With COVID-19 cases continuing to spread in our communities, knowing where to go if you or someone you care for needs a test is vital. In South Central Pennsylvania, there are many options for testing and tests are often provided for free because of the CARES Act. The Partnership for Better Health’s new Central Pennsylvania COVID-19 Testing Locations includes weblinks, practical advice and phone numbers for 14 different COVID-19 test providers serving our region. To find a location that works for you, access the complete guide by clicking here.
Newsroom
The Partnership for Better Health is a well-respected voice on timely health issues and actively involved in various initiatives and events throughout the community. Whether we are weighing in on a pressing policy issue, sharing recent developments in the field of health care or spreading the news about a promising public health strategy, we aim to keep the community informed and engaged.
Browse recent news items below to see what’s happening, and stay informed by signing up to receive future communications directly in your inbox.
Partnership for Better Health Distributes $630,425 in Emergency Grants to Address COVID-19
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Partnership for Better Health distributed over $630,000 in emergency grants to local nonprofit organizations since April 1st.
“Our goal was to ensure that local nonprofits were well prepared to respond to the threat of COVID-19 and maintain essential services,” said Carol Thornton, Director of Grants & Public Policy at the Partnership. Thornton emphasized that the foundation’s yearend emergency grants were coupled with more than $1.7 million in traditional grants that the foundation already distributed this year. “We’ve made large grants to support community health services and recreational resources in the recent past, which have also been heavily tapped by community members during the current crisis.”
The new emergency grants for up to $25,000 prioritized four key issues:
- Ten emergency response service grants are assisting EMS, fire and rescue organizations with the purchase of essential health supplies, equipment and related supports to ensure they remain highly effective during the pandemic;
- Essential health service grants to 12 organizations are ensuring that primary care, mental health, substance use disorder and social-emotional services continue to operate in clean, protected or virtual settings;
- Grants to 23 nonprofits are meeting basic human needs, including food, shelter and rental assistance for individuals who have lost income and employment as a result of COVID-19; and
- Grants to seven nonprofits are supporting safe child and youth care programs during the summer months, towards helping them meet higher CDC safety guidelines during the pandemic, as many parents and guardians retain or return to work.
With a grant approval rate of 82 percent, the foundation awarded a total of 53 emergency grants.
Trish Niemitz, a retired school nurse who serves on the Partnership’s board and Community Investment Committee, helped to oversee the foundation’s grantmaking. Niemitz said that this year’s volume of grants was unprecedented. “Each funding request seemed more urgent and important than the last.” Niemitz explained that the grants went to a wide range of nonprofits, including: Community CARES; Project SHARE; Sadler Health Center and Samaritan Fellowship; plus area senior centers, and EMS, fire and rescue units serving communities in Cumberland, Perry, Franklin and Northern Adams counties.
The foundation views the coronavirus pandemic as the greatest threat to human health that the community may see for decades. “If ever there were a time for local philanthropy to step up, it’s now,” said Gail Witwer, Director of Health Promotion at the Partnership. “We’re here in service to the community and we anticipate making a possible second round of emergency grants in the fall.”
As a community health foundation, the Partnership was formed in 2001 from the sale of the former Carlisle Hospital. Today, the foundation oversees a corpus of an estimated $43 million in unrestricted investments, plus it receives proceeds from restricted trusts that were originally bequeathed to the old Carlisle Hospital.
Chris Farrands, the Partnership’s board treasurer and a local CPA, described the foundation as a driving source of philanthropic giving in the community. Farrands pointed out, “Over the past 20 years, the foundation has distributed more than $40 million in grants to the region, while maintaining its corpus of investments to ensure future giving.” He attributed this success to careful financial stewardship and strong stock market performance over time.
Farrands also acknowledged, “The Partnership is anticipating some financially lean years ahead. But like several leading national foundations, we secured a low-interest line of credit that guarantees our ability to keep pace with community grants during the pandemic, without eroding the corpus of investments.” The Partnership for Better Health is charged with existing in perpetuity to support the long-term health of the community.
