|
|
MOUNTAINSIDE HEALTH FOUNDATION’S HISTORY,
MISSION AND PRIORITIES
Q. When and why was the Mountainside Health Foundation established?
A. The Mountainside Health Foundation, formerly known as the
Mountainside Hospital Foundation, recently changed its status as a
hospital-based foundation to an independent, self-governing public
charity with a broader mission. The transformation of the Foundation’s
mission is a natural outcome of the sale of Mountainside Hospital from
Atlantic Health to Merit Health Systems, a for-profit entity, on June 1,
2007. Prior to that, the Foundation’s sole purpose was to raise funds
for support of the hospital. With the transfer of ownership of the
hospital, the Foundation could no longer continue its original mission
(although it will be able to provide public charity benefits to patients
of the hospital).
Q. What is the Foundation’s new mission and vision?
A. The Foundation’s new mission is: “to strengthen health and wellness
in communities traditionally served by Mountainside Hospital.”
The new vision is: “to create healthier communities by supporting and
advancing good health, wellness education, and disease prevention and
treatment.”
The Foundation will:
Serve as a catalyst and innovator for new initiatives
Partner with other charitable foundations whose interests align with
our ours
Undertake funding only for projects where we can make a difference
Q. What are Mountainside Health Foundation’s priority areas for
funding?
A. The four priority areas identified by Foundation Trustees after in
depth research and meetings at which input was gathered from community
representatives are:
Improving Access to Healthcare
Mental Health
Obesity/Nutrition/Healthy Lifestyles
Seniors/Aging in the Community
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR GRANTS?
Q. Must an organization be a 501 (c)(3) in order to apply for a
Mountainside Health Foundation grant?
A. Yes, although on rare occasions, the Foundation may support a program
sponsored by a public entity (e.g. public school) if it meets all other
Foundation criteria. This will be determined during the
pre-application
process.
Q. Where must an organization be located in order to be considered
for a grant?
A. Not-for-profit organizations located in or providing direct service
to the following communities may apply for grants: Montclair, Glen
Ridge, Essex Fells, Verona, Cedar Grove, Clifton, Bloomfield, Little
Falls, Nutley, Roseland, Fairfield, Caldwell, West Caldwell, North
Caldwell, and West Orange.
WHAT WILL THE MOUNTAINSIDE HEALTH
FOUNDATION SUPPORT?
Q. Will the Mountainside Health Foundation support programs outside
of its four priority areas?
A. Yes, occasionally the Foundation will consider proposals dealing with
other health care issues, provided the issues have been reviewed by the
Grants Committee and approved by the Foundation Board. Proposals for
areas outside of health care will not be considered.
Q. Will the Foundation consider proposals that cover more than one
priority area?
A. Yes, Mountainside Health Foundation encourages creative approaches to
problem solving, which bridge the boundaries of its priority areas. The
Foundation also encourages joint applications that demonstrate
collaboration between two or more organizations.
Q. What types of projects will be considered?
A. The Foundation will consider proposals for:
Direct service provision
Prevention education
Community education
Demonstration projects (designed to be replicated by other services
providers)
Pilot projects (which may result in new and better ways to provide
service)
Collaborative projects between 2 or more organizations
Research studies and capitals needs only if tied directly to our
priority health care funding areas.
Q. Will the Mountainside Health Foundation provide funding for a
project after the first year?
A. The Foundation will consider renewal grants for two years following
the initial grant. Thereafter, the organization is expected to continue
the project with funds from other sources or its own operating budget.
Q. What other types of grants will the Foundation make?
A. The Foundation will occasionally offer Challenge Grants whereby the
recipient organization will be required to raise matching funds from
other sources. We will also issue Requests for Proposals in our priority
health care funding areas.
Q. What will the Foundation not support?
A. The following will not be considered for funding and will not receive
support from the Mountainside Health Foundation:
Annual funds or general operating expenses
Lobbying or political causes
Religious activities and/or organizations that limit their services to
any one religious group or members of a specific sectarian perspective
Organizations that illegally discriminate on the basis of race,
gender, sexual orientation, creed, age, or national origin
Debt service
Individuals, unless it is a charitable scholarship or charitable
recognition award for services provided to the community.
HOW TO APPLY AND THE APPLICATION
PROCESS
Q. What is the first step in the application process?
A. Before submitting a full proposal, all applicants must first submit a
pre-application form and
copy of its 501(c)(3) verification letter from the Internal Revenue
Service. These should be submitted as hard copies via mail to the
Foundation offices.
Upon review of the pre-application, the Foundation staff will let
applicants know if a full grant
application may then be submitted, or if the proposal will not be
considered further.
Q. Where may a grant application be obtained and in what format
should it be submitted?
A. The Mountainside Health Foundation uses a version of the
NY/NJ Common
Application Form. One copy
of the application should be submitted electronically as indicated on
the form, and another hard copy should be mailed to the Foundation
offices along with all required attachments, as described on the
application form.
Q. May an applicant request a meeting to discuss its proposal?
A. An applicant may request a meeting with Foundation staff, which,
depending on the time of year and volume of pending proposals, may or
may not take place. The Foundation will try to accommodate most meeting
requests. The Foundation staff will contact an applicant if a meeting,
site visit, or conference call is required, or if additional materials
are needed. This will not occur with every proposal.
Q. How soon will a final decision be made?
A. In 2008, the Foundation’s first year in operation, applications will
be reviewed on a rolling basis, with decisions usually rendered within
three months. News about the Foundation’s grant cycles thereafter will
follow.
Q. How is payment received?
A. Grants will be awarded in two payments, 50% upon awarding of the
grant, and the remaining 50% after the grant recipient completes and
returns a 6 month progress report on the funded project. This reporting
form will be provided to the organization by the Mountainside Health
Foundation.
Q. Will applicants be informed of the reason(s) why a grant request
was not funded?
A. There is no formal process for notifying organizations why their
program was not supported by the Foundation. In many cases, however,
Foundation staff may be able to provide the organization with informal
feedback.
OTHER FAQ’S
Q. What is the Foundation’s average size grant?
A. Because this is the Mountainside Health Foundation’s first year in
operation, there is no history of grant making. The emphasis will be on
large impact grants, which will make a significant difference to the
recipient organization and to the delivery of healthcare.
Q. Will Mountainside Health Foundation make multi-year pledges?
A. The Foundation will consider making grant payouts over several years.
Payments after the first year will be contingent upon sufficient
progress of the funded program, as demonstrated in 6 month and year-end
reports.
Q. Is there a limit on the size of a grant that may be requested from
the Foundation?
A. There is no limit, but please keep in mind that the Foundation will
review many worthwhile applications each year, and will not be able to
earmark its entire budget for only one or two programs. The Foundation
will not provide 100% of any organization’s budget.
Q. Is there a limit on the budget size of organizations that may
apply?
A. There is no limit. Mountainside Health Foundation welcomes proposals
from organization of all budget sizes.
Q. May one organization apply for more than one grant during any
given grant cycle?
A. Organizations may apply for multiple grants as long as they are not
duplicative and fall within the Foundation’s funding criteria.
REACHING THE FOUNDATION
Contact information is below. The preferred form of communication is e-mail, although Foundation staff is happy to speak with representatives
of organizations about their programs and to answer questions as time
permits.
Kathy Smith
Grants Program Officer
(973) 746-6130 x14
ksmith@mshfoundation.org
Mountainside Health Foundation
1 Bay Avenue
Montclair, NJ 07042 |
