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A Catalyst for Collaboration and Innovation
CHIP Application Deadline Approaching
To date, some 16 Western North Carolina nonprofit service providers and/or government agency leaders have taken the first step toward partnering with us to improve the health and well-being of all in our region.

There's still time to share your innovative ideas around health and wellness with us. Our Collaborative Health Innovation Program (CHIP) grant application window will remain open until 3 p.m. August 12.

Through CHIP our goal is to invest in collaborative projects that include innovative approaches to decreasing inequities or disparities in the areas of healthcare, wellness, education, and economic stability. Successful applicants will be granted up to $50,000 to implement their projects, which will work inclusively with their communities, make the most of existing resources, and collaborate with at least one other organization to achieve their goals.
Removing Barriers to Vaccinations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on July 27 updated its masking guidance to include recommending everyone, even fully vaccinated individuals, wear masks indoors where the COVID-19 transmission rate is considered substantial or high. Additionally, the CDC has recommended all schools mandate masks for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, primarily because children under 12 are not among those currently being offered vaccinations.

These recommendations followed evidence that the COVID virus is continuing to negatively impact unvaccinated individuals, coupled with the unknown transmission factors around the Delta variant as it relates to those who are fully vaccinated.

Because most of WNC is classified as areas where substantial or high transmission rates are possible, these new recommendations apply locally. However, by increasing overall vaccination rates in these areas, we will continue our progress toward virus eradication and a return to normalcy as we approach the fall and winter months ahead.

How Your Service Organization Can Help

In response to questions from numerous human service organizations for specific actions they can take to increase vaccination rates, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services has provided the following:

  1. Become a vaccine ambassador in your community by sharing factual information about the vaccine;
  2. Meet people where they are;
  3. Help people find and be transported to vaccine locations;
  4. Partner with a vaccine provider to help reach marginalized populations; and
  5. Host a community vaccine event in partnership with a vaccine provider.

Details about how your organization can join the effort to increase vaccination rates can be found in the link below.
Congressional SDOH Caucus Seeks Your Input
Four members of the U.S. Congress -- including Rep. G.K. Butterfield of eastern North Carolina -- gathered on July 21 to officially launch the newly established Congressional Social Determinants of Health Caucus. Their mandate to is explore opportunities to improve the impact of services delivered to address social determinants with the support of federal funding. The caucus will work to amplify evidence-based approaches to holistic well-being.

Specifically, the Congressional SDOH Caucus will:
  • Shine a spotlight on how COVID-19 has had a disparate impact on certain populations and communities, including people with social needs;
  • Convene bipartisan thought leaders to educate caucus members on the evidence around social determinants, why it is necessary to explore, and what’s currently working;
  • Collect input and feedback from community-based organizations, health, public health, and social service organizations, and state and local government leaders on how best to facilitate effective social determinant interventions, and how Congress can take action to advance this work; 
  • Discuss bipartisan legislative efforts to address social determinant challenges across multiple committees of jurisdiction; and 
  • Highlight priorities on behalf of interested members of Congress to external stakeholders and the Executive branch.

To begin their work, Caucus members are seeking feedback on challenges and opportunities related to social determinants of health. Use the link below to share your thoughts before the September 21 deadline.
Increasing Government Literacy
Anyone else out there aspiring to 'learn something new every day?' Yes? Great, glad to hear it.

If learning more about how our government functions has been on your to-do list -- because high school was a long time ago, because you want to get more involved, or because you want to understand more about why and how legislative work gets done on the local, state, and federal levels -- the Civics 101 podcast is an easy way to learn more without needing to crack open a textbook.

This podcast is also an amazing resource for educators who will be re-entering the classroom soon with a goal to engage, empower, and educate our country's next generation of productive citizens and leaders.
Take Our Government Literacy Quiz
From the most basic to the minutia of how our government works, Civics 101 breaks down its lesson plans into bite-size, easy-to-understand episodes. For a taste of how this free podcast works, take this one-question quiz, then click on the image below to learn more about the answer.
How many ways are there to amend the U.S. Constitution?
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Partners Making Progress:
Hospice House Foundation of WCU
Hospice House
To date, Nantahala Health Foundation has invested more than $72,000 in an effort to expand hospice services in Western North Carolina.

Hospice House of WNC is an in-patient facility currently under construction in Franklin. (This photo was taken in April 2021.) Its goal is to improve access to quality end-of-life care, provide respite care (temporary institutional care of a sick individual, providing relief for the caregiver), help caregivers get the support and rest they need to stay well, and expand mental health support.

Hospice House Foundation of WNC was formed in 2005 by a group of volunteers, including medical and business professionals and faith community members, who, in the course of their various experiences, recognized a critical need for an in-patient facility located in WNC. One of the group's first acts was to purchase the former Dryman home and property on Maple Street, where construction of the six-bed facility has been underway since early 2019. The project is estimated to be more than 80% complete, with an opening date anticipated for later this fall.
Our Funding Priorities
Our grant-making priorities are designed to create a strong network of organizations by investing in your strategies to remove barriers to health.
Meet Our Partners
At Nantahala Health Foundation, we build partnerships with forward-thinking organizations focused on improving the overall health of the region. 
Our Values Statement

Our values speak to who we are as an organization and how we intend to achieve our mission. Read our full statement of values and let us know what you think.
Western North Carolinians are known for their generosity and their willingness to help neighbors in need. Please share this newsletter with all who would benefit from learning more about regional efforts to improve health and wellness.
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Following updated health and safety guidelines related to the spread of COVID-19, specifically the Delta variant, NHF staff are considering shifting again to mostly telework and conducting business through virtual platforms. Should we decide to move in this direction, however, we will continue to be accessible and minimize disruptions as much as possible. During this time, you may contact us through email or by leaving a message on our office voicemail, which will be forwarded to us and returned within 24-48 business hours.
Financial information about our organization and a copy of our license are available from the N.C. State Solicitation Licensing Section at (919) 807-2214. The license is not an endorsement by the State.