Since Triangle North Healthcare Foundation changed its name from Maria Parham Healthcare Foundation in November, 2011, its Board of Directors has been methodically moving the organization from a fundraising department of the local hospital to a regional healthcare grantmaking organization.
“This has been quite an eventful year and a half,” said the Foundation’s Executive Director Val Short, although most of the work has been done behind the scenes by board members and committees. “At last, we are ready to begin giving grants to organizations that can help us fulfill our mission,” she said.
That mission is, according to Short, “To encourage, support, and invest in quality efforts that measurably improve health in the Triangle North Region.” This region includes Vance and Warren counties, which have been designated as Tier One counties, in addition to Franklin and Granville counties.
The Foundation’s Board of Directors has established funding priorities for the coming year, which include
- Chronic Disease Prevention
- Reproductive Health
- Nutrition and Physical Fitness
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse
- Success in School as it relates to Health and Wellness
Short invites any non-profit, governmental agency, or school that shares these priorities to begin the grant application process immediately.
The first step in the process will be submitting a Letter of Interest, utilizing the form provided on the Foundation’s website, www.tnhfoundation.org . The Foundation’s Board of Directors will review all Letters of Interest and select the organizations that will be invited to submit a grant application. Letters of Interest are due on or before June 14, 2013.
The final application will be due on August 9, 2013. Grants will be awarded by the end of September, 2013.
Since Short’s arrival as executive director last March, the Foundation has made a number of changes, including relocating from Maria Parham Medical Center to its present office location on Garnett Street in downtown Henderson. “We wanted to have a visible location downtown in a building that could also serve as a meeting place and resource center,” said Short.
Funding for the Foundation and for its mission will come from the endowment that was established after the merger of Maria Parham Medical Center with the for-profit Duke-Lifepoint. “This Foundation Board has been given the awesome honor, privilege, and responsibility of investing the proceeds of this endowment into the health and wellness of the current residents of our region and ultimately, future generations. I am so very proud to be a part of it!” said Short.
Information for grant seekers is available on the Foundation’s website, www.tnhfoundation.org or by contacting Short at 252-430-8643.