Community Benefit Fund

Joe and Mary Wilson Community Benefit Fund of Mary Washington Hospital
and Stafford Hospital Community Benefit Fund

Concept Paper Guidelines & Application

Introduction

Mary Washington Hospital (MWH) and Stafford Hospital (SH) Foundation, through the Joe and Mary Wilson Community Benefit Fund of MWH and the SH Community Benefit Fund, continue our commitment to the community through Responsive Grant Making (Community-driven) and Initiated Grant Making (Foundation-driven).

Our grants program has evolved over the years, with many improvements made along the way. Among the improvements have been aligning our grants with the results of our Mary Washington Healthcare’s (MWHC) Community Health Assessments (CHA) which are conducted every three years, the Social Determinants of Health, and other MWHC strategic initiatives

For the 2023–2025 period, we recently conducted our CHA (formerly CHNA) for the first time in partnership with the Rappahannock Area Health District (RAHD) which created great synergies and avoided duplication of efforts in our community. The CHA has identified local health needs with the feedback and active engagement of the residents of the community. A Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) has been developed from the assessment in conjunction with community stakeholders to address priority areas of focus for the next three years.

The results of the CHIP, CHA, and the Social Determinants of Health will be the main priorities for grant fundings for the 2024 grant cycle. At least 80% of all grants awarded will be for community-driven Responsive Grant Making that address these priorities and factors. In addition, awards for Foundation-driven Initiated Grant Making that may address other MWHC strategic priorities may account for the remainder of the funding.

Responsive Grant Making Areas of Focus for 2025 Grant Cycle

The top three priorities and areas of focus which have been identified in the CHIP for which grants may be awarded are as follows (in alphabetical order):

1. Access to Healthcare (including enhanced collaboration among community partners, enhanced public transportation, improved access to behavioral health services for community members, and development of the local healthcare workforce.)
2. Affordable Housing (including development and promotion of policies that ensure equitable housing opportunities for all, including the homeless, and the provision of affordable home ownership opportunities.)
3. Mental Health (including Improved access and collaboration for preventive services for all community members, and development of a comprehensive pipeline strategy to increase the local healthcare workforce.)

The CHA also identified five additional community healthcare needs for which grants may also be awarded:

1. Chronic Diseases (including heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, and cancer)
2. Education (including PreK–12 and post-secondary schooling and training)
3. Infant and maternal health outcomes in the African American community (including strategies to reduce inequities and disparities)
4. Obesity (including the causes, treatment, and impact on overall health)
5. Substance abuse (including causes, addiction and impact of opioid and alcohol abuse)

Social Determinants of Health are conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Collectively these factors can determine as much as 80% of health outcomes.

The Social Determinants of Health for which grants may be funded are as follows:

• Economic Stability (including access to jobs, food insecurity, reduction of poverty).
• Education Access and Quality (including literacy, and language services).
• Healthcare Access and Quality (including availability of primary healthcare, reduction of health inequities).
• Neighborhood and Built Environment (including availability of quality housing water quality, transportation, and safety),
• Social and Community Context (including social contact and isolation).

Initiated Grant Making

The MWH and SH Foundations collaborate, partner, or strategically align resources with others sharing Mary Washington Healthcare’s commitment to improving health and healthcare in the community. Periodically, the Foundations may initiate partner collaborations to engage the broader community and develop opportunities for investing in community initiatives, including those that may address an unexpected community need. For example, with the advent of the unexpected and unplanned pandemic, our Foundations awarded grants mid-cycle in 2020 to partnering nonprofit organizations for needs resulting from the pandemic.

By researching and designing programs shaped around specific interventions, the Foundations hope to “move the needle” in collaboration with appropriate partners. Initiated Grant Making would be announced by either Foundation, at any time, through special communications.

Application Submission Process for Responsive Grant Awards

A proposal should be well beyond the conceptual stage, and have a clear plan, timeline, and budget in advance of submitting an application. There should be defined benefits or outcomes and a description of whom in your community may be supporting the proposal. Community participation is a primary factor in a proposal being ready. We like to see that fundraising is significantly underway with your traditional supporters, local businesses, key donors, and other foundations.

The need for the program should be clearly documented using research that is applicable to the target population and geographic area being served. You should be able to communicate the need for the program based on thorough research as opposed to anecdotal evidence. To help you accomplish this, Mary Washington Healthcare has made available a web-based tool entitled “Community Health Information Resource” (CHIR). The CHIR tool has been created to assist community organizations in collecting relevant information on health issues and developing concrete actions to improve targeted areas of interest. The data provided by the tool is segmented by locality and is in real (current) time as it is updated as soon as the source for the information is available.

Your ability to link program objectives and outcome measures to indicators listed on the “Community Health Information Resource” webpage on the MWHC website may help you develop a stronger case for funding and will be considered during review of your proposal. An emphasis will be placed on funding organizations that offer relevant evidence-based practice strategies.

When possible, applicants are encouraged to form partnerships with other community organizations and entities of Mary Washington Healthcare, engaging others in the planning and implementation of proposed programs. In this way, existing resources are better utilized, information sharing is encouraged, and duplication of services is minimized.

Initial Application – The Concept Paper

All applicants are required to submit a signed online Concept Paper application highlighting the purpose and objectives of the program. Concept Papers must be submitted by the due date Friday, August 9, 2024, by 5:00 p.m. Papers received after the due date will not be considered.

Applicants must complete each section of the application fully, describing well-defined services and/or programs that are consistent with the mission of Mary Washington Hospital, Stafford Hospital, and the funding priorities of Mary Washington Healthcare. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Applications will be processed upon receipt and all applicants will be notified via electronic mail regarding the final determination by August 14, 2024.

Upon approval, organizations will be provided with further instructions for accessing the Large Grant Applications. All agencies invited to submit a Large Grant Application must attend a mandatory grant application course which will be held on August 20, 2024. Further instructions and dates will be shared with the agencies by August 21, 2024. Agencies invited to apply for a Large Grant Applications are not guaranteed to be approved for an award as all requests will be reviewed through a competitive process to determine if we will fund the project. Programs may also be funded for amounts less than that which was requested in the application.

Applications for the Concept Paper are now closed.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the MWHC Grant and Community Benefit Funds Manager at 540.741.1433.