First Community Health Foundation is a private foundation based in Duluth, Minnesota, that does business as The Victory Fund. Its stated mission is to help communities in northeastern Minnesota address chronic health issues; its website identifies addiction recovery and dementia care as its main funding focuses.
Key facts about First Community Health Foundaton
In short: First Community Health Foundaton gave $622K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $57K), mostly in Minnesota. 36% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 41-0635532
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $621,960
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- Average grant
- $56,542
- Median grant
- $50,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (4 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Total assets
- $6,860,101
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- For grants, the website directs eligible organizations to discuss eligibility with the Executive Director and submit a completed application by email, along with six copies by mail or hand delivery. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The website lists grant proposal deadlines of January 31 and July 31, with reviews on the fourth Tuesdays of February…
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$6.9M
-4.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$622K
-28.1% YoY
Grant Count
11
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$57K
-28.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, First Community Health Foundaton reported a distributable amount of $338K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is First Community Health Foundaton open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 11 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $47K; repeat grants $62K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 45% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 54% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 301% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s website says its mission is to help communities find solutions to chronic health issues in northeastern Minnesota. It identifies addiction recovery and dementia care as its two main focuses. In its 2025 filing, it also described direct work supporting dementia-friendly community connections through the Victory Chorus and providing CPR and mental-health and substance-use emergency training in rural communities.
Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied services. For example, Recovery Alliance Duluth describes its work as expanding recovery support services, education, and peer recovery training. Well Being Development says it provides behavioral-health education and resources for people working on recovery from chronic mental illness and addiction. Harm Reduction Sisters describes a harm-reduction response to substance use and trauma. Other recipients include organizations providing ambulance services, housing, and support for homeless youth.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 11 grants totaling $621,960. Grants ranged from $15,000 to $125,000, with a median of $50,000. The largest awards included $125,000 to Recovery Alliance Duluth for internal operations; $75,000 each to First Witness for general operating support and Well Being Development to support Northern Lights Sober Living; and $50,000 each to Lake County Ambulance Service for a high school EMT program, Center City Housing for permanent housing, the Minnesota Sixth District Treatment Court for a coordinator, Harm Reduction Sisters for general operating support, and CHUM for enhanced training.
The website says grant proposals are accepted and reviewed twice yearly. Its listed schedule is a January 31 submission deadline with review on the fourth Tuesday of February, and a July 31 deadline with review on the fourth Tuesday of August. Those 2026 dates have passed. The website instructs eligible tax-exempt organizations to discuss eligibility with the Executive Director, then email a completed application and mail or hand-deliver six copies. The stated geographic eligibility area is Northern Minnesota counties listed below.
The foundation also offers two scholarships with separate eligibility requirements. The Founders’ Fund Scholarship is described as a $1,000 award paid in two annual installments; eligible applicants must pursue a qualifying health-care field and be a Lake Superior School District graduate or Lake County resident. Its listed April 15 annual deadline for 2026 has passed. The Dr. Jerry Church Community Health Sustainer’s Award is also described as a $1,000 scholarship paid in two annual installments. The website’s scholarship page specifies eligible nursing or medical programs, a rural health-care career goal, and qualifying county residency or high school graduation; its listed April 15 annual deadline for 2026 has passed.
Review Cycle
The website lists grant proposal deadlines of January 31 and July 31, with reviews on the fourth Tuesdays of February and August, respectively. Its scholarship pages list April 15 as the annual deadline.
How to Apply
For grants, the website directs eligible organizations to discuss eligibility with the Executive Director and submit a completed application by email, along with six copies by mail or hand delivery. The foundation’s 2025 filing says scholarship applicants may apply online or submit a downloaded application by mail.
Ready to take the next step with First Community Health Foundaton?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The website limits grant requests to eligible tax-exempt organizations operating in Cook, Lake, St. Louis, Carlton, Itasca, Northern Pine, and Koochiching counties in northern Minnesota. All 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $31K (2019) to $865K (2024). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $622K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Recovery Alliance Duluth ($125K). Together the top 10 received $607K.
Grant Size Distribution
54 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 30 grants of 54 (56%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery Alliance Duluth Duluth, MN | Support Internal Operations | $125,000 |
| First Witness Duluth, MN | General Operating Support | $75,000 |
| Well Being Development ELY, MN | Support Northern Lights Sober Living | $75,000 |
| Lake County Ambulance Service Two Harbors, MN | Create High School EMT Program | $50,000 |
| Center City Housing Duluth, MN | Support Provide Permanent Housing | $50,000 |
| MN Sixth Distrcit Treament Court Duluth, MN | Support Coordinator | $50,000 |
| Harm Reduction Sisters Duluth, MN | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
| Chum Duluth, MN | Enhanced Training | $50,000 |
| Life House Duluth, MN | General Operating Support | $45,000 |
| North Shore Partners Silver Bay, MN | Program Support Dementia | $36,960 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $6,860,101 | $546,183 | $1,052,285 | $621,960 |
| 2024 | $7,193,810 | $367,561 | $1,261,285 | $865,422 |
| 2023 | $7,350,361 | $262,629 | $927,990 | $551,500 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $6,860,101 | $7,193,810 | $7,350,361 |
| Revenue | $546,183 | $367,561 | $262,629 |
| Expenses | $1,052,285 | $1,261,285 | $927,990 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,019,176 | $1,226,428 | $888,079 |
| Net Investment Income | $502,555 | $325,767 | $208,508 |
| Distributable Amount | $338,343 | $356,366 | $358,684 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 22, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Diane Holliday-Welsh as chair, Beth Elstad as vice chair, Barbara Caskey as secretary, Greg Kvam as chief financial officer, and Gena Bossert, Greg Ruberg, and Dianne Witten as directors. The website identifies Katherine McNamara-Heimbach as executive director and Barbara Caskey as secretary/treasurer.
First Community Health Foundaton is led by Diane Holliday-Welsh, Chair since 2021 (on filings since 2019); all 8 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Diane Holliday-Welsh
Chair
Vice Chair → Chair, 2021
On filings since 2019
1.4 hrs/week
$1K (2019) → $2K (2025)
Greg Ruberg
Director
On filings since 2020
1.3 hrs/week
$2K (2020) → $1K (2025)
Dianne Witten
Director
On filings since 2023
1.3 hrs/week
$1K (2023) → $1K (2025)
Gena Bossert
Director
On filings since 2024
1.3 hrs/week
$1K (2024) → $750 (2025)
Beth Elstad
Vice Chair
Former Vice Chair → Director, 2020
Director → Vice Chair, 2021
On filings since 2019
1.4 hrs/week
$59K (2019) → $1K (2025)
Gregory S. Kvam
Chief