Basic Needs Funding

Basic Needs Funding is sponsored by Sisters Health Foundation. This funding supports nonprofit and public organizations providing direct material aid, including personal care items, in West Virginia and nearby Ohio counties. It aligns with the focus on providing essential hygiene products and supporting the well-being of the community.

Overview – Sisters Health Foundation The Sisters Health Foundation has two major grant programs, the Responsive Grants Program and the Basic Needs/Direct Service Grants Program. These grant programs were established to support communities in the 11 counties that the former St. Joseph’s Hospital served through three priority areas which focus on health.

The Responsive Grants Program addresses systemic health needs and disparities in the region, such as the prevention and management of chronic health conditions, food and housing insecurity, transportation, and health and mental healthcare access. The Basic Needs/Direct Service Grants Program addresses immediate material needs, such as food, clothing, and utility assistance.

Visit the Grants Awarded page to learn about the types of organizations and grants the Sisters Health Foundation has supported over the years. Not sure which grant program is the right fit? Contact us to discuss your project or idea.

General Eligibility for All Grant Programs An applicant must be a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or a public institution.

The project or strategy will positively impact residents in one or more counties of our 11-county service area: West Virginia : Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Wirt, Wood Ohio : Athens, Meigs, Washington The funding request addresses at least one of three priority areas: Healthy Eating, Active Living; Thriving Neighborhoods; and Mental Health and Addiction.

Applicants who recently received a grant may only apply once in a 12-month period for either the Basic Needs/Direct Service Program or the Responsive Program.

For example, if an organization received a grant in the spring, they cannot apply for a grant in the fall of the same year Priority Areas for All Grant Programs Healthy Eating, Active Living We support projects and strategies that prevent or manage chronic health conditions by promoting healthy eating and active living through one or more of the following: Education about the health benefits of a healthy weight, good nutrition, and physical activity Efforts that encourage and support behavior change Environmental changes that make healthy choices the easy choices Increased access and distribution of healthy foods Promotion and provision of opportunities for increased physical activity Coalition and cross-sector collaboration that promotes healthy eating and active living through policy or programmatic change We support projects and strategies that address improving neighborhood conditions where people live, learn, work, and play so that everyone has the ability to achieve their full health potential by: Improving the accessibility, affordability, and quality of health and health care Improving access to reliable transportation options so people can reach needed health and social services Improving access to stable and safe housing to foster a healthy living environment Supporting efforts to increase connections to community resources and to one another to foster an environment of social connectedness and belonging Supporting the health and well-being of children and youth to create a foundation for healthy development and positive health outcomes into adulthood.

Supporting coalition and cross-sector collaboration that improves neighborhood conditions and advances policy or programmatic change Mental Health and Addiction We support projects and strategies that address mental health and/or addiction. Related to mental health, we are interested in the area of health promotion and prevention.

Related to addiction, we are interested in the areas of prevention, early intervention, and recovery support.

We are especially interested in evidence-based programs focused on: Prevention activities such as education and stigma reduction of mental health and substance use disorders; trauma-informed care practices and supportive environments in schools, churches, workplaces, and other community settings; and provision of mental health services in schools and school-based health clinics Early intervention activities such as identifying and reducing individual risk factors for substance use, improving connections to needed services across various systems, and harm reduction efforts to reduce the number of deaths and the spread of disease Building the behavioral health workforce, including peer support specialists/peer recovery supporters, supporting high school and college pipeline programming, and encouraging careers in behavioral health Supporting people in recovery with positive supports such as housing, connections to employment, and transportation Coalition and cross-sector collaboration that advances policy or programmatic change We are unable to provide grants to the following: Band instruments and school music programs.

Individual athletic programs (e.g. school athletic programs, sports leagues) Organizations seeking retroactive funding for projects that have been completed or will be completed prior to the grant decision date Programs where participation in a specific faith-based service or activity is required as a condition for receiving assistance.

Our aim is to ensure that all people are able to receive services regardless of their faith or non-faith journey. To help our grant partners better understand our funding interests, we also want to share examples of projects that occasionally are proposed but do not align strongly with SHF funding priorities and are not typically funded.

These include: Projects that benefit only a specific school classroom (preference is for school or district-wide projects) Field trips and one-time events Projects that focus on the arts, unless there is a strong health/mental health connection Requests from volunteer fire departments and emergency medical services that relate primarily to community safety and/or firefighting Capital renovations to places of worship Requests from organizations with a national focus who do not have strong local partnerships in our 11-county service area Grant Cycles and Deadlines The Sisters Health Foundation has two grant cycles per year, fall and spring.

For both grant programs, materials should be submitted online no later than midnight on the deadline date. Basic Needs/Direct Service Grant Program Deadlines Responsive Grant Program Deadlines Basic Needs/Direct Service Grants Program Responsive Grants Program Frequently Asked Questions