The Washington Square Health Foundation grant making process is conducted by the Board of Directors in an impartial manner based upon an evaluation of each project request. Therefore, solicitation of individual members of the Washington Square Health Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors by potential recipients for specific Washington Square Health Foundation, Inc. grant requests is discouraged.

Priorities for funding will vary from time to time. Even though a project meets established criteria, it may not be adopted because of limited funds or other priorities.

Washington Square Health Foundation, Inc. Grants do not merely provide funds to an existing project, however worthy. They must be designed to provide significant health related benefits. Projects must have the support of appropriate organizations and/or governmental units and in the community where the project is to be carried out. To be eligible for consideration, projects must be efforts involving a not for profit tax exempt 501(C3) organization or association as sponsor. The grant request must be submitted by an organization exempt from income tax under sec. 501 (c)(3), and designated as a public charity under section 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2), of the Internal Revenue Code. Washington Square Health Foundation does not provide grants to section 509(a)(3) "supporting organizations." Your most recent IRS Determination Letter should state your status as a 501(c)(3) organization with a 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) designation.

The following criteria have been established by the Board of Directors of the Washington Square Health Foundation.

• Specific Grant Making Guidelines
• Principles for Community Health Care
• Overview
• Format for Community Health Care Report
• Additional Grant Making Policies and Guidelines
• Guidelines for funding HIV/AIDS Projects

1. be applicable to one of the following categories: Health Services, Medical Research, or Medical Education. (see fundable grants)
2. reasonably ensure continued support after involvement by the Washington Square Health Foundation is discontinued.
3. not involve liability to the Washington Square Health Foundation except to provide the amount of the grant.
4. involve active participation by the sponsor which must be a not for profit tax exempt 501(C3) organization, institution, or association.
5. demonstrably benefit others beyond the individual organization recipient of the grant.
6. not benefit a Washington Square Health Foundation Director; an employee of Washington Square Health Foundation; or a spouse, a lineal descendant (child or grandchild by blood or any legally adopted child), a spouse of a lineal descendant, or an ancestor (parent or grandparent by blood) of any living Washington Square Health Foundation Director or Washington Square Health Foundation employee.
7. not duplicate any existing Foundation grant.
8. not involve the purchase of land or the payment of general administration costs for the sponsoring organization.
9. not involve the establishment of a permanent foundation or trust or a permanent interest-bearing account, or involve support for the general operating costs of any organization.
10. not involve any of the following:
    • carrying on propaganda or otherwise attempt to influence legislation.
    • restrict the services or facilities or employment provided by the grant to individuals based on race, creed, color, sex or national origin.
11. not involve construction or capital fund raising campaigns.
12. ,if a direct health care service project be located in the Chicago Metropolitan area or impact or be "linked" to the Chicago Metropolitan Area.
13. have an up-to-date annual community healthcare report for the Principles for Community Health Care on file with the Donors Forum (see below). Until these forms are available on the Donors Forum website, a copy should be included with the grant application.

1. Provides service to high risk, underserved and/or disadvantaged in the community.
   Criteria - Demonstration that the organization has:
   • Collected assessment data about the health care needs of high risk, underserved and/or disadvantaged populations in service area.
   • Implemented targeted activities to increase the accessibility of health care services to one of more high risk, underserved and/or disadvantaged populations.
   • Designed and implemented with community involvement new or expanded services to address the health care needs of one or more high risk, underserved and/or disadvantaged populations.
   • Identified opportunities to increase assets of high risk, underserved and/or disadvantaged communities such as by employing community members as staff in health programs, locating health service delivery sites in the community, negotiating purchasing contracts with local businesses for health service-related products.
     
     
2. Establishes decision making links with high-risk, underserved and/or disadvantaged communities.
   Criteria - Demonstration that the organization has:
   • Implemented a process to gather input from community leaders representing one or more high risk, underserved and/or disadvantaged populations.
   • Developed formal mechanisms to include community leaders in decision making roles such as through advisory committees, board representation, or other means.
     
     
3. Partners with relevant providers and other community based organizations.
   Criteria - Demonstration that the organization has:
   • Partnered with a wide variety of others including competitors and community based organizations to provide services effectively and efficiently to high risk, underserved and/or disadvantaged populations.
   • Developed linkages with other related programs to promote continuity of care.
     
     
4. Utilizes a community-oriented approach program development.
   Criteria - Demonstration that the organization has incorporated the following dimensions into program development for high-risk, underserved and/or disadvantaged population:
   • Documentation of need from multiple perspectives including target population.
   • Involvement of clients in program decision making and implementation.
   • Partnerships with other relevant providers and community organizations.
   • Incorporation of continuous quality improvement processes to identify/resolve problems and monitor outcomes.
   • Inclusion of actions to promote financial sustainability of program.

Important Notes

1. Each health care organization applying for grant funds to a Chicago area foundation should complete the narrative report as described on page 2. The actual principles and criteria follow on page 3. The report should be submitted to the Donors Forum of Chicago. Copies of the form may also be included with specific grant applications as an extension of the organizational background section. The information should be updated once a year.
2. Grantmakers recognize the diversity of organizations that provide health services. The principles will be applied flexibly, taking these differences into consideration.
3. Each grantmaker will use the information provided within the context of their own grantmaking process and priorities.
4. The terms high-risk, underserved, and disadvantaged are not defined more precisely because these target populations will vary greatly by community and organization.

Resources

• Call or write each potential donor to obtain a copy of its funding guidelines and/or annual report.
• There are many resources that may be helpful to you in addressing these principles such as:
  Grantmakers in Health - www.gih.org
  Coalition for Healthier Cities and Communities - www.healthycommunities.org
  A Workbook on Community Accountability
  St. Louis, MO: The Catholic Health Association of the United States, 1995.
  Building Communities from the Inside Out
  (JP Kretzmann and JL McKnight). Evanston, IL
  Center for Urban Affairs and Policy Research, Northwestern University, 1993.

NAME OF ORGANIZATION
CONTACT
ADDRESS
PHONE/E-MAIL
MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION

1. Identify the high risk/underserved and/or disadvantaged populations in the community(ies) that you serve and describe specifically the actions you have taken, based on relevant assessment data, to increase their accessibility to health services.
2. Describe specifically the strategies you have used to gather input from high risk, underserved and/or disadvantaged population and their leaders as a basis for program or service development.
3. Describe specific partnerships with other providers and community-based organizations to promote continuity of health care for high risk/underserved and/or disadvantaged populations.
4. Provide two examples of how you have used the community-oriented approach to program development specified in the attached principles to develop a program of service for high risk/underserved and/or disadvantaged populations specified in the guidelines. Include in each description components of the current program and the following quantitative information for the most recent year available:

• Number of clients served
• Total amount budgeted by your organization for the program
• Percent that program budget is of total agency budget
• Percent of program budget that is directly reimbursed by third party payers
• Percent of program budget that is covered by public/private grants

  Submit this information to:
  
  Donors Forum of Chicago
  Director, Member Services
  208 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 740
  Chicago, IL 60604

• If your grant request includes new medical/healthcare equipment, please investigate whether reconditioned and/or used equipment can be substituted.
• WASHINGTON SQUARE HEALTH FOUNDATION, INC. FUNDS MAY NOT BE USED TO PAY FOR ANY OPERATING AND/OR ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO FRINGE BENEFITS, OFFICE FURNITURE AND COMPUTER EQUIPMENT UTILIZED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD KEEPING, ETC.
• Hurricane Katrina Disaster Capacity Health Care Grant Guidelines
• Guidelines for funding HIV/AIDS Projects