CENTRA FOUNDATION / 1920 ATHERHOLT ROAD / LYNCHBURG / VIRGINIA / 24501CENTRAFOUNDATION.COM / 434.200.4791

Community Health Initiative Fund

Funding Goals and Application Guidelines

All funding requests for projects or programs should be sent to Kathryn M. Pumphrey, Ed.D., CFRE, Executive Vice President, Centra Foundation, 1920 Atherholt Road, Lynchburg, Virginia 24501.

Grant proposals submitted for funding from the Centra Community Health Initiative Fund will be reviewed by the Centra Foundation Grants Committee twice per year. To receive consideration, proposals should be submitted by March 1.

RESTRICTIONS

As a rule, the Centra Community Health Initiative Fund will not provide funds for:

• Individuals

• Institutions or organizations which do not qualify for tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service

• Endowment campaigns

• Conference or symposium attendance

• Travel

• Athletic organizations

• Programs with a religious purpose

• Political campaigns, candidates or partisan activities

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

Proposals should be submitted in letter form and be no longer than 10 pages. Do not submit binders. Please send 22 copies of your proposal along with a completed executive summary form. Each proposal should include the following:

1. A brief description of the organization, its history and purpose.

2. Title of grant.

3. A concise description of the project or activity proposed, including the specific purpose for which the grant is requested, the health-related benefits to be provided and the needs to be met. Please describe how your project specifically relates to

community health problems and issues outlined by Centra’s Community Health Needs Assessment.

4. Names and addresses of the organization’s trustees, directors, advisors or principle staff.

5. Names and addresses of the key individuals responsible for the grant request.

6. A copy of the determination letter from the IRS that the organization is exempt from federal income tax under Section 501 (c)(3) and is not classified as a private foundation or private operating foundation as defined in Section 509 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

7. A current audited financial statement showing the major source of organizational support and endowment, if any.

8. A budget for the project that includes the total cost of the project and the specific amount requested from the Centra Foundation. State all expected itemized expenses. If applicable, please list other sources of funding available to you for the project and list any funds you have already secured for the project. State your plans for financially sustaining the project after grant funds expire.

9. Please include specific measures that will be used to evaluate how this project will improve community health.

10. A cover letter from an official of the organization stating that the board of directors of that organization has formally approved the proposed program.

11. If additional information about the proposal is needed, Centra Foundation staff will contact the applicant.

Grant guidelines, the executive summary form and the Community Health Needs Assessment can be found online at CentraFoundation.com.

GRANT PROCEDURES

The Centra Foundation administers the Centra Community Health Initiative Fund, which is funded by Centra,

a not-for-profit health system serving Lynchburg, Farmville and surrounding communities in central and southside Virginia.

The fund was established in 1997 and supports a variety of community health-related projects and programs in the region.

Based on the data from the Community Health Needs Assessment, the Centra Foundation Board of Directors identified the areas where funding decisions will be focused for the upcoming year.

In reviewing grant applications, the Centra Foundation will look favorably on initiatives that address the needs identified by our Community Health Needs Assessment. Realizing that some issues are being addressed by multiple agencies, the Centra Foundation encourages coalition building and partnerships to better leverage limited grant dollars.

The Centra Foundation will give priority to those issues that are most clearly linked to improving the region’s immediate and long-term health.

Based on the action plan priorities identified in the Community Health Needs Assessment and Implementation Plan, the Centra Foundation will consider funding programs in Lynchburg, Farmville and the surrounding region that:

• Address access to care, including primary care, adult and childhood obesity, mental healthcare and early detection for cancer and heart disease.

• Improve the health status of our region, including the expansion of health education, wellness and preventative services.

• Address health disparities, including access to prenatal care for the African-American community.

SUMMARY

Many factors contribute to the quality of life in a region and the health status of the community is a significant one. The Centra Foundation Board of Directors will continue to be an active partner in the ongoing effort to identify and address important healthcare issues affecting the people of central Virginia.

In reviewing grant applications, the Centra Foundation is looking for proposals that address the health priorities identified above, giving special emphasis to those that can document their impact on the issue by providing measurable results. An outcomes report will be required one year after a grant is awarded.

The Centra Foundation Board of Directors recognizes the ethnic, economic, cultural and geographic diversity of the community and will make funding decisions with that in mind.

Centra completed the 2013 – 2016 Community Health Needs Assessment and Implementation Plan to measure the health needs of central Virginia residents served at Centra Lynchburg General Hospital, Centra Virginia Baptist

Hospital and Centra Southside Community Hospital. The Centra Foundation provided funding for the detailed report, which identifies the health needs and priorities for the communities served by Centra. The assessment includes the 182,146 people living in the greater Lynchburg community, including the city of Lynchburg and Bedford, Campbell, Amherst, Appomattox, and Nelson counties.

In addition, Centra studied the health needs of the region surrounding Centra Southside Community Hospital, which serves Prince Edward, Buckingham, Lunenburg, Cumberland, Charlotte and Nottoway counties. The region has a population of 92,106. The cumulative report offers a statistically reliable snapshot of the community’s health and provides a wealth of information to guide the Centra Foundation in its grant funding efforts.

Many factors combine to influence the health of individuals and communities, and the Centra Foundation understands it is impossible to explore every facet through a single questionnaire, phone survey or focus group.

The needs assessment looked closely at issues considered most clearly linked to the region’s immediate and long-term health. This benchmark data is valuable to others looking at the needs of the people they serve and will spark inquiries leading to innovative solutions to community health needs through partnerships and collaborative efforts. (This data is available at CentraHealth.com.)

The Community Health Needs Assessment Community Advisory Board included over 40 key leaders representing education, business, social service agencies, faith-based organizations, government, regional public health authority, colleges, healthcare providers, and neighborhood citizen groups. Significant findings from the Community Health Needs Assessment include:

• Central Virginia ranks in the 30th to 50th percentiles in general health.

• Cancer, heart disease and suicide have higher than expected rates.

• Underlying risk factors include obesity, physical inactivity, smoking and mental stress.

• Health disparities include low birth weight babies, infant mortality and access to prenatal care.

• Appomattox, Amherst and Campbell counties need increased access to primary care.

FUNDING GOALS

The Centra Foundation is committed to being an active partner in identifying and addressing important

healthcare issues affecting residents of central Virginia.

COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT