May 24, 2018
Representatives of the Lewis-Clark Valley Healthcare Foundation today announced that letters of inquiry (short-form applications) are being accepted through June 30 from community leaders in the region to apply for over $250,000 in grants to be awarded by the foundation in 2018.
The grants will be distributed later this year to programs that are working to improve the health of individuals and communities in north central Idaho, southeastern Washington and Wallowa County Oregon.
The Lewis-Clark Valley Healthcare Foundation was established in 2017 by Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden as part of the sale of St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston by Ascension Health to RCCH Healthcare Partners. With the hospital moving from nonprofit to for-profit status, the LCVH Foundation was created to serve as a long-term regional resource and received $23 million from the seller and another $2 million from RCCH Healthcare Partners to fulfill its philanthropic mission.
“The foundation hopes to partner with other organizations in the joint goal of addressing the health and wellness needs of the people of this region,” says Mark M. Havens, Chairman of the Board of Community Advisors for the foundation. “We encourage local organizations to bring us your best ideas which need funding to achieve this goal.”
The Idaho Attorney General’s office set up specific guidelines as to which categories of organizations are eligible to apply and what kind of grants may receive funds. Those eligible to apply for grants are nonprofit tax-exempt organizations with 501(c)(3) classification from the IRS, and governmental entities, if used exclusively for charitable purposes of the trust. All proposals must be for health, wellness, or disease prevention to qualify.
The foundation will fund successful grant proposals that meet the needs of residents in the nine counties that the foundation serves. Those nine counties include: Nez Perce, Latah, Idaho, Lewis, and Clearwater counties in Idaho; Asotin, Garfield, and Whitman counties in Washington; and Wallowa County in Oregon.
The foundation expects most grant proposals to be between $10,000 and $100,000, but welcomes grant applications for lesser amounts.
This is the first year the foundation will award money through its two-step process. A letter of inquiry, which can be found on the foundation’s website at Lewisclarkhealth.org, must be filled out and submitted electronically, through email, or through regular mail. Letters of inquiry must be received by 5 p.m. on June 30 to be considered.
The Board of Community Advisors will review the letters of inquiry and will invite those it deems most promising to complete a full grant application packet in August. Organizations that are selected for funding will be notified in November, and the grant money will be distributed by year end.
As 2018 will be the foundation’s first full year in existence, its available resources are less than what will be available in later years.
Idaho Trust Bank has been designated as the foundation’s trustee by Attorney General Lawrence Wasden. Idaho Trust Bank administers this foundation. Foundation assets are invested to provide a multi-generational benefit for this region.
For more information on the board or the grant process, visit the foundation’s website or contact Idaho Trust Bank at 208-664-6448.