community benefit

How are funding decisions made for the grants? 

Funding decisions are made by the Community Benefits Subcommittee of the Board of Trustees of Dayton Children’s Hospital (or designees). The amount and number of contribution awards vary year to year. Awards are typically in the range of $2,500 to $12,000. The Community Benefits Subcommittee reserves the right to make exceptions to the application process. 

Who should apply for the grants? 

To be eligible for funds your organization must: 

• Be legally organized to be a not-for-profit organization.
  • An organization without 501(c)3 status can apply if it finds a 501(c)3 organization willing to sponsor its application by serving as a fiscal agent. A fiscal agent agreement must be established between the two parties before submission of a grant application.
• Benefit the health of children and families in the Dayton Children’s 20-county service area. 

We generally do not fund: 

• Individuals 
• Organizations that only serve adults 
• General organizational operations 
• Organizations that discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, veteran status or any applicable federal, state or local laws 
• Operational deficits or reduced or lost funding 
• Endowment funds 
• Affiliates of labor organizations 
• Golf tournaments and/or outings 
• Hospitals and universities for internal programs 
• Matching grants (unless local dollars are needed to fulfill a condition for a state or federal grant) 
• Publications, including books, reports, research papers 
• National and or state health organizations 
• Organizations that only benefit a few people 
• Organizations raising money for second party giving for community purposes 
• Political organizations, candidates for political office and organizations whose primary purpose is to influence legislation. With certain, limited exceptions, we do not support campaigns for which we have to create employee teams to raise additional funds for an organization. 
• Scholarships and travel grants 

What are the funding categories? 

community health improvement services

These activities are carried out to improve community health, extend beyond patient care activities, and are subsidized by the organization. Such services do not generate patient care bills although they may involve a nominal fee.  

Specific community health programs and activities to quantify include: 

• Community health education. 
• Community-based clinical services, such as health services and screenings for underinsured and uninsured persons. 
• Support groups. 
• Health care support services, such as enrollment assistance in public programs and transportation efforts. 
• Self-help programs, such as smoking cessation and weight loss programs. 

community building activities 

Community-building activities improve the community’s health and safety by addressing the root causes of health problems, such as poverty, homelessness, and environmental hazards. These activities strengthen the community’s capacity to promote the health and well-being of its residents by offering the expertise and resources of the health care organization. Costs for these activities include cash and in-kind donations and expenses for the development of a variety of community-building programs and partnerships. 

How can my organization apply for the community benefit contributions grants? 

The proposal must answer the following: 

• Describe your organization’s qualifications, history and experience serving families and children. 
• Summary of your proposed project or program. 
• What data and evidence are there to suggest this project or program will address the recognized need? 
• Describe your organization's history and capacity to execute this program. 
• What is the program or project timeline for implementation? 
• What are the specific quantifiable benefits of the program? (Number of children served, etc.) 
• How does the project or program address health disparities? 
• How will this program help your organization address a community health need identified in Dayton Children's Community Health Needs Assessment and/or other key community benefits we look for in a project or program? 

Good example of alignment: Program X will address mental health concerns for children. 

Great example of alignment: During the afterschool program, Program X will deliver an evidenced-based curriculum aimed at reducing mental health stigma and building resiliency which aligns with the Dayton Children’s CHNA priority area of improving mental health and addiction outcomes.