Frequently Asked Questions

Most of our programs are open to adults aged 18 and older who live, work, or attend school in Hennepin County, Minnesota. No health insurance is required for any of our programs. We do not require a physician referral for general enrollment, although certain programs (such as the CDC-recognized Diabetes Prevention Program) have specific clinical eligibility criteria, including a prediabetes diagnosis with A1C between 5.7 and 6.4%, a BMI of 25 or higher, or a history of gestational diabetes. Our patient navigators can help you determine which programs are the best fit for your health needs and circumstances. We welcome participants of all racial, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds. Our programs are designed to be inclusive and culturally responsive, with materials and instruction available in 18 languages.

Our core programs, including Healthy Foundations (chronic disease prevention), Freedom from Tobacco (cessation), comprehensive health screenings, and patient navigation services, are entirely free thanks to grant funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Minnesota Department of Health Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP), and private foundations. Programs with modest fees, such as the Diabetes Prevention Program ($75), Nutrition Literacy Workshops ($40), Community Fitness ($25/month), and MBSR ($60), operate on a sliding-scale basis. Participants with household incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level qualify for full subsidies. No participant is ever turned away for inability to pay. You can use our Program Cost Estimator to explore options for your situation.

Health Promotion Project operates programming at 47 community sites across Minneapolis and the broader Hennepin County area. These include community centers (Brian Coyle, Sabathani, Harrison Neighborhood Association), faith-based organizations (Masjid An-Nur, Living Spirit United Methodist), schools (Minneapolis Public Schools partnership sites), public housing facilities, employer worksites, and our main office at 1840 Hennepin Avenue, Suite 320. For multi-session programs like Healthy Foundations or Freedom from Tobacco, participants are assigned to a specific site and cohort to ensure continuity of group dynamics and instructor relationships. However, for ongoing programs like Community Fitness and individual services like patient navigation, participants may attend at any available location. Contact us for a current schedule of sites and session times for the program you are interested in.

We currently deliver programming and provide services in 18 languages: English, Somali, Spanish, Hmong, Karen, Oromo, Amharic, Tigrinya, Arabic, Vietnamese, Lao, Khmer, Swahili, French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, and Burmese. Our approach to language access goes beyond translation. Program curricula are culturally adapted for each language community, incorporating culturally relevant examples, dietary references, health beliefs, and communication styles. Our community health workers are recruited from the communities they serve and share language, cultural context, and lived experience with participants. For languages not listed above, we coordinate with professional interpretation services to ensure equitable access. If you need services in a language not listed, please contact us and we will work to accommodate your needs.

Yes. Free on-site childcare is available during all multi-session programs (Healthy Foundations, Freedom from Tobacco, DPP, Nutrition Workshops, MBSR) at most community sites. Childcare is provided by trained volunteers and is available for children ages 6 months through 12 years. Parents must complete a brief childcare registration form at the first session. We provide age-appropriate activities, snacks, and supervision in a separate room adjacent to the program session space. In 2024, 41% of program participants utilized our childcare services, highlighting the critical importance of this support in enabling participation, particularly for parents and caregivers who would otherwise face significant barriers to attending regular program sessions.

Our free monthly screening events are walk-in, no-appointment-necessary events open to all community members regardless of insurance status. A typical screening visit takes 45 to 90 minutes and includes the following: blood pressure measurement, random blood glucose testing (finger stick), total cholesterol panel (finger stick), body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference measurement, basic vision screening, hearing screening, and a validated depression screening using the PHQ-9 questionnaire. All screenings are conducted by licensed registered nurses and trained community health workers. After your screenings, a health educator reviews your results with you, explains what the numbers mean, and provides printed educational materials. If any result falls outside the normal range, our patient navigation team will help you schedule a follow-up appointment with a clinical provider at one of our partner clinics, typically within 2 to 4 weeks. Interpretation services are available in all 18 languages we serve.

Health Promotion Project is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity. We are not a government agency, although we receive significant funding from government grant programs. Our 2024 revenue of $2.1 million came from the following sources: federal grants from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), accounting for 42% of revenue; state grants from the Minnesota Department of Health Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) and Title V Maternal and Child Health block grants, accounting for 28%; private foundation grants (Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation, Greater Twin Cities United Way, Otto Bremer Trust, Minneapolis Foundation), accounting for 18%; individual donations and annual giving campaigns, accounting for 8%; and program fees and earned revenue, accounting for 4%. Our Form 990 tax return is publicly available through GuideStar/Candid. Our EIN is 41-2847301.

Absolutely. We welcome referrals from healthcare providers, social workers, school nurses, case managers, and other community service professionals. Referrals can be made by phone at (612) 555-0147 (ask for the Intake Coordinator), by email to referrals@healthpromotionproject.org, or by fax to (612) 555-0148. When making a referral, please provide the individual's name, preferred contact method, language preference, the program or service you are recommending, and any relevant clinical information (such as A1C values for DPP referrals or current tobacco use for cessation referrals). Our Intake Coordinator will contact the referred individual within 2 business days to complete enrollment. We also provide outcome reports back to referring providers (with participant consent) at program completion to support continuity of care. For healthcare systems interested in establishing a formal referral partnership, contact our Director of Community Programs at (612) 555-0147, ext. 202.

Yes. Health Promotion Project takes the confidentiality and security of participant health information extremely seriously. Although we are not a covered entity under HIPAA (as a community-based non-profit rather than a healthcare provider), we voluntarily adhere to HIPAA-equivalent data protection standards. All participant records, including enrollment forms, biometric screening results, and program progress data, are stored in encrypted electronic systems with role-based access controls. Physical records are secured in locked filing cabinets. Staff and volunteers sign confidentiality agreements during onboarding. We never share individual participant information with employers, insurance companies, immigration authorities, or law enforcement without explicit written consent or a valid court order. Aggregate, de-identified program data is used for program evaluation and reporting to funders. For complete details, please review our Privacy Policy.

Getting started is simple. You can enroll through any of the following methods: call our main office at (612) 555-0147 during business hours (Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM; Saturday, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM); email info@healthpromotionproject.org with your name, phone number, and the program you are interested in; walk in to our Hennepin Avenue office (1840 Hennepin Avenue, Suite 320); or submit the interest form on our Get Involved page. During intake, our coordinator will confirm your eligibility, discuss your health goals, identify any barriers we can help address (transportation, childcare, language, insurance), and assign you to the most appropriate program, cohort, and location. Most programs begin new cohorts quarterly. Screening events are held monthly and require no advance registration. If you are unsure which program is right for you, we recommend taking our free Health Risk Assessment online, which will provide personalized program recommendations based on your responses.