proposal is below. Please note if you cannot complete this application in a single session, you may click on the "save and continue" icon on the top right-hand corner. You will be asked to supply an email address to save your progress. A unique link will be emailed to you that will allow you to return where you left off. We recommend that you consider submitting early as extensions are not able to be granted, and incomplete applications or those received after the deadline will not be considered. You will receive a confirmation email shortly after you submit your application to the online system. 

If you have any questions about this application for Strengthening the Capacity and Resilience of U.S. HIV Organizations Program, or would like to request a brief technical assistance session to support you in considering eligibility for, or completion of, your application please contact the CAI Coordinating Center Project Manager, Josh Swift at ResilienceHIV@CAIGlobal.org.   

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Community-based and social service organizations are the backbone of the HIV response. They are often the first point of contact for individuals seeking education, testing, prevention, and treatment services, and they serve as trusted partners in addressing the complex realities of living with and preventing HIV. For decades, these organizations have been on the frontlines—building trust, reducing stigma, and ensuring equitable access to care in the communities most affected by HIV. 

We are at a critical juncture. Today, these organizations face a seismic shift that threatens to undermine the hard-fought progress achieved over the past several decades. HIV-related disparities are deepening; the epidemic is increasingly concentrated in specific communities and regions, and the need to address social determinants of health has never been more urgent. As the HIV landscape evolves—shaped by changing funding environments, workforce challenges, and widening health disparities, community-based HIV service organizations that plan strategically for resilience will be best positioned to adapt, sustain impact, and continue delivering high-quality, community-centered care. 

Recognizing this urgent need, Merck & Co., Inc. is making a vital investment in the sustainability and adaptability of HIV service organizations through a new initiative: Strengthening the Capacity and Resilience of U.S. HIV Organizations. This program will provide eligible U.S.-based nonprofit HIV organizations—particularly those serving communities in the South and who are best positioned to demonstrate impact with grants ranging from $100,000 to $150,000 for the period February 1, 2026, through January 31, 2027. This funding will enable organizations to build resilience, innovate, and lead the next phase of the HIV response, protecting hard-won gains and advancing us closer to the ultimate goal of ending the HIV epidemic. 

To support this initiative, Merck has selected a Coordinating Center, Cicatelli Associates, Inc. (CAI), to serve as both steward and capacity building partner for the HIV service organizations funded through this program to ensure that resources are distributed efficiently, that program goals are met with accountability, and that grantee organizations have plans for long-term sustainability. CAI is a nonprofit organization that partners with organizations and communities to strengthen health and social services through customized, evidence-based capacity building solutions. CAI has been at the forefront of the initial response to, and now part of efforts to end, the HIV epidemic across the U.S.  (https://caiglobal.org).

This funding opportunity is intended to provide eligible HIV service organizations with support in both taking action to foster resilience and in the development of a Strategic Sustainability Plan through:

• Organizational capacity building – institutional strengthening and leadership development to enhance organizational capacity and improve operational resiliency and effectiveness, including (but not limited to) financial and budget management, human resources planning, and data for decision making.
• Strategic planning for sustainability – development of sustainable business models, resource mobilization activities, new models of care or other areas to help organizations adapt to the changing environment and sustain positive health impact for people living with HIV.

Selected organizations will work with the Coordinating Center, their peers, expert technical assistance coaches and subject matter experts to: 

1. Assess Organizational Capacity

Complete needs and sustainability assessments, and identify specific areas for capacity building support based on organizational needs and interests. 


2. Participate in Organizational Capacity Building

Participate in ongoing capacity building, training and technical assistance regarding organizational financial and budget management, human resources planning, data for decision making, and long-term strategic planning, including: 

• Working with a dedicated Technical Assistance Coach throughout the 12-month period.
• Selecting at least one operational system for strengthening, and updating and beginning to utilize it between months 4–11. This can include fiscal/budget, data management or human resources.
• Participation in three capacity building sessions with other selected organizations in areas of priority need related to organizational development and sustainability planning. Please note, one of these sessions will take place in-person and applicants should include 3-day travel and accommodation to Atlanta, GA, for their core team in their budgets. We expect that the team identified for this initiative will include individuals (e.g. senior leadership) with authority to make strategic decisions about organizational structure, priorities, and change. 

3. Develop a Strategic Sustainability Plan

• By month 11, have a strategic sustainability plan developed that includes tasks, persons responsible, timeline, monitoring plan and cost (laid out in project management detail) – to be reviewed prior to the third convening at which the organization will present its plan to peers/other funded organizations.
• By month 12, present an actionable, written plan that will strengthen the resiliency of the organization, outlining how it will continue to deliver HIV services and secure resources for 1–3 years beyond the grant period.

4. Reporting Requirements

Grantees will enter into performance-based contracts and submit quarterly reports. The Coordinating Center will develop streamlined reporting templates to capture both process and outcome measures:

Process Measures (to track progress in achieving the milestones outlined in Section IV). Examples include:

• Development of a management team.
• Participation in face-to-face convenings.
• Completion of needs assessments and associated reports.
• Finalized sustainability plans.
• Implementation of specific activities to foster organizational resilience.

