• Only 501(c) 3 organizations are eligible for grants from the Partnership.
• No grants are made to individuals.
• Additionally, school districts are eligible to apply for mini-grants of up to $5,000.
• Organizations must provide services that benefit residents of our specific geographic area. The partnership region includes all of Perry County, Western and Central Cumberland County, Northern Adams County and Greater Shippensburg.

Grants can not be used for:

• Endowment drives
• Annual fund drives or loans
• Advertising in yearbooks or programs
• Electoral activities
• Individual scholarships, internships or awards
• Retroactive expenses or projects
• “Athons” or other similar sponsorships
• More than 25% of an agency’s annual operating budget
• Athletic, recreational or alumni activities
• Operating deficits
• Individual medical bills
• Capital expenditures in excess of $50,000 for program-related needs
• Any portion of fees to a national or state association

The Partnership for Better Health is particularly interested in projects that improve the health of individuals and communities by focusing on social determinants of health and health equity. The foundation seeks partners with the capacity to address them through their work.

• Social determinants of health are the structural factors and conditions that affect everyone’s health. People’s homes, schools, jobs and neighborhoods significantly influence health outcomes. Social determinants of health include socioeconomic status, the environment, neighborhood safety, social support networks, and access to resources to meet daily needs, such as safe housing and healthy foods. Where people live, learn, work and play significantly affects health. Recognizing that place matters, the Partnership seeks to create strong social and physical environments that promote health for all.
• Health equity means ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to attain their highest level of health. Health disparities arise as a result of differences in race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, income, education, disability and geographic region. By addressing inequities created within society’s different systems and environments, our goal is to ensure that everyone has the chance to live a healthy life.

For every endeavor that the Partnership for Better Health undertakes, we will seek to learn:

• How will this effort address structural determinants and conditions that affect the health of people whose life circumstances make them vulnerable to poor health?
• How will this effort advance health equity and address barriers that create inequities in systems and in society?

In addition to our core funding priorities, the Partnership for Better Health develops Requests for Applications to incentivize work in strategic focus areas. Learn more about our current and recent Requests for Applications, below:

Current Requests for Applications

• There are no current Requests for Applications.

   Recent Requests for Applications

• Health Justice
  Due: May 26, 2023
  Grants of $25,000 - $50,000

• Seeking Strategic Partners in Policy Advocacy
  Due: February 1, 2023
  One year grants of $10,000 - $75,000
• UBUNTU | Collaborative Partnerships to Advance Health Equity
  Due: February 2, 2023
  Up to 4 awards, with awards of up to $15,000 each
• Achieving Comprehensive School Mental Health Systems in South Central PA
  Due: February 28, 2022
  Up to 5 awards, with average award estimates of $50,000 each
• Spark of Change | Counter-Narratives | Health Equity Grants
  Due: March 3, 2022
  Up to 10 awards, with awards of up to $5,000 each

Priority will be given to organizations and projects that demonstrate a commitment to the following types of strategies:

Applications must address as many of these priorities as possible.

• Addressing social determinants of health
• Advancing health equity by addressing systems and conditions that create inequities
• Evidence-based strategies and best practices (strategies with strong research documenting their effectiveness in creating positive health outcomes)
• Collaborative partnerships
• Systems change solutions (systemic strategies that are designed to improve all aspects of how a set of organizations, institutions or system works)
• Policy advocacy
• Diversity and inclusion (consider especially the inclusion of people with lived experience in the planning process—these are people with firsthand experience of health challenges and inequities)
• Demonstrated track records of success
• Innovative, forward-thinking strategies
• A plan for future sustainability or conclusion upon completing core goals

Service Area

Northern Adams County Zips

17303, 17304, 17306, 17307, 17316, 17324, 17337, 17372,

Cumberland County Zips

17007, 17013, 17015, 17065, 17081, 17240, 17241, 17257, 17266, 17324

Perry County Zips

17006, 17020, 17024, 17037, 17040, 17045, 17047, 17053, 17062, 17068, 17069, 17071, 17074 , 17090

All grants will be made through one of four funding categories:

1. Healthy Communities Fund

Goal: Fund organizations and projects that support decisions, conditions, policies and systems that enable people to live healthier lives in their schools, workplaces, homes and neighborhoods.

• Foster system changes: System changes may be made to improve how interconnecting relationships, policies, processes, knowledge, norms and power structures work within a given community, sector or institution, as they relate to an important and often complex social issue.
• Preference will be given to organizations working collaboratively to create change (as opposed to delivering direct services and individual programs).

