community wellbeing

Sharon Hospital was sold to for-profit Essent Health, Inc. and Connecticut law required that the $16 million proceeds go to a non-profit organization dedicated to community health.

Foundation for Community Health was created to steward these public assets for the benefit of the 17-town region served by the hospital.

The newly formed FCH Board, led by John Charde, MD, initiated a community needs assessment and hired FCH’s first Executive Director, Nancy L. Heaton.

Together, they formulated FCH’s first strategic plan, which prioritized access to health, prevention, and collaboration.

FCH awarded its first grants, which focused on transportation, emergency medical services, and access to behavioral and oral health services.

Among these was a prevention focused school-based oral health program that has grown to serve most K-8 schools in our community.

After Medicaid was expanded and the Affordable Care Act passed, FCH played a critical role in ensuring local access by supporting a successful, regional in-person health insurance enrollment program.

In our first decade, FCH built critical community relationships which resulted in the creation of the first regional Dial-a-Ride service in eastern Dutchess County, NY, the first Nursing Program at Northwestern Connecticut Community College, and a dental practice in Amenia, NY.

A 2014 change in federal law required FCH to change our IRS status from Type II to a Type I Supporting Organization.

This years-long long transition ultimately led to a broader, deeper relationship between FCH and three community foundations in our region: Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, and Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation.

FCH made two significant investments in healthcare access during this time. First, $3 million was granted toward the purchase and non-profit conversion of Sharon Hospital. Second, FCH granted $1.3 million toward the establishment of a Federally Qualified Community Health Center in North Canaan, CT.

FCH joined the rest of the world in rising to meet an unprecedented health challenge in the COVID-19 pandemic and made 25 grants totaling more than $230,000 as part of our COVID-19 Rapid Response Grant Program.

We also released all restrictions with existing grants and partnered with two funder collaboratives to strengthen local philanthropy’s response in our region. Our Covid-19 Rapid Response grantmaking demonstrated that responsive and mostly unrestricted funding enabled organizations to better respond to the needs of their constituents.

FCH created a new strategic framework, focusing the foundation’s efforts towards the underlying conditions that influence health.

Through this process, we also committed to Trust-Based Philanthropy, recognizing that true long-term impact requires trust-based relationships with our partners.

Grantee perception surveys indicate that FCH is on the right path to deepening our relationships with our local non-profit neighbors.

We’ve made great strides in adopting the principles of trust-based philanthropy, initiated new grantmaking programs that reflect our values, and continue to strengthen local organizations and decision-making.

As we enter into our third decade, we’re dedicated to deepening our relations with, and support of, our community’s non-profit sector and serving as a true partner in helping our region

Thrive.