Funding Guidelines

What We Believe 

Partners for Health Foundation is a community-based organization that works toward a vision of thriving communities ensuring health for all. Partners for Health invests in programs, policies and organizations that lead to healthy communities and increased opportunities to thrive. We know that everyone prospers when the needs of those who experience health inequities are recognized and supported. Through partnering with community organizations, we strive to advance health equity through learning, grantmaking and advocacy.

We seek to address the factors that influence health, from the individual level to the policy level.

Strategic Plan and Grant Process

Types of Grantmaking

Partners for Health Foundation provides funding to organizations and communities in two ways.

  • General Operating Grants: Can strengthen an organization and its ability to change systems, listen to constituents, advocate for long term policy change, and determine how to measure outcomes incrementally on the journey toward their overall goals.
  • Project Grants: To support specific initiatives, projects, and collaborative efforts to shift the conditions that prevent communities from thriving. (Policy, systems and environmental change)

Eligibility Requirements

  • Organizations: Non-for-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) public charity designation by the IRS are eligible for grants. We also fund local government entities, or small organizations that have a fiscal sponsor that is a 501(c)(3).
      
  • Geographic Location: Eligible organizations that serve one or more of the following 15 communities: Bloomfield, Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Clifton, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Little Falls, Montclair, North Caldwell, Nutley, Roseland, Verona, West Caldwell and West Orange. Statewide organizations that support local coalitions or advocate for statewide policy change to advance health equity and social justice may also be eligible for funding.

Funding priorities

During the review process, priority will be given to proposals that demonstrate the following:

  • Focused on health equity
  • Working to improve how services are provided, based on feedback from constituents served (i.e., viewing issues at their source through a systems-perspective, or through a social determinant of health lens) 
  • Collaborate with others to strengthen service provision, alleviate gaps in services, and leverage dollars and other resources
  • Data driven (i.e., how does your organization ensure measurable outcomes for your constituents?)

Review Criteria

Partners for Health staff and Trustees will use a set of criteria to review all proposals in alignment with the core components of Partners for Health values:

a) Health equity (Social Determinants of Health)

b) Upstream perspective (i.e., viewing issues at their source through a systems-perspective or a social determinants of health lens)

c) Community informed

d) Collaboration

e) Data driven

The review criteria may include the following items.

General Operating Grants

  • Organizational alignment with core components of Partners for Health values as demonstrated through the organization’s:
    • Vision and Mission
    • Staff
    • Trustees
    • Programs and Services
    • Accomplishments and Challenges
    • Goals and Outcomes
  • Organization leadership strives to represent the organization’s constituents. 
  • Organization has a demonstrated track record of success and/or has goals that reflect the community’s input on what needs to change so that everyone can thrive.  

Project Grants

  • Organization’s vision and mission are aligned with core components of Partners for Health values.  
  • Organization leadership strives to represent organization’s constituents. 
  • Project activities and timeline will likely lead to the anticipated outcomes.  
  • Project budget aligns with scope of work outlined.