Community Benefit’s final grant cycle for the year supports children’s health initiatives

Nov. 22, 2023 -- Reid Health Community Benefit is awarding a third grant cycle to area nonprofit organizations for the first time since expanding its program earlier this year.

Seventeen organizations received support for maternal, infant, and children's health. The total amount of grants awarded is $100,000.

Jess Przybysz, Director of Reid Health Community Benefit and Engagement, and Brian Schleeper, Community Benefit Specialist, visit each of the recipients to present the grants.

"It was great to see organizations thinking outside of the box on how to tear down barriers associated with maternal, infant, and children's health," Przybysz said. "The projects in this cycle will bring new assistance and programs to our communities, and we're eager to see them in action over the next several months."

Schleeper said the grants help recipients extend their outreach to community members.

"We're very excited to provide this funding to continue the great work of each of these organizations. This is a new grant cycle for us this year, so we weren't sure what to expect, but we received 20 applications with some very creative and impactful projects and programs," Schleeper said.

"We're thrilled to support the work of the 17 awarded organizations to help further their mission and are excited about the impact they're going to have in our communities."

After the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) identified three priorities, the grant program expanded from two cycles to its current three. The first focused on mental health and substance misuse while the second was on physical activity, nutrition, and weight.

Altogether, the Community Benefit Grant Program distributed $300,000 this year.

During this cycle, the focus was on improving children's health by expanding support for families and reducing disparities. Requests were evaluated on indicators for improvement including the ability to impact the child abuse rate, single-parent households, families living in poverty, and mothers who smoke during pregnancy. Consideration was also given to requests with the ability to increase services for mothers who receive early prenatal care or lower the teen birth rate.

The third grant cycle awards are:

$8,000 to Birth to Five to support staff for its Healthy Families program.

$3,325 to Brighter Path Inc. to support its Marvelous Minis, a miniature therapy horse outreach program, to travel to schools, community organizations, and events.

$5,000 to Community Action of East Central Indiana (CAECI) Early Head Start to support an advertising campaign.

$7,500 to Circle U Help Center Inc. to purchase diapers, formula, and clothing for local families in need.

$6,000 to Dublin Community Club to repair HVAC units at the Community Center.

$7,000 to Firefly Children & Family Alliance to support its Community Partners for Child Safety (CPCS) program, which provides infant survival kits of pack and plays, sleep sacks, pacifiers, and take-home educational resources.

$7,000 to Girls Inc. of Wayne County to support its Informed and In Charge program.

$8,000 to Hope Center to support its Earn While You Learn program and supplies.

$7,000 to JACY House to support prevention programming for children and adults in six counties of Reid Health's service area.

$4,875 to Love Makes Cents Inc./Natco Community Empowerment Center (NCEC) to expand financial education services for families living in poverty.

$5,300 to Monroe Central Elementary's All Pro Dads to support its program.

$7,000 to Nettle Creek Schools to support preschool staff and provide financial assistance to families in need.

$4,000 to Open Arms Ministries to support staff and supplies for homeless families or those experiencing domestic violence.

$4,000 to Preble County YMCA to purchase second-grade water safety classes.

$4,000 to Safety Village of Wayne County to purchase equipment and materials for children's fire safety training.

$7,000 to the Children's Advocacy Center of Randolph County to support a prevention coordinator position and program materials.

$5,000 to The Nest and Meridian Health Services to remove barriers associated with securing housing and transportation for active participants in the maternal treatment program and baby boutique.

Community benefit is the basis for the tax-exempt status of not-for-profit hospitals. It's 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 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 $168 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.

The 2024 grant cycles will be announced at a later time.

More information about the Reid Health Community Benefit program, the health needs assessment, and the implementation strategy can be found at ReidCommunities.org.