Medical Center Foundation seeking help in making a 'healthier Hall'

GAINESVILLE - The Medical Center Foundation is looking for ways to make Hall County a healthier place and is now accepting funding proposals for its Healthy Journey III campaign. <br /> <br /> Led by The Medical Center Foundation Board of Trustees, this campaign will raise funds for health initiatives over the next three to five years. Woody Stewart is chairman of The Medical Center Foundation Board of Trustees.<br /> <br /> Since 1999, when the first Healthy Journey Campaign began, The Medical Center Foundation has raised a total of $25,305,085 for projects such as the W.D. Stribling Heart Clinic, The Ronnie Green Heart Center, Safe Kids Gainesville/Hall County, the CHOICE After-School Program at South Hall Middle School, Good News Clinics, Health Access Initiative, Pediatrics and much more. Findings from the 1998 and 2003 Healthy Hall Community Assessments helped identify unmet community needs.<br /> <br /> The vision of this project is to improve the health of the community, with the ultimate goal of making Hall County the healthiest community in Georgia.<br /> Proposals should be related to improving community health, with a primary focus on physical health. The minimum amount that proposals should request is $25,000. The anticipated funding cycle for the campaign is three years, but projects in need of one-time funding will be considered.<br /> <br /> The Medical Center Foundation is working with United Way of Hall County to discover worthy community projects that are not funded through United Way, or that may require support beyond that which is provided through United Way.<br /> <br /> Based on the findings of the 2007 Healthy Hall Community Assessment, the Hall County LIFE Report, Vision 2030 and Healthy People 2010, the Foundation is seeking proposals related to:<br /> <br /> · Improving access to health care, insurance, mental health services, disease prevention and dental care, especially for children and low-income adults;<br /> · Reduction of disparity between low-income citizens and others that produce barriers to health, education and quality of life;<br /> · Increased understanding of community services and resources;<br /> · Stronger families, effective parenting and prevention for youth at risk (substance abuse, teen pregnancy, etc.)<br /> · Outcome driven programs that promote healthy weight and good nutrition, especially for children.<br /> <br /> Criteria/Guidelines for Submission:<br /> <br /> · The Foundation will accept proposals only from nonprofit, tax exempt organizations for new or expanded programming, or for capital projects.<br /> <br /> · Any project/proposal submitted must be identified as a strong, compelling community need and have significant impact on a large number of people.<br /> <br /> · The program or project must positively impact the community's overall health and quality of life and have fundraising appeal.<br /> <br /> · Proposed projects must be related to one or more of the priority areas listed above. <br /> <br /> · Proposals must include an evaluation component to show how the program meets its objective. Recipients will be required to provide progress reports. A reporting schedule and funding disbursement plan will be developed jointly by The Medical Center Foundation and the recipient.<br /> <br /> · The Medical Center Foundation does not raise funds for other fundraising entities or for organizations that have their own Foundation.<br /> <br /> An information session to discuss details about applying for funding will be held at The Medical Center Foundation office on Thursday, April 17 at 11 a.m. Please RSVP for this session by calling Linda Hollifield at 770-533-8099. <br /> <br /> The deadline for submission is of proposals is Friday, May 16.<br /> <br /> The Medical Center Foundation Board, led by Woody Stewart, will review the proposals. They will focus on the extent to which the project will improve the health of the community, giving consideration to the potential appeal the project would have for fundraising. Communication regarding finalists who will present their proposal to the Foundation Board will take place this summer.<br /> For a full application or if you have questions, call Christy Moore, Manager of Community Health Improvement, at (770) 533-8099, or go to www.nghs.com.

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