**Forthcoming in Progress in Community Health Partnerships (PCHP) 20.1. All rights reserved.**
ABSTRACT:
Background: The Be ActiveWV Grant Program aims to increase equitable access to physical activity throughout the state of West Virginia using mini-grants awarded to community-based organizations. Although health equity is a priority in this program, and questions have been added to the application to convey this focus, consideration for health equity is noticeably absent in mini-grant applications and evaluation reports. Thus, more research is needed to understand how to bolster the health equity initiatives in the Be ActiveWV Grant Program.
Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to overview lessons learned from community partners and to recommend specific strategies to enhance academic-community partnerships and the mini-grant process in service of health equity.
Methods: Online surveys and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 former mini-grant applicants. The lessons learned presented in this paper are a reflection of process notes, data analysis notes, thematic analysis, and conversations among WVU researchers.
Lessons Learned: The five lessons learned include (1) build capacity early; (2) facilitate connections; (3) collaborate with communities to develop and disseminate project-related resources; (4) support project promotion; and (5) interact with intention. Rationale is provided for each of the lessons presented, as well as suggestions for how researchers and practitioners might translate these lessons into actionable items