The applicant:

• Applicants should be nonprofit organizations with 501(c)3 tax-exempt status, or groups fiscally sponsored by a nonprofit organization

• Applicants should demonstrate financial health and ongoing sustainability

• Applicants should document that access to their services comply with state and federal laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender identity/sexual orientation, religious beliefs, disability, or veteran status

The project or program:

Whatcom County focused: Grants will be awarded to organizations for programs and projects that benefit the people and communities of Whatcom County. Preference will be given to non-profit organizations that are based in and operate within Whatcom County.

Addresses a documented community health need: The project for which the grant is requested must address a documented community health need, not an organizational need. Proposals that utilize, source, cite, or otherwise demonstrate use of local community health data to explain the need being addressed will be prioritized.

Collaboration with other organizations: Applicants should actively collaborate with other organizations to address unmet needs and be committed to not duplicating services. A thoughtful and well-planned approach to addressing a defined need will include demonstrated evidence of collaboration and partnership with other community organizations, or a unique ability to address the need.

Community voice informed: We believe that engaging the voice and input of the communities to be served and other stakeholders is important in the program development and the ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of proposed services. Applicants should include documentation of initial and sustainable stakeholder/community input and highlight how this input is being utilized in their work.

Addresses a health disparity and advances healthy equity: Healthy People 2020 defines health equity as "attainment of the highest level of health for all people. It requires continuous efforts focused on elimination of health disparities, including disparities in health care and in the living and working conditions that influence health.” We seek to support projects that promote health equity for all people in Whatcom County, consistent with findings and initiatives identified in the 2022 Community Health Improvement Plan and other community assessment efforts. Proposals should demonstrate how the project contributes to reducing health disparities or improving health outcomes health and/or resource access to historically marginalized groups Grant proposals addressing health needs in Whatcom County’s rural areas, communities of color, or from groups/organizations led by people of color or from other historically marginalized identities will be prioritized.

Return on investment: The foundation will consider the programmatic, financial and overall community return on investment provided by the grant on the short and long term.

Proposal scope: Requests can support capital or program-related expenses, and typically range between $5,000 and $25,000. Projects which have been completed are not typically eligible for funding.

Strategic Impact Grants

It is our goal to allocate up to 50% of annual grant funding to support projects aligned with our strategic priorities. Each year, the CHF Board establishes strategic areas of focus and will encourage and invite nonprofit partners to submit proposals for consideration. Organizations submitting grants within one of the strategic impact areas may be asked to refine the grant request in collaboration with other organizations and with a more targeted focus on the desired results.

Current Strategic Impact focus areas:

• Work aligned with the Aging Well Whatcom Blueprint

• Work addressing youth mental health

Approved projects or initiatives will be asked to provide quarterly or bi-annual progress reports to the Foundation, depending on the scope of the project. A final report will also be requested. Outcomes and deliverables will be mutually agreed upon and at times developed in partnership. As such, proposals that address the following will be prioritized:

• Ability to measure progress according to key community-based metrics mutually agreed upon to demonstrate progress toward proposed outcomes.

• Willingness to participate with others in collecting and sharing data to determine if the overall health metrics for our community are being achieved.

• Willingness to collect and share with the larger community the stories of the people who are impacted by these projects, and how their health, the health of their families and their future has been changed.

• Willingness to collect and share with the larger community the stories on what is working and what is not; when it works and when it does not; how it works and how it does not.

STEP #1: Letter of Inquiry

If your organization is interested in applying for a grant, please send a letter of inquiry (LOI) outlining the basic proposal (one page) to Info@ChuckanutHealthFoundation.org. The Executive Director will review the LOI and will respond with further guidance. If there is mutual interest in pursuing the proposal, completion of a formal grant request will be recommended.

STEP #2: Providing a full application

The Open Grant-Round application deadline is October 1st of each year. Submissions need to include all the information required in the application format, address the review criteria and provide all supporting documentation by the grant deadline.

STEP #3: The Review Process

Grant applications are reviewed and prioritized by the Chuckanut Health Foundation Strategy & Grants Committee which is made up of Board members and community representatives. The initial review is conducted within 30 days of receipt of your application. After the initial review, you may be contacted for additional information. Applicants who have been screened out for further consideration will be notified within 60 days of receipt of the application.