We prioritize programs explicitly serving Ashland, Talent, and/or Phoenix that align with our community’s needs as identified through the Community Health Improvement Plan (for Jackson and Josephine Counties.) These priorities include:

• Access to Health Care
• Access to Behavioral Health Services
• Community Building

Projects of special interest include those that:

• Provide services for children, seniors, vulnerable, and/or historically excluded and underrepresented individuals and groups
• Promote health equity
• Are collaborative and/or creative
• Improve systems and infrastructure
• Are trauma-informed
• Foster belonging
• Achieve positive health outcomes

Grants will not be made for the following purposes:

• Debt retirement or operational deficits
• General fund
• Events and sponsorships
• Projects that have already been completed
• Projects with a fiscal agent 

To be eligible for funding an organization must meet the following criteria:

• Be a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, including Tribal and government entities, that is classified as a public charity under section 509(a) 1 or 2 of the United States tax code or have a nonprofit 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor with a documented agreement. 
  • Groups or projects with a fiscal sponsor must include a copy of their memorandum of understanding or a letter signed by the fiscal sponsor’s executive director or board president in their application.
  • The administrative fee taken by the fiscal sponsor shall not exceed 10%.

• Explicitly serve the Ashland, Talent, and/or Phoenix populations.

• Agree to and maintain a nondiscrimination policy that does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, disability, marital status, genetic information, veteran status and other factors protected by law.
  
• The program or service is secular and does not proselytize or witness to clients.

1. Review the foundation’s eligibility and guidelines carefully.
2. Login or create an account for the ACHF online application system.
3. Complete the Letter of Intent (LOI) and submit it by the January 31 deadline.
4. Await a response to the LOI, which usually takes seven business days.
5. If approved, complete the entire application and submit it using the online application system by the February 28 deadline.
6. Final grant decisions will be made 8 to 10 weeks after the close of the application and funding will be issued promptly.

Final grant reports are due 12 months after the date of the award date, and an interim progress may also be assigned. Organizations that received grants in 2025 that are applying again will be required to submit their final report during the 2026 application phase.

If you have questions, please reach out to nicole.gutrich@achfoundation.org. We welcome any inquiries and will be as responsive as possible. If you want to have a chat before you apply, we welcome that, but it is not a requirement prior to submitting your LOI.

My organization received a grant last year, can I apply again this year?
Yes, returning grantees can apply again. Each year, however, applications are reviewed in relation to our current year priorities. As such, organizations may not be funded every year and should not rely on ACHF as a source of annual revenue.

Can my organization apply for annual operating support?
No. ACHF does not provide general fund/annual operating support.

What are the required attachments?

• IRS 501(c)3 Determination Letter
  This letter is an official document issued to eligible nonprofit organizations by the IRS. View a sample letter here.
• Project Budget
  The project budget is required and needs to include expenses and anticipated revenue sources to fully fund the project. You may use your own budget form or use the sample budget form template provided.
• Evaluation Tool
  The tool you will use to measure and evaluate your project or your organization’s own success is required. You may use your own measurement tool or use one like the example provided. Suggested measurements include utilization rates over time, percentage increases, satisfaction scores, and beyond.
• Letters of support
  A letter of support is optional. If your organization is fiscally sponsored by another nonprofit, then you are required to provide a copy of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) or a letter from the sponsor’s board chair or executive director. The MOU and/or letter should include the fiscal sponsor’s fee.

Terminology
Some questions on the application refer to health equity, innovation, and social drivers of health. It is important that everyone has a shared understanding of what ACHF means by these terms.

• Community Health refers to a collaborative approach to promote preventative care, improve systems and infrastructure, and support capacity-building activities to achieve positive health outcomes and well-being for all, especially for populations that are marginalized.
• Health Equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. This requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences, including powerlessness, and lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments, and health care. [source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation]
• Innovation, as defined by ACHF, increases or improves access to care and services through emerging or creative problem-solving approaches or practices
• Social Drivers of Health are defined as the conditions in the environment where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality of life outcomes and risks. [source: health.gov]
• Trauma Informed Care (TIC) is an approach, based on knowledge of the impact of trauma, aimed at ensuring environments and services are welcoming and engaging for recipients and staff. [source: trauminformedoregon.org]

What if the contact person for our organization has changed?
If the organization has a new contact person email info@achfoundation.org with the updated information and we will assist you.

I need technical assistance with the online application.
Contact info@achfoundation.org and someone will get back to you promptly.