Community Health Charities of Nebraska (CHC-NE) is proud to announce that five of its 22 member charities received the 2018 grants from the Curt Gordon Memorial CHC-NE Foundation. These funds were awarded above and beyond the quarterly distributions that these charities are receiving from CHC-NE, which are provided by donors through the annual statewide campaign.
The Foundation Grant Committee awarded $9,000 in grants to the following programs and charities:
- Autism Action Partnership received funding for its Bridging the Gap training, which will train police officers and individuals with developmental disabilities to interact with each other. The grant will specifically fund the “BE SAFE” DVDs for individuals with autism.
- Arthritis Foundation Nebraska’s Family Juvenile Arthritis Day in September will be held at Bellevue Berry Farm and will be funded by the Foundation.
- Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska’s Unmasking Brain Injury project combines art, therapy and advocacy and gives individuals with brain injury the opportunity to share their story through the creation of a mask that tells their personal story. This is a traveling program and will be made possible thanks to support from the Foundation.
- Muscular Dystrophy Association of Nebraska was awarded funding to expand barrier- free activities at camp, including archery and kayaking.
- United Cerebral Palsy of Nebraska will be adding a new location of its Tech Tools Developmental Technology Library at Bryan Health West in Lincoln because of grant funds.
“The CHC-NE Board of Directors and the Foundation Committee are very pleased to award grants to these five recipients,” said Teresa Layton, State Board Chair. “These programs will expand health services across the state of Nebraska to provide more opportunities for people affected by chronic disease and their families.”
The purpose of the Foundation is to provide direct support for health programs whose impact would be vital to individuals and the community. These initiatives would not otherwise be possible through CHC-NE’s annual workplace giving campaigns or through current charity resources.
Community Health Charities of Nebraska established the CHC-NE Foundation in 1997 as a response to the ever-increasing needs for services from its member health charities. In July 2007, following the death of retired longtime CHC-NE President Curt Gordon, the Foundation was renamed in his honor. Previous grant recipients include: The ALS Association, Mid-America Chapter, Nebraska Kidney Association and Nebraska Chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation.
The CHC-NE Board of Directors is responsible for the Foundation’s management, including oversight of the distribution of funds through a grant-making process. Grants must meet identified needs with achievable and deliverable outcomes based on the following criteria:
- Funds must be used to expand existing programs or for new initiatives where the member charities’ current resources are not sufficient to meet the needs.
- All monies distributed through the Foundation must be used for funding very specific charity programs, and may not be used for annual operating costs.