31 Oct Groups invited to apply for new grants aimed at improving health
A new community partnership and grant program will infuse $90,000 into the community to support the health and well-being of Reno County residents over the next three years.
Community Health Improvement Grants are funded through a partnership between Hutchinson Community Foundation, Hutchinson Regional Medical Foundation and United Way of Reno County to help Reno County communities and partners make progress on the goals outlined in the 2023 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP).
“United Way believes that to truly make an impact in a community, we can’t do it alone. We need partners who share our common goal of improving health for all in Reno County. The CHIP gives us clarity on what is important to our residents and through this community partnership, we will be generating collective interest and action to help build a culture of health within Reno County,” said Lisa Gleason, United Way of Reno County executive director.
The CHIP is based on the Community Health Assessment, a survey taken every three years to gauge the health of Reno County and identify emerging issues. From the survey data, Reno County’s Healthcare Access Taskforce then does further community engagement to determine the priority areas for the improvement plan. The current priority areas are substance misuse, mental health, access to care, and childcare. The assessment and improvement plan may be viewed here: tinyurl.com/2stwda5v.
“Since its establishment the Hutchinson Regional Medical Foundation was created to fund and be a resource for our healthcare system to enhance the quality of life for residents. Many of our system initiatives have been implemented from the Community Health Improvement Plan, so it is easy to say this plan drives areas the Foundation focuses its support,” said Jessica Flax, Hutchinson Regional Medical Foundation director. “We believe when we are working on goals for improvement that can impact our entire community, much more is accomplished when working collectively and collaboratively with other organizations and the CHIP supports that philosophy.”
Each organization will contribute $10,000 annually through 2025 to fund the yearly competitive grant program. Awards are expected to typically range from $1,000 to $10,000 for single-year or multi-year funding. Proposals will be reviewed and awarded by a joint selection committee of board members from the three funding partners.
Proposals should support the priority areas of the 2023 CHIP and should be submitted to the community foundation’s online grant management portal. Any 501(c)(3) organization or special purpose unit of government may apply. Community groups who do not have a 501(c)(3) may apply for the grant using a fiscal sponsor.
The submission deadline is Dec. 1, 2023. For grant guidelines and to submit a proposal, visit tinyurl.com/yc4ejra7.
“We hope this grant cycle further catalyzes collaboration and progress in these four priority areas, which represent significant adaptive challenges for Reno County,” said Kari Mailloux, Hutchinson Community Foundation director of strategic initiatives. “We know there are many people and organizations who are passionate about these issues, and the CHIP outlines some ambitious—but doable—goals that are possible to achieve if we all work together.”