Georgia State Physical Activity and
Nutrition Funding Opportunity
Breastfeeding
Applications are due by 11:59 PM ET on Friday, May 1, 2026.
Need support writing and/or submitting your application? Contact G-SPAN at gspanatghpc@gsu.edu by Friday, April 24, 2026.
Introduction
Breastfeeding (BF) is a key component of infant and young child nutrition and is actively promoted and supported by many state programs. According to data from 2021, nearly 80% of Georgia mothers reported ever breastfeeding or pumping after delivery. Rates decline over time, with less than half of mothers breastfeeding by eight weeks postpartum—highlighting ongoing challenges in sustained breastfeeding support. The Georgia Department of Public Health promotes breastfeeding as the preferred feeding method for the first year of life. Despite these recommendations, access to lactation education, services and supports vary, especially in rural areas, which may contribute to disparities in breastfeeding initiation and continuation.
The G-SPAN funding opportunity aims to promote and facilitate breastfeeding in Georgia by supporting breastfeeding coalitions. The framework for G-SPAN’s breastfeeding work is the Continuity of Care in Breastfeeding Support: A Blueprint for Communities.
What Can Funds Be Used For?
- Continuity of Care Breastfeeding Blueprint Strategy 2.7: Develop social marketing campaigns in collaboration with community members and coalitions to normalize human milk feeding. Focus: BF Coalition, Employers & Healthcare Settings
- Coalitions or organizations championing breastfeeding best practices will implement G-SPAN’s breastfeeding social marketing campaign
- Use G-SPAN’s Breastfeeding is a Team Effort messaging to implement a social marketing campaign in your geographic area in collaboration with community members and coalitions to normalize human milk feeding. Breastfeeding is a Team Effort messages and images will be provided free of charge to Coalitions participating in the G-SPAN initiative.
- Breastfeeding Social Marketing Campaigns should:
- Create and/or display culturally responsive chest/breastfeeding images, ideally with pictures of real families from the community, and,
- Disseminate Breastfeeding is a Team Effort educational messages in health care, worksite, and/or community settings (parks, libraries, shopping centers, stores, etc.).
- Coalitions or organizations championing breastfeeding best practices will implement G-SPAN’s breastfeeding social marketing campaign
- Continuity of Care Breastfeeding Blueprint Strategies 3.1: Use evidence-based information to co-create educational workshops and materials focused on employers/worksites focused on breastfeeding policy adoption. Focus: BF Coalitions, Worksites/employers
- Engage health systems, employers, public health, and social service organizations in educational sessions* providing evidence-based information to achieve breastfeeding policy adoption and encourage continuity of care across systems serving mothers/families.
- *Education session content is available from G-SPAN and its partners.
- Support worksites/employers to adopt a new breastfeeding policy or update an existing policy to support employees’ breastfeeding.
- Engage health systems, employers, public health, and social service organizations in educational sessions* providing evidence-based information to achieve breastfeeding policy adoption and encourage continuity of care across systems serving mothers/families.
- Continuity of Care Breastfeeding Blueprint Strategy 7.4: Breastfeeding Coalition partnership development for action planning. Focus: BF Coalitions, Public Health/WIC, Health Systems, Social Services
- Connect breastfeeding coalitions to countywide health initiatives, usually led by Local Health Departments (LHDs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to:
- Better understand overall community experience,
- Identify leveraging opportunities,
- Disseminate lactation support resources and messages, and
- Engage with other health and non-health specialties, such as community organizers, social services, emergency preparedness, housing and transportation, community designers, etc.
- Coalition will implement a local or regional breastfeeding action plan to support adoption of at least one policy, system, and/or environmental change strategy by a health system, employment setting, or community space.
- Connect breastfeeding coalitions to countywide health initiatives, usually led by Local Health Departments (LHDs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to:
What will awardees receive?
Awardees will receive:
- Up to $2,499
- Guidance from a dedicated technical advisor.
- Recognition on G-SPAN’s website and social media platforms.
- Connection to other awardees and members of G-SPAN’s network.
- All required reporting templates.