Impact Areas for Funding

The Community Impact Grants Program supports projects within the following impact areas:

• • Behavioral Health Supports (including mental health and substance use): Projects must align with the specific aims of the Marion-Polk Community Health Improvement Plan.
  • Children, Youth & Families: Projects must align with the Marion-Polk System of Care and/or Raise Up Oregon strategic plan goals.
  • Healthcare Workforce Development: Projects must support local healthcare provider recruitment and retention efforts across the delivery system (including physical, behavioral, and oral health). Projects that impact Oregon Health Plan members and that demonstrate a tie to the local Mid-Valley Behavioral Health Consortium’s (MVBHC’s) work in the Marion-Polk region are prioritized for funding. (See our Frequently Asked Questions to learn about the MVBHC).
  • Housing & Homelessness: Projects must provide wraparound services, system navigation and/or care coordination for people experiencing housing insecurity/homelessness. Projects that address immediate needs within the local community (e.g., hospital discharge planning and housing accessibility), serve specific populations with more acute needs (e.g., youth and young adults and those involved in the foster care system), and that strengthen overall connections between the health and housing sectors are prioritized for funding.

In addition, projects that align with more than one impact area, are equity-driven, demonstrate cultural and linguistic responsiveness, and support integration across service sectors are prioritized for funding.

Grant Request Parameters

• • For requests up to $100,000.
  • Projects must serve Marion and/or Polk Counties.
  • Applicants seeking funding for on-going operational costs are not eligible for funding through the Community Impact Grants Program.
  • Funds will be distributed in late 2023 and are intended to support projects taking place in 2024. Multi-year requests are not accepted at this time.

Grant Application Process & Timeline

The Community Impact Grants Program application process entails the following steps:

Step 1: Letters of Intent (LOIs) 

• • LOIs are accepted from June 26-August 7, 2023.
  • Applicants submit LOIs using our online system. Organizations applying for funding to the Willamette Health Council for the first time are required to create an account within this system. Those who are returning applicants should utilize their organization’s existing account.

Step 2: Invites for a presentation/to submit a full application

• • Since the Willamette Health Council utilizes two different revenue streams to fund the Community Impact Grants Program, we will review LOIs internally to determine which funding stream a project best aligns with, if any.
  • Projects that comply with Community Benefit Initiative requirements will be invited to provide a 10-minute presentation on their proposed project to the Community Advisory Council. More information about presentation requirements will be shared by email with applicants on August 25, 2023. Given this requirement, we encourage all Community Impact Grant applicants to hold September 28, 2023, 1:00-3:00pm on their calendars, should they be invited for a presentation.
  • Projects that do not comply with Community Benefit Initiative requirements are reviewed by the Willamette Health Council staff to ensure alignment with the impact areas outlined above. Aligned projects are then evaluated by the Community Impact Committee. This committee will determine which projects will be invited to submit a full grant application.

Step 3: Presentation/full grant application

• • As described above, projects that comply with Community Benefit Initiative requirements will provide a 10-minute presentation to the Community Advisory Council on September 28, 2023, from 1:00-3:00pm. Based on the presentations and available budget, the Community Advisory Council will make a recommendation to the Board of Directors on which projects to fund.
  • As described above, projects invited to submit a full grant application will be notified by email on August 25, 2023. The grant application period will be open until September 29, 2023.

Step 4: Funding approval/final awards

• • By mid-November 2023, the Board of Directors/Community Impact Committee will make final funding decisions.
  • All applicants will be notified of their final award status by November 30, 2023.
  • Award recipients will be required to review and sign a grant letter of agreement before funds are distributed.

Grant Reporting Requirements

Community Impact Grant recipients are required to submit biannual progress reports. In addition, recipients are required to attend and participate in a grantee convening (date and other details are forthcoming). Lastly, grantees may be asked to present an update on their projects and grant impact to the Board of Directors.

Additional Information

For more information about our Community Impact Grants Program, review our Frequently Asked Questions and/or email Mariah Balderrama (she/her), Community Investments Coordinator, at mbalderrama@willamettehealthcouncil.org.