Outcome or Impact Measures: will address key domains associated with organizational resilience and sustainability and will be established collaboratively with the Coordinating Center and tailored to each organization’s unique context. Organizations will identify specific metrics related to change management in their applications and through their needs assessment activities. Examples of outcomes/impact include (but are not limited to):

• Leadership: increased self-efficacy among leaders for implementing change initiatives; establishment of structures and processes necessary for executing sustainability plans.
• Financial Systems: identification of alternative funding streams; completion of cost analyses for services provided; implementation of systems for budgeting and expenditure tracking.
• Partnerships: creation of partnerships aimed at enhancing service delivery coordination; consolidation of administrative functions, such as payroll, health insurance, and vendor agreements.
• Data Systems: establishment of data visualization and reporting tools; adoption of data collection and monitoring systems.
• Workforce: task-shifting analysis and plan which includes upskilling or reskilling of staff; implementation of staff retention strategies and tracking of related outcomes.
• Business Model: adoption of new technology to deliver service.

A final report should be submitted within 30 days of project completion, March 2, 2027, that includes:

A summary of key milestones and associated timeline for organizations selected to participate in the program is described in the table below.  

This funding opportunity is designed for HIV service organizations that, throughout 2025, have been engaged in ongoing efforts to identify and assess the impact of organizational changes, recognize emerging needs, and explore potential solutions for adapting to the evolving service landscape. The funds are intended to serve as a catalyst for implementing these adaptive strategies and for advancing the organization’s plans for long-term sustainability and resilience. By month 12, present an actionable, written plan that will strengthen the resiliency of the organization, outlining how it will continue to deliver HIV services and secure resources for 1–3 years beyond the grant period.

Organizations must meet the following criteria to be eligible for grant awards: 

• Be designated as a qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service  
• Be a social service organization or other community-based organization and not part of a health service delivery organization that provides direct clinical or medical prevention and treatment services or purchases, uses, or prescribes medicines and vaccines, or a unit of federal, state or local government 
  • Community-based organizations that assist with addressing social determinants of health and health related social needs and provide HIV prevention education, screening, intervention services, non-clinical case management, wellness groups for individuals living with HIV, housing support, and referrals to care and treatment services may qualify for funding 
• Demonstrate diverse sources of revenue, which may include: 
  • Government funding (grant and/or contract funding, CMS reimbursements for services), philanthropic and private grants, private donations, and other miscellaneous income) 

Merck’s Strengthening the Capacity and Resilience of U.S. HIV Organizations Program does not permit the use of funding for the provision of direct clinical or medical prevention and treatment services or for purchasing, using, or prescribing medicines and vaccines.  The program also does not fund units of federal, state or local government or support of legislative activities, including financial support for political candidates, lobbying, fundraising or legislative advocacy. 

Funds are intended to support participation in all organizational capacity building activities, completion of needs assessment activities, including report of needs assessment findings, resourcing specific activities to foster organizational resilience and sustainability related to leadership, financial management, partnerships, data systems, workforce, and implementation of new service models, reporting activities, and development of sustainability plans and sustainability execution plans.  

Eligible Activities (inexhaustive list): 

• Leadership training for senior staff and emerging leaders
• Organizational transition planning and change management
• Training regarding financial planning, business development, alternative revenue streams and other financial management tools
• Development of data-tracking and cost tracking tools for programmatic efficiency
• Building coalitions or strategic alliances to improve coordination of service delivery
• Develop and/or strengthen systems to evaluate service
• Workforce planning, including staff recruitment and retention strategies  

Ineligible Activities: 

• Support of legal activities, including financial support for political candidates, lobbying or legislative advocacy 
• Direct clinical or medical services (including HIV testing/screening, prevention and treatment), or other reimbursable services
• Purchase of or discounts on medications, vaccines, medical devices or biologics
• Basic or clinical research projects, including epidemiological studies, clinical trials, outcomes research or other pharmaceutical studies
• Fellowship/tuition support intended for a specific individual or institution
• Endowments, including for academic chairs
• Media products that are not an integral part of the program
• Meetings, conferences or symposia that are not integral parts of the program
• Fundraising events
• Capital or building campaigns, including new construction or renovation of facilities or health information technology installation or improvement
• Programs that directly influence or advance Merck’s business, including the purchase, utilization, prescribing, formulary position, pricing, reimbursement, referral or recommendation of or payment for its products.

Review of Applications 

We will review your application to make sure that it meets the eligibility criteria. 

All eligible applications will be reviewed by an independent review committee and scored against a standardized review criteria to ensure alignment with program objectives and equity principles. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate: 

• Experience and impact in linking people living with HIV to care and/or helping them stay in care  
• A clear and compelling need for organizational capacity building and anticipated impact of receiving this support  
• Organizational interest and capacity to benefit from technical assistance  
• A strong reputation, community trust and impact within the HIV communities the organization serves.   

Special consideration will be given to organizations in the Southern region and within U.S. states with the highest increases in new HIV infections, including Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Washington D.C., Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. However, organizations outside of these states who meet all criteria defined above will also be considered.  

A summary of how each section of the application will be scored is provided in the table below. 

Award Notices 

Selected organizations will be notified of grant award in late January 2026, via email from the CAI Coordinating Center.