For a complete summary of distributed Emergency Grants click here.
Leadership Cumberland Scholarship Available
The Partnership for Better Health is pleased to offer a scholarship for the 2019-20 Leadership Cumberland program. The award will go to a health-related professional working at or volunteering for a nonprofit organization that serves the foundation’s region. To apply, click Leadership Cumberland Scholarship App 2020-2021. Applications are due by June 28. To learn more, contact Gail Witwer at: 960-9009 x 8 or [email protected].
Partnership for Better Health and 31 Area Nonprofits Celebrate the Success of Match Madness!
Annual Campaign Total Tops $529,000
During one of the most difficult months in our nation’s history, the Partnership for Better Health’s 2020 Match Madness campaign exceeded expectations by attracting more individual donations than in any previous year.
Match Madness is a collaborative campaign that supports 31 area nonprofits in raising core operating and program funds that remain flexible to meet evolving needs. This year’s campaign theme was Caring through Generosity.
As of March 31, the campaign drew in $529,414, reflecting a 46 percent increase in total funds raised by local groups, with 1118 contributions.
“It was a month of incredible generosity,” said Becca Raley, Executive Director at Partnership for Better Health. “The campaign is driven by local community members who understand the vital work of our lean nonprofit sector. The novel coronavirus seemed to have a multiplying effect, with residents looking for ways to help compelling service organizations meet rapidly escalating needs.”
Now in its fifth year, the Match Madness Campaign focuses on small nonprofits with annual budgets of under $5 million. This year’s top five fundraisers were New Life Community, The Salvation Army, Maranatha, Project SHARE and Community CARES.
The Partnership’s matching stretch pool grew to $80,000, with the generous support of M&T Bank and The Josiah W. and Bessie H. Kline Foundation. For each organization, the first $1000 raised is matched dollar-for-dollar, meaning that even small gifts receive a large financial boost. The remaining matching funds are shared proportionately across the groups, with 100 percent of funds raised, plus the match, going back into the community.
“We are especially appreciative of the generosity from our funding partners at M&T Bank and the Josiah W. and Bessie H. Kline Foundation,” said Ann Myers, Gift Planning Officer at Partnership for Better Health. “March 2020 was a month unlike most of us have ever experienced. Our community stepped up to support our local nonprofits during a difficult time. It was evident that caring through generosity became the way of life for so many, as we navigated unchartered waters.” Due to COVID-19, the Partnership for Better Health is celebrating the community’s success virtually, through a special video release: https://youtu.be/TOH8BOpw35E
Congratulations to the 31 Match Madness partners!
Amethyst Foundation
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region
Big Brothers Big Sisters of York and Adams Counties
Carlisle Arts Learning Center
Carlisle Area Healthcare Auxiliary
Camp Koala
Civic Club of Shippensburg
Community CARES
Cumberland Goodwill EMS
Cumberland Valley Rails-to-Trails Council
Cumberland Youth Cycling Development
Drew Michael Taylor Foundation
Employment Skills Center
Fresh Match (Farmers on the Square)
Friends of Spring Township
Hope Station
Katie’s Place of Shippensburg
LEAF Project
Maranatha-Carlisle
New Life Community Church
Perry County Council of the Arts
Perry County Literacy Council
Perry Housing Partnership
Perry Human Services
Project SHARE
Safe Harbour
Shippensburg Community Resource Coalition
Summer Program for Youth (SPY)
The Mental Wellness Awareness Association
The RASE Project
The Salvation Army
Emergency Grants Available to Aid in COVID-19 Response
In March of 2020, the World Health Organization announced a global pandemic and the first cases of novel coronavirus in Pennsylvania quickly began to multiply. Recognizing the unprecedented health emergency facing our communities, the Partnership for Better Health is making Rapid Response Emergency Grants available to local nonprofit organizations, to assist them in responding to the threat of COVID-19. These grants are expected to range between $2,000 and $25,000 and applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through May 29, 2020. Funding priorities for Emergency Grants include: meeting basic health and human needs, protecting emergency responders, supporting homeless residents, and financially assisting the newly unemployed. To learn more about this funding opportunity and to apply, follow this link to review our complete Request for Proposals.
Systems Change Summit 2019
Held on August 7, this Summit was an opportunity for community partners to advance their understanding of how systemic decisions, conditions and policies impact our health and overall quality of life. Participants learned about the power of coalitions and ways that collective work can strengthen communities and bring about positive changes for vulnerable populations.
The public forum featured the progress of three local coalitions that are working in the areas of housing, community organizing and local food system improvements. Participants received an overview of systems change theory and collective impact, plus learned the strategies being used by these three coalitions to initiate desired changes.
The Summit was facilitated by Jason Alexander, Principal and Co-Founder of Capacity for Change, LLC.
Training materials are available below.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS — Policy Advocacy
Project Focus
The purpose of this RFP is to engage a government/public relations firm/professional consultant to assist the Partnership for Better Health and our Community Policy and Engagement Committee in developing a systematic approach to build the policy advocacy capacity of partner organizations in our geographic region:
- Develop a systematic process for identifying and promoting reliable sources for calls to action that align with the Partnership’s mission and priorities.
- Develop strategies that align with our capacity to advance efforts for at least each priority focus area, linking to Social Determinants of Health and/or Health Equity.
- Develop suggested ways to include funding for advocacy activities of local and potentially state nonprofit partners into our grantmaking offerings
Our anticipated outcomes are as follows:
- The Partnership has a clear approach and messaging strategy for ongoing advocacy work through grantmaking and direct advocacy;
- Improved relationships with elected officials and/or administrative leaders; and
- Increased advocacy capacity among grantees (measure to be determined based upon grantmaking strategy to be determined).
We seek a consultant that brings deep expertise in guiding the advocacy work of nonprofit organizations and familiarity with 501(c)(3) limitations in lobbying. Consultants with significant experience working on health-related advocacy efforts in Pennsylvania, and specifically with communications to state and local elected officials, are encouraged to apply. Proposals are due on September 16, 2019, to the Partnership for Better Health. A scope of work, proposal requirements, project timeline and application instructions are shared below:
— REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS — Men’s Recovery House in Carlisle Supporting Recovery from Addiction in South Central PA
Due: August 16, 2019 | Up to $100,000 Grant
An estimated twelve Pennsylvanians die each day as the result of drug-related deaths. Men comprise 70 percent of these deaths in our state, with younger men between the ages of 25 and 34 experiencing the highest number of fatalities. Since our founding in 2001, the Partnership for Better Health has been committed to addressing addiction throughout our service region. Together, with many others we are developing strategies to curb the epidemic by increasing access to prevention and treatment services. We are pleased to announce a new funding opportunity of up to $100,000 to support the development of a Men’s Recovery House in Carlisle that supports individuals in their journey towards a healthy, sober life. Organizations with significant experience providing treatment and recovery services in Pennsylvania are encouraged to apply. To receive a copy of our detailed Request for Proposals, click below. Applications are due August 16, 2019.
Leadership Cumberland Scholarship Available
The Partnership for Better Health is pleased to offer a scholarship for the 2019-20 Leadership Cumberland program. The award will go to a health-related professional working at or volunteering for a nonprofit organization that serves the foundation’s region. To apply, click here. Applications are due by June 28. To learn more, contact Gail Witwer at: 960-9009 x 8 or [email protected].
Emergency Shelter Training
The goal of the training is to orient shelter providers and critical community leaders to the role of shelter in an effective crisis response system and emphasizes quickly connecting people who experience homelessness to housing assistance and other services to enable them to achieve and maintain permanent housing. This training will help emergency shelters lower barriers, build capacity to be more housing-focused, and rapidly exit clients to permanent housing. The workshop covers factors for effective program design and implementation and planning for next steps.
Register Here.
