Rural Health Philanthropy
Philanthropic organizations nationwide are engaged in helping improve population health and healthcare in rural communities. They have developed innovative and successful approaches to connect with rural communities and target resources effectively. The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP), as one of the conveners of the Rural Health Public-Private Partnership, is working with RHIhub to highlight the innovative work foundations and trusts are funding in rural areas. These feature stories and case studies capture some of the work that is underway and the people that are making things happen.
Rural Health Philanthropy: An Incubator for New Solutions
In this brief video, representatives of philanthropic organizations discuss the importance of supporting rural communities and how rural projects can help funders discover innovative solutions:
Philanthropic Rural Health Models & Innovations
As the only statewide private foundation in Georgia with the sole focus of improving health, Georgia Health Initiative (formerly the Healthcare Georgia Foundation) supports Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) that in turn provide low-interest loans and other support to rural healthcare efforts.
A Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust initiative that provides up to $100 million over 10 years for 10-12 rural North Carolina counties to improve residents' health.
The Missouri Foundation for Health helps rural organizations secure funding to improve health outcomes via free grant writing services, technical assistance, and a mailing list of funding opportunities.
Exploring Rural Health Podcast Features
February 7, 2023
Lisa Medellin, Director of Programs for the Healthcare Georgia Foundation (now the Georgia Health Initiative), shares the origins of Healthcare Georgia's Two Georgias Initiative (TGI). She is joined by Arlene Parker Goldson, who details the Partnership for Southern Equity's efforts to assist TGI on a regional level, and Tara Gardner, who shares her experiences with the TGI coalition in Clay County, Georgia.
Rural Monitor Features
September 21, 2022
Shao-Chee Sim, PhD, vice president for research, innovation, and evaluation for the Texas-based Episcopal Health Foundation, shares how philanthropic organizations can support community engagement, make research investments, and leverage cross-funder collaboration to impact the rural healthcare delivery system.
February 3, 2021
Aaron Wernham and Scott Malloy of the Montana Healthcare Foundation share how their foundation responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by providing technical assistance, organizing webinars to clarify emergency declaration orders, and creating a grant application assistance initiative.
January 27, 2021
Barbara Leonard and Ruta Kadonoff of the Maine Health Access Foundation (MeHAF) discuss how their foundation provided unrestricted COVID-19 grants and open competitive grants and partnered with other philanthropies pooling together COVID-19 response funds.
January 20, 2021
Kim Barber Tieman, program director for health and human services for the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, shares how her foundation set up a COVID-19 grant capture team and funded grant writers to help organizations navigate and apply for federal funding opportunities. In addition, her foundation worked with organizations and funded three mobile COVID testing units to better reach communities of color.
January 13, 2021
Dolores E. Roybal, executive director of Con Alma Health Foundation, discusses how her foundation partnered with other funders to provide almost $2 million in grants and created an advisory committee of immigrant-led, immigrant-serving organizations to address barriers limiting access to services.
December 4, 2019
Explains how foundations like the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and Healthcare Georgia Foundation are supporting Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to offer flexible financing options for rural health projects.
August 9, 2017
Highlights the COPD Foundation and its work raising awareness of and driving change to address chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in rural areas.
June 14, 2017
Dr. Octavio Martinez discusses the work of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health to improve the mental health care system in Texas.
May 31, 2017
The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and philanthropy organizations worked together to create a unique funding opportunity, the Rural Health Care Coordination Network Partnership Program. Features two health care organizations and their philanthropy partners describing their coordinated efforts.
February 8, 2017
The Colorado Health Foundation is increasing its focus on the health of rural communities and the importance of listening to and collaborating with the communities in that endeavor.
November 10, 2015
The Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust engages local residents and organizations to improve health outcomes through place-based grants targeted at financially disadvantaged counties.
Webinars Featuring Philanthropies
Grace Anne Dorney Koppel, President of the Dorney-Koppel Foundation, was one of the speakers on this March 2019 COPD webinar.