Community Benefit hands out $130,000 in year’s second round of grant funding

Sept. 14, 2021 -- Reid Health Community Benefit gave some $130,000 to 19 area organizations in the health system's second round of grant funding for 2021.

Various nonprofits, churches, schools, and local governments received $130,297 for programs focused on physical activity, nutrition, and weight.

Requests were evaluated based on their ability to impact access to exercise opportunities, adults ages 20 and older who are obese, adults 20 and older who are sedentary, child food insecurity rate, and food insecurity rate.

The awards for this cycle include:

• $5,145 to Amigos to support the organization's tennis camps.
• $15,000 to Birth to Five for its Parents as Teachers program to provide physical activity and nutrition education and food items to families.
• $11,250 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County for Club Fit's physical activity and nutrition programming.
• $2,000 to Central United Methodist Church for equipment and supplies to provide physical activity for children ages 0-5.
• $7,500 to Communities in School for a food distribution program for all CIS sites.
• $3,000 to the Council on Rural Service Programs to support a running program for at-risk youth in Darke County, Ohio.
• $10,000 to Gateway Hunger Relief Center for a portion of the cost of a new forklift for the pantry.
• $2,750 to Girls, Inc. to install a GaGa dodgeball pit.
• $3,000 to Golay Community Center to purchase new sets of dumbbells appropriate for all ages and abilities.
• $10,000 to Gleaners for the organization's Produce Hope program to provide additional fruits and vegetables to four counties in Reid's service area.
• $1,993 to Hayes Arboretum for equipment and signage to enhance the mountain bike trails and walking trails on the east side of the arboretum.
• $5,000 to Hope Center to provide baby food, formula, cereal, and age-appropriate snacks for the Healthy with Hope program.
• $5,000 to Randolph County YMCA to support the YMCA nine-week summer camp for kids in first through eighth grades.
• $15,000 to Richmond Parks & Recreation Department for the purchase and installation of a climbing wall at the Cordell Municipal Pool.
• $8,000 to Rose Hamilton Elementary School to support outdoor play activities for preschool-aged children at the school and in the surrounding neighborhood.
• $1,000 to The Shepherd's Way (Cross Road Christian Recovery Center) for a fitness program for the Cross Road residents at the Richmond Family YMCA.
• $1,875 to Triangle Therapy Association to purchase equipment for outdoor play for camps provided By Triangle Therapy Services.
• $11,534 to Wayne County Cardinal Greenway to support the bike loaner program and for the purchase and installation of an additional bike repair station as well as upgraded signage.
• $11,250 to YMCA of Greater Dayton (Preble County's YMCA) to support the Livestrong program and the new Revitalize at the Y program.

Community benefit is the basis of the tax-exempt status of not-for-profit hospitals. Community benefit is defined as programs or activities that improve access to health services, enhance public health, advance health knowledge through research and education, and/or relieve the burden of government to improve health.

In 2010, the Affordable Care Act added new requirements for tax-exempt hospitals in the areas of community health needs assessment (CHNA), implementation strategy, billing and collections, and reporting. In 2014, the IRS issued final rules implementing these requirements. The goals of these provisions are to ensure tax-exempt hospitals are meeting the health needs of their communities and to ensure greater transparency and accountability.

Grants, along with other specific outreach and requirements to meet Reid Health's not-for-profit status, have put more than $172 million back into the community in the past five years. A committee of Reid's governing board and community members reviews grant requests. The grants are awarded as part of the health system's efforts as a mission-driven, not-for-profit organization.