Grant size: For our December 1, 2023 deadline, grants of up to $10,000 a year are available and open to new requests; Projects focusing on the following issues are especially encouraged:

• Ensure voices of underserved people are represented
• Enable older adults to age in place
• Family economic security
• Integrated trail systems
• Recreational opportunities for under-served communities
• Affordable housing
• Access to healthy foods
• Violence prevention strategies

2. Access For All Fund

Goal: Ensure equitable access to health services by supporting direct services and capacity building.
Grant Size: For our December 1, 2023 deadline, grants of up to $10,000 a year are available and open to new requests; Projects focusing on the following issues are especially encouraged:

• Medical, dental & behavioral health services
• Health insurance outreach and enrollment
• Improving cultural competence among service providers
• Language translation and interpretation services that increase access to health
• Training for frontline staff serving the Medicaid population
• Program evaluation & meaningful data collection to assess health outcomes and inform continuous program improvements

3. Strengthening Health Capacities Fund

Goal: Build the ability of organizations and collaborative partners to engage in comprehensive strategies that improve health (particularly in non-traditional health settings like schools, workplaces, agencies and in collaborations).
Grant size: For our December 1, 2023 deadline, grants of up to $10,000 a year are available and open to new requests; Projects focusing on the following issues are especially encouraged:

• Promote the integration of behavioral health and primary care
• Build the capacity of social service providers to adopt trauma-informed care
• Educate people in non-medical professions to integrate a health lens in their work, such as teachers’ abilities to address mental health issues with students
• Broadly: Mobilize coalitions and collective impact strategies to address shared health goals and outcomes, related to the health framework

4. Mini-Grants

Criteria: Grants should fit within Partnership’s Broad Health Framework
Grant size: For our December 1, 2023 deadline, $1,000 to $5,000 a year are available, with the possibility of 2-year renewals (maximum = 3 years). Examples include:

• Distinct programs in schools or the community
• Meeting or training expenses
• Responses to a community health emergency

These are the deadline dates for all grant funds (to include mini-grants):

• Apply December 1                        Decision by February 15
• Apply March 1                              Decision by June 15

Foundation Initiatives & RFP/RFAs  - Flexible Review Periods

The Partnership for Better Health accepts all applications online. The electronic system is used for all stages of the grant making process, including full applications and grant reports. Please read all of the tips below before applying for the first time, and note there is a different application process for NEW versus RENEWAL applications.

• Applications for New Projects (Up to $10,000 for December 2023 deadline)
  • Determine if your organization and the project you are proposing meet our general eligibility requirements.
  • Visit our online grants management system
    • If you’ve never used our system before, select “Create New Account.”
    • If you are a returning grantee, supply your email address and password to access the system. Review your contact information and select "Apply Now."
  • Select the NEW grant application process and proceed.
• Applications for Renewing Projects (staff will communicate with eligible grantees prior to August 1 and December 1 deadlines)

Our electronic grants management system will prompt you through the application process, but below is a general outline of required information.

• Applicant Name
• Project Name
• Amount Requested
• Geographic Area
• Focus Area
• Executive Summary
• Organization Information
• Purpose for the Project
• Evaluation Plan
• Budget Narrative
•  Attachments:
  • Program Logic Model
  • Program Budget (using format)
  • Organization Budget
  • List of other Funders (if applicable)
  • Audit Report (if applicable)
  • Letters of Reference
  • Beneficiary Statistics – Client Characteristics
• Total Unduplicated Clients Served
• Organization and/or Program Brochure, if available

• Grantees are expected to maintain a dialogue with foundation staff to discuss any needed programmatic changes. Grant changes are recognized by the foundation as potentially valuable ways to make mid-course corrections.
• Extending grant deadlines for reports is permitted. If an extension is needed, please submit a modified plan for completion of reporting at least 30 days prior to your grant’s end date.
• If organizations are late in submitting interim or final reports, and there is no resolution 60 days after a reporting deadline, the grantee will be ineligible to apply for future grants for two or more years. Non-compliance may also result in remittance of remaining funds to the foundation.
• Organizations must receive staff approval in writing for line-item budget variances of 5 percent or more, unless the variance is $100 or less.
• Forms required for completion of final reports: Beneficiary Statistics Report, Outcome Achievement Report, Grant Financials Reports
• Please refer to the grant contract for specific information related to the reporting requirements. We have created an online follow-up form for you to complete. Login to your account at the grant database portal here, locate the grant which is ending and complete the grant follow-up form.