Funding for $6 million is available from the Golden LEAF Foundation and six other North Carolina partners to support the second year of the Rural Hope initiative. Rural Hope is designed to spur economic activity in the healthcare sector while improving the availability and quality of healthcare services in rural communities.
Under the initiative, grants and loans will assist in the construction and renovation of new or existing healthcare facilities and to purchase new equipment for existing or for new healthcare facilities. These projects include but are not limited to hospitals, urgent care centers, rural health clinics, hospices, elder care facilities, public health departments, free clinics, physicians, dentists, vision care specialists, and mental healthcare providers.
In addition to Golden LEAF, the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, USDA Rural Development, and the Appalachian Regional Commission will provide grants and loans for rural healthcare projects. Other key partners include the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, the North Carolina Office of Rural Health and Community Care, and the North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund.
The partners are looking for projects that will:
• Leverage other funds
• Result in permanent full time jobs
• Serve populations in the tobacco-dependent, economically distressed areas or rural communities
• Serve unmet needs that are clearly identified in the community
• Contribute to the long-term sustainability of the healthcare facility
Eligible applicants must be governmental and 501© (3) nonprofit healthcare entities. Private health providers and for profit facilities wishing to apply must partner with a governmental unit in order to submit a pre-application.
The application process involves two steps. The first step is to submit a pre-application. All pre-applications must be received no later than Monday November 15. The second step will begin when members of the Rural Hope Funding Collaborative meet and review all completed pre-applications. Based on this review, competitive applicants will be invited by November 23, 2010 to submit an application and will need to submit a completed application by December 17, 2010.
The maximum amount likely to be awarded to any project is $500,000. The average grant however, is likely to be much lower and probably average around $170,000.
For more information, contact Terri Bryant Adou-Dy at tbryant@goldenleaf.org or call (888) 684-8404.
