My father smoked and I think that’s the reason I never did. I was the child who sat behind him in the car and the ashes that were flicked out his window always seemed to come back in mine and land all over me. Not fun. Gratefully, my father was strong enough to put down the cigarettes and quit many years ago. But quitting any habit like smoking is never easy so I want to share an RFP today that may help.

Today’s pick: The Prevention Minnesota program of Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Minnesota would like to fund one organization to elevate tobacco prevention in the Latino community. The Latino community was identified as one of the priority populations by BCBS due to factors such a preponderance of tobacco advertising aimed at them and a lower cancer survival rate compared to white populations.

The goal of this grant is to help a Minnesota-based organization become a leader in the prevention of smoking and promotion of health by increasing their capacity to engage in statewide prevention efforts targeted to Latino communities.

An Intent to Apply notice must be received by November 15th, 2007. Full proposals need to be postmarked by December 13, 2007. Non-profits, for-profits and partnerships are eligible to apply. Award maximum is $300,000 per year with a potential of up to two renewal years. For complete details see the Priority Populations Interventions: Latino Communities RFP #585.