Our focus Areas
Strengthen organizations
Improve community assets
Support local decision-making
Balancing Our Local Focus and Broader Impact
Center of Falls Village, Connecticut.
Photo by Anne Day.
Our region includes organizations with varying geographic scopes. Generally, we prioritize committing unrestricted grant funds to organizations with a concerted focus on our catchment area. We believe that these grants enable organizations to address their most critical needs and opportunities as they arise and improve conditions for the residents that live in our 17-town rural region.
We have also provided program-restricted funding to organizations with a larger geographic footprint, recognizing that creating change often requires efforts beyond our local community. Historically this has included support for advocacy and network-based initiatives.
Our aim is to balance local impact with broader regional or statewide initiatives that benefit our community.
We also understand that determining a nonprofit’s geographic eligibility can be cloudy at times. Please contact FCH’s Program Lead, Sarah Allyn, with any questions related to this topic.
Eligibility
We work so that all aspects of our community support the conditions required for health, well-being, and equity. While we utilize a broad range of strategies to meet our mission, there are some initiatives and activities that the foundation does not fund.
We fund
- Organizations or initiatives consistent with the mission, vision, values, and funding priorities of the foundation
- Organizations or fiscally sponsored projects with IRS 501(c)3 tax exempt status
- State and municipal agencies
We do not fund
- Organizations or projects that do not benefit residents in our geographic area
- Individuals, Endowments, Private Foundations, Service Clubs or Membership Organizations
- Fundraising events, including direct mail campaigns
- Debt retirement, operating deficits, or after-the-fact support
- Programs by faith-based institutions that have a spiritual and/or theological component
- Organizations or projects that unlawfully discriminate with regard to employees, volunteers, delivery of programs or services, or clients served based on age, sex, religion/creed, race, color, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, marital status, military or veterans’ status, pregnancy, genetic information or any other basis
Norfolk, Connecticut.
Photo by Shana Sureck.
Current opportunities
Staff of Brooker Memorial. Brooker is a long-standing grantee partner of FCH, through their School-Based Oral Health Program which serves several school districts in Litchfield County.
Photo by Anne Day.
How to apply
Long Standing Investments
At FCH, approximately 25% of our grantmaking is dedicated to long-standing investments that operate outside our competitive application process. We proudly maintain these established partnerships with selected organizations delivering critical services throughout our region, providing reliable funding without requiring formal applications. These strategic commitments ensure consistent support for essential programs that directly improve community well-being while allowing our partners to focus on their important work rather than grant cycles.
Prescription Assistance
Since 2004, FCH has invested in prescription assistance for income-eligible residents who struggle to afford their medications. Our Prescription Assistance Program provides direct financial support through three community partners who administer the program: Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County, The Healthcare Consortium, and Salisbury Family Services. The Prescription Assistance Program is primarily funded through dedicated funds established at the time FCH was created, with the foundation supplementing from unrestricted sources in years community need exceeds the restricted resources available.
Rural Transportation
Transportation in rural communities represents a critical lifeline for residents, connecting them not only to essential non-emergency medical appointments but also to grocery stores and other vital services that support their well-being. Without reliable transportation options, rural residents—particularly seniors and those with limited mobility—face significant barriers to accessing preventative healthcare, maintaining proper nutrition, and participating in community life.
Since identifying transportation as a key healthcare barrier in our 2004 community assessment, FCH has taken a strategic approach to supporting transportation providers through various capacity-building efforts. Beyond direct operational funding, we’ve invested in needs assessments, efficiency studies, and operational improvements to help our partners better serve the community.
Through continued partnerships with Geer Senior Village Community, The Healthcare Consortium, and North East Community Center, we’re working to ensure that geographic isolation doesn’t prevent residents from accessing the care and resources they need to thrive.
School-Based Oral Health
Since 2007, FCH has supported school-based oral health services as a key funding priority, beginning with Brooker Memorial’s pioneering program – the first of its kind in Litchfield County. Today, Brooker operates this vital service in Region 1 and 7 school districts, while our partner Sun River Health provides dental care to students in Dutchess County’s Dover Union Free School District. These programs deliver essential preventative oral care directly in schools, benefiting both children and families – children gain improved self-esteem, fewer absences, and avoid more serious dental procedures, while parents and caregivers are spared the challenges of scheduling appointments, taking time off work, and arranging transportation. By integrating healthcare services within educational settings, we’re building on existing community assets to increase access to health.
Explore past grants
Learn more about our grantee partners and work happening throughout our region.
Explore grants