2024 Fall Grants Awarded
Elevating the region’s health and well-being continues to be the focus of the Better Health Foundation (BHF) with its latest round of grants. Today, the independent, private foundation announced Capacity Building and Service Support grant awards totaling $900,000 for twenty area nonprofit organizations.
Since launching in September, 2023, BHF has awarded more than $2.9 million to improve community health in nine counties throughout the bi-state region.
“We are eager to continue to hear from the nonprofit organizations serving our region, to better understand their essential work, and to invite them to consider Better Health Foundation funding, said BHF CEO Melinda “Missy” Gowey. “Even in the relatively brief time we’ve been providing resources to our partner agencies, we’ve seen their unwavering commitment to solving our community’s challenges.”
The next opportunity for nonprofit organizations to apply for BHF funding begins with Letters of Inquiry for Innovation grants, open January 15, 2025. The Innovation grants will range in size from $100,000 to $200,000 for programs and services aligned with the foundation’s current funding priorities: mental and behavioral health, maternal and child health, and risk reduction of obesity and diabetes.
2024 Capacity Building and Service Support Grants were awarded to the following organizations:
· $35,000 to Archway of the Quad Cities to support men on the journey to addiction recovery as they prepare to reenter the community.
· $14,000 to Augustana College to support student researchers and interns to expand Heart of Hope (HOH) Community Resource Center (CRC) services to West End Rock Island residents. Programs will focus on diabetes patients and the health of mothers and children.
· $18,500 to Christian Care to provide weekly health care and daily nutritious meals free of charge to anyone in need at their Community Meal Site. With regular health care and nutrition, low-income individuals and families are empowered to lead healthier, higher-quality lives.
· $75,000 to EveryChild to support ongoing and expanded services provided by the Medical Director at the Mississippi Valley Child Protection Center. Timely exams, completed after a child discloses abuse, help build successful investigations against the perpetrator and, most importantly, mitigate the long-term impact of trauma by connecting families with resources.
· $30,000 to Family Resources to underwrite the cost of the organization’s first full-time Chief Development Officer (CDO).
· $25,000 to the Martin Luther King Jr Community Center to support the continued growth of the organization and position the center to partner with other organizations and projects.
· $80,000 to MercyOne Genesis Foundation to expand the Genesis Family Connects program to include Genesis patients in Rock Island County. This program provides visiting nurse support for families within the first days of a child’s life.
· $35,000 to NAMI Greater Mississippi Valley Inc. to provide staff hours and outreach, utilizing our public-health informed work with diverse populations.
· $20,000 to Narratives for programs that eliminate disparities experienced by young adults seeking mental health support because of socioeconomic factors and multidimensional poverty.
· $27,040 to NEST Café to hire a staff member to lead the Nourishment Beyond the NEST programs, including a new Take & Bake program and fresh-made, nutrient-dense afterschool snacks for elementary students.
· $55,825 to One Eighty to assist people in overcoming addiction, homelessness, or incarceration, and connect them to community resources such as health and mental health services, food assistance, and legal aid.
· $16,635 to Rediscover Recovery Community Center to implement the evidence-based Nurturing Parenting Program for Families in Substance Use Treatment and Recovery. The goal is to create healthier, more resilient family units and help break the cycle of generational addiction.
· $75,000 to SAL Community Services to hire a development associate to enhance fundraising efforts and ensure sustainability through diversifying funding sources.
· $25,000 to STEAM on Wheels to expand "Kitchen Creations" camp for kids ages 5-18, focusing on healthier food choices and STEAM concepts, including home gardening to address food deserts in our communities.
· $45,000 to Tapestry Farms to increase Community Navigator staffing and purchase food for Tapestry’s culturally specific food pantry, Karibu Market.
· $65,000 to Arc of the Quad Cities to hire a My25 coordinator to elevate engagement in a healthy plate for people with disabilities.
· $33,000 to The Center to support a peer specialist, trained by the Director of The Center in WRAP-wellness recovery action plans.
· $75,000 to Transitions Mental Health Services to provide a coordinator to train, coach, and consult in the education, criminal justice, health, and human services systems sectors leading to trauma-informed services in these sectors and better community health outcomes
· $75,000 to Youth Service Bureau (YSB) of Rock Island County that will allow YSB to provide quality mental and behavioral health counseling to low-income, at-risk children and families in Rock Island County who otherwise could not access or afford services.
· $75,000 to YWCA of the Quad Cities to support a full-time mental health specialist to provide immediate services to youths in Rock Island County at ThePlace2B, a unique drop-in center for at-risk youth, serving both sides of the river.
Better Health Foundation accepts requests from qualified 501(c)3 organizations in Cedar, Clinton, Louisa, Muscatine and Scott counties in Iowa, and Henry, Mercer, Rock Island and Whiteside counties in Illinois.
Award criteria and instructions on how to apply for a grant can be found at www.thebetterhealthfoundation.org. To receive more information about applying for a grant, contact Elaine Schilling, eschilling@thebetterhealthfoundation.org, or call the Better Health Foundation at 563-383-6065.