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Executive Director's Corner
Have you ever experienced a series of seemingly random occurrences that really made you think, or as the 1990s hit says, “Things that make you go hmmm”? Well, I recently had such an experience. It started with a homework assignment in my Master of Jurisprudence in Health Law class on Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG). ESG is a framework or set of standards to assess a corporation’s impact on the environment, social practices that affect people, communities, and cultures, and its governance structure. The assignment was to view two documentaries, Chasing Coral and A Plastic Ocean. Both films had beautiful cinematography, which made the impacts of global warming even that much more vivid, urgent, and disturbing.
The second occurrence was listening to a local meteorologist state that winter 2023 was one of the warmest on record. Winter in the Midwest has been becoming more erratic, with 70+ degree days in February and winter snow storms in late March. This comports with findings in a 2023 Brushwood Center report entitled. “Health, Equity, and Nature: A Changing Climate in Lake County IL,” which states, “A warmer, wetter climate is here, and it’s impacting our health.” Decreased sleep quality, increased allergens, and vector-borne illness are a few of the ways that climate change is impacting our health.
The third occurrence was attending a Women’s History concert at the Brushwood Center over the weekend, where I had the opportunity to view the Vigilance exhibit on BIPOC environmental justice leaders. The art was powerful, evocative, and inspiring. Ironically, on the way home, driving up 94, near Lamb’s Farm, I spotted a singular plastic bag stuck in a tree, and it reminded me of A Plastic Ocean.
Now, we do not have to look to far-flung places or waterways to see the impact of pollution on our environment. We can look in our very own backyards and communities. The Brushwood report notes that the northeastern Lake County communities of Park City, Waukegan, and North Chicago are among the most overburdened in terms of health and environmental inequities. While Advocate Aurora Health’s 2022 Community Needs Assessment (CHNA) for Condell Medical Center points to the southwest and south central Lake County as having the highest particulate matter in Lake County. The CHNA explains that "particulate matter is one of the most dangerous pollutants because the particles can penetrate deep into the alveoli of the lungs" and that on the Particulate Matter Environmental Justice Index, Lake County rates higher than the state of Illinois but lower than the national average.
So, back to things that make me go, hmmm. Learning about ESG, climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, and international, national, and local health and environment inequities makes me think about Earth Day on April 22nd and the changes I can make to decrease pollution and improve the environment. I encourage you to consider what you, too, can do to make a difference!
Cheers!
Venoncia
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Writing the goals and objectives section of a grant proposal is usually a daunting task for a novice grant writer. So, here is a short course on overcoming this hurdle.
First, it is important not to confuse goals, objectives, and methods. A goal is an overall statement of intent, such as, “The overarching goal of the Healthcare for All initiative is to improve health outcomes for at-risk youth in Lake County.”
In contrast to goals, objectives are specific, measurable, and time-framed products or outcomes of activities proposed for funding through the grant. Objectives are often separated into “process objectives” (sometimes called “formative”) and “outcome objectives” (sometimes called “summative”). Process objectives could include such statements as “Healthcare for All initiative will serve a minimum of 100 youth annually.” Outcome objectives could include such statements as “A minimum 10% increase in understanding of emergency room use will be achieved annually by youth who participate in initiative activities.”
Methods are ways of accomplishing objectives, such as conducting individual assessments, providing educational programming, doctor’s visits, etc. Keep methods out of the goals/objectives section and discuss them in the project activities section.
HFNLC accepts both process and outcome objectives. However, objectives need to align with our Theory of Change. HFNLC’s Theory of change posits that by funding our grantee's programs:
· Community members will have better health outcomes through a positive health status change or health literacy. For example, less than 5% of clients will be admitted to the emergency department for wound infections.
· Community members will be connected to medical homes and insurance. For example, 100% of clients who do not have a medical home will be linked to one.
It is important to us that you are not creating new objectives just for our grants. We want the evaluation for our grant to fit into your existing evaluation framework. I am always happy to review your existing evaluation framework and brainstorm how it can fit into our Theory of Change.
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2024 Giving Tuesday Grants
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Applications Accepted Soon! | |
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Application is open from May 1- June 29
Giving Tuesday 2024 is Tuesday, December 3
We are excited to announce that HFNLC will offer Giving Tuesday matching grants again in 2024. Letters of Inquiry are not required. HFNLC will accept applications beginning June 1, 2024, and ending on June 30, 2024.
If awarded, this grant would match funds from new individual donors and the increased portion of donations from existing individual donors raised during any campaign between November 26, 2024, and December 17, 2024. Funds can be received through any online platform and via cash or check.
Other requirements are:
- Be a current HFNLC grantee - have received a grant within the last 12 months or are in your year off.
- Agree to apply HFNLC funds to health programs in northern Lake County.
- Submit a final report on basic metrics as well as lessons learned during your campaign. Final reports will be due January 10, 2025.
If you have any questions about this process, contact Angela Baran, HFNLC Program Officer.
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Facilitation Foundations online course (click to register)
This 10-week course uses highly interactive activities to build your capacity to facilitate meetings and coalitions that are efficient, effective, and lead to results. You will learn how to anticipate, prevent, and intervene in difficult situations to keep the group from derailing and halting progress. Additionally, you will explore structured strategies you can use to generate ideas, evaluate and select ideas, and make a group decision. The course starts on April 11. Cost: $385
HEALTH EQUITY: LGBTQ+ online course (click to register)
This updated introductory course is about understanding the issues; over seven weeks, we will examine ourselves and work together to better understand the experiences of those in the LGBTQ+ community. At the core of this course is the commitment to promote health equity and inclusivity for all. The course starts on April 16. Cost: FREE
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Funding Nonprofit Endowments as an Equity Strategy: Perspectives from Funders and Nonprofits
Apr 23, 2024 01:00 PM CST
Funding nonprofit endowments can be a tool to ensure an organization, advance equity, and shift power to frontline organizations. However, according to new Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) research, endowment giving remains relatively rare and represents a tiny fraction of foundation giving.
CEP's research also reveals that advancing equity has not been a primary consideration among foundations that fund endowments. A new report from The Bridgespan Group offers an example of how one foundation—the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation—is using endowment grantmaking as a tool to advance equity and its impact on nonprofits.
In this webinar, we explore the how and why of endowment funding from both funder and nonprofit perspectives, including:
• U.S. foundation practices in endowment giving
• How funding endowments can foster nonprofit sustainability and advance equitable social change
• The Robert Wood Johnson approach to endowment funding as a tool to advance equity.
Drawing on new CEP and Bridgespan research, this webinar will apply fresh data to an old yet rarely deployed tool in the grantmaker's toolkit.
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With just a few weeks left until the big event, you are invited to register today for the annual Collective Impact Action Summit, which will take place online from April 30 to May 2, 2024.
This year’s Summit will gather more than 1,000 leaders from across the globe to share ideas and practical examples of how to create equitable systems, as well as lessons learned on how collective impact efforts can connect with, bolster, and learn from movement building.
For funders who register, a Funder Pre-Conference will be held on Monday, April 29, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. This pre-conference will offer an opportunity for funders to explore their role in equity-centered, place-based systems change work.
The Funder Pre-Conference will feature presentations and discussion on the importance of philanthropy actively supporting movement building as a complement and supplement to local collective impact efforts, how philanthropic organizations can effectively contribute to movement building, the necessary shifts in philanthropic practices to support movement, and the significant wins that can be accomplished.
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Northwestern Medicine seeks a full-time LCSW/LSW social worker at its Gurnee Clinic. For more information, click the 'Apply Here' button below. |
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Grantee Spotlight
If you have a success story, news, or event you'd like HFNLC to publicize, please send it our way. We'll consider sharing your entries through HFNLC's monthly e-newsletter.
If possible, include pictures or graphic designs. Send your entries to Meredith Polirer at meredith.polirer@hfnlc.org.
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OUR MISSION
The Healthcare Foundation of Northern Lake County supports efforts that improve access to health services for underserved Lake County, Illinois, residents. We strive to improve the health status of uninsured, underinsured, and medically underserved residents.
We are especially interested in addressing gaps in health services, increasing the capacity of effective organizations and programs, and fostering innovative solutions to persistent healthcare access problems.
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Questions about the Healthcare Foundation of Northern Lake County? Contact: | | | | |
