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.

Opportunities For Rural Communities

A Guide to Working with Rural Philanthropy offers strategies rural organizations can use to build and sustain partnerships with philanthropies. For additional options to support a rural project, the Funding & Opportunities section of the Online Library lists grants, scholarships, technical assistance, and more.

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

Georgia Health Initiative's CDFI Investments RHPP Partner
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.

Healthy Places NC RHPP Partner
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.

MoCAP RHPP Partner
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

Health Equity in Rural America, Part 2: The Two Georgias Initiative RHPP Partner
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

Philanthropy, Cross-Collaboration, and the Ecosystem That Is Rural Healthcare Delivery: Q&A with Dr. Shao-Chee Sim RHPP Partner
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.

Montana Healthcare Foundation: Leveraging Funds, Providing Technical Assistance, and Supporting Public Health RHPP Partner
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.

Maine Health Access Foundation: Reaching Out to Organizations to Provide Directed Grants RHPP Partner
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.

Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation: Taking a Leadership Role and Building Trust RHPP Partner
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.

Con Alma Health Foundation: Health Equity and COVID Relief RHPP Partner
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.

CDFIs ‘Make Dreams Come True’ by Creating Opportunity in Rural Spaces RHPP Partner
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.

Bringing Change for Rural COPD Patients: Possibilities with the COPD National Action Plan RHPP Partner
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.

Innovating Mental Healthcare in Texas and Beyond: Q&A with Dr. Octavio Martinez RHPP Partner
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.

Rural Health Philanthropy Partnership: Leveraging Public-Private Funds to Improve Health RHPP Partner
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.

Colorado Health Foundation Makes Rural Communities a Priority: Q&A with Karen McNeil-Miller RHPP Partner
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.

Foundation’s Place-Based Initiative Focuses on Community Needs RHPP Partner
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

Addressing the Burden of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in Rural America from the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services RHPP Partner
Grace Anne Dorney Koppel, President of the Dorney-Koppel Foundation, was one of the speakers on this March 2019 COPD webinar.