Community Enrollers Academy: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
Application Deadline — January 8, 2027 (5 p.m. PST)
CalOptima Health’s mission is to serve member health with excellence and dignity, respecting the value and needs of each person. To support continuous Medi-Cal coverage and reduce health inequities, CalOptima Health is launching the Community Enrollers Academy to expand community-based capacity for outreach, education, enrollment and renewal assistance across Orange County.
As Medi-Cal eligibility requirements evolve and the need for trusted, community-based support increases, CalOptima Health is strengthening its outreach strategy by investing in organizations that are well-positioned to assist members where they live, gather and seek services. The Community Enrollers Academy will equip selected organizations with the training and tools needed to help Orange County residents navigate enrollment and renewal processes and remain connected to care.
For this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), CalOptima Health is seeking proposals from community-based organizations that have established relationships with CalOptima Health members and provide trusted services within their communities but have limited or no prior experience conducting Medi-Cal enrollment work. Through the Community Enrollers Academy, selected organizations will receive training and support to add Medi-Cal enrollment and renewal assistance to their existing services and better support members in maintaining health coverage.
CalOptima Health is committed to the following:
CalOptima Health has committed $2 million to this funding opportunity and will award up to 10 grants of $200,000 each. The 24‑month grant period includes a three‑month Community Enrollers Academy, followed by up to 21 months of community enrollment activities. The Academy consists of approximately 18 hours of facilitated in-person training that designated program staff must complete within the first three months of the grant period, at times and dates determined by CalOptima Health and the Academy’s contracted facilitator.
Each awarded applicant must request a total of $200,000, structured as $100,000 per year over the 24‑month grant period. Proposed budgets must clearly allocate costs across both grant years and align with the scope of work, staffing plans and required service metrics. This funding opportunity is designed to support organizations with little to no prior experience conducting community enrollment work, but with a documented connection to CalOptima Health members and demonstrated community trust.
To facilitate the submission of competitive proposals, CalOptima Health will open a grant application portal for eligible applicant organizations from December 1, 2026, at 9 a.m. through January 8, 2027, at 5 p.m. PST. The application portal link is: https://bit.ly/academynofo.
Strong applicants will generally:
Organizations applying for these funds are required to provide a program implementation plan outlining how they will use grant funds to engage the target populations and meet the minimum service thresholds provided below.
Awarded applicants must meet or exceed the following minimum service metrics:
This funding opportunity is designed to expand community enrollment capacity among organizations that have established relationships with CalOptima Health members. Applicants must clearly describe the populations they currently serve and demonstrate how those populations intersect with CalOptima Health's membership.
Applicants should discuss the depth and breadth of services they provide, the communities and member populations they regularly engage, and the trusted relationships they have developed through their work. CalOptima Health is particularly interested in organizations that serve CalOptima Health members who may be at increased risk of losing coverage due to missing enrollment or renewal requirements. Applicants should describe the member populations they serve, the barriers those populations face, and how their existing services and trusted relationships position them to successfully support enrollment and renewal activities.
CalOptima Health may support awarded organizations by sharing information regarding members who are due for renewal and may be at risk of losing coverage. Organizations that access protected member information must be prepared to execute a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) and comply with all applicable Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements.
Grant requests must total $200,000 for the full 24-month grant period. Applicants must structure their proposed budgets so the total amount is evenly distributed across the two years of the grant, with $100,000 allocated to Year 1 and $100,000 to Year 2. Budgets must align with the proposed objectives, staffing plan and service metrics and must reflect the capacity needed to successfully participate in the Community Enrollers Academy and implement the subsequent enrollment activities.
Grant funds will be issued in four installments over the 24-month period. The first payment will be released upon successful completion of the three-month Community Enrollers Academy, with subsequent payments tied to timely reporting, progress on service metrics and continued compliance with the grant terms. Complete payment terms will be provided in the grant agreement.
Allowable expenses include, but are not limited to:
Unallowable expenses include, but are not limited to:
Additional budget guidance will be provided in the application portal.
| Grant Request Limits | Total Amount Available | Minimum Number of Awards |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum award per applicant: $200,000 (24‑month period; $100,000 per year) | $2 million | 10 |
This funding opportunity is intended for community-based organizations that currently serve CalOptima Health members and have established trust within the communities they support. Eligible applicants must meet the following requirements:
| Criterion | Points | Description |
|---|---|---|
| CalOptima Health Mission and Value Alignment | 10 | The proposal reflects a commitment to health equity and demonstrates a trauma-informed, inclusive, and person-centered approach to supporting CalOptima Health members. The applicant demonstrates how its programs and services uphold the dignity and respect of every individual, recognizes and responds to the unique needs and barriers faced by the populations served, and describes how the proposed approach will help members access, maintain, and navigate health coverage with confidence and support. |
| Member Connectedness & Community Trust | 20 | Applicant demonstrates a strong and documented connection to CalOptima Health members through existing services, trusted relationships, partnerships, and community engagement. Applicant clearly describes the member populations served, their specific needs and barriers, and how the organization is well-positioned to support enrollment and renewal activities. |
| Community Enrollment Integration Strategy and Sustainability | 20 | Applicant clearly explains how enrollment and renewal assistance will be integrated into existing services, programs, and community relationships and will continue beyond the life of the grant. The proposal demonstrates how enrollment support will complement current activities and create additional value for CalOptima Health members. |
| Program Implementation | 20 | Applicant presents a realistic plan for successfully completing the Community Enrollers Academy and implementing community enrollment activities. The proposal includes specific objectives, feasible activities, staffing plans, and measurable outcomes that support required enrollment, outreach, and community engagement metrics. |
| Readiness | 10 | Applicant demonstrates readiness to dedicate staff to the Community Enrollers Academy, successfully complete the required training, and translate that training into enrollment and renewal activities that complement existing services. |
| Capacity of Applicant | 10 | Applicant demonstrates the financial, operational, and management capacity necessary to successfully complete Academy training and implement community enrollment activities. Capacity is evidenced through organizational experience, staffing structure, required attachments, and financial stability. |
| Evaluation Plan | 10 | Applicant presents a feasible plan for tracking, measuring, and reporting required program outcomes, including outreach activities, unduplicated individuals served, enrollment completions, and overall program effectiveness. |
| 100 | Total Points | |
Beginning December 1, 2026, organizations interested in applying for Community Enrollers Academy grant funds can begin their applications at the following link: https://bit.ly/academynofo.
| Action | Date |
|---|---|
| Application Released/Portal Opens | December 1, 2026 |
| NOFO Bidder's Conference | December 10, 2026 |
| Application Deadline | January 8, 2027 |
| Internal Review | January 2027 |
| Decisions Presented to CalOptima Health Board of Directors for Approval | March 4, 2027 |
| Announcement of Approved Grants | March 5, 2027 |
| Execute Grant Agreements | April 1, 2027 |
Join our Bidder’s Conference for this funding opportunity on December 10, 2026, at 11 a.m. PST. Register for the Bidder's Conference.
Questions about the funding opportunity or the application? Contact the Grant Management department
at communitygrants@caloptima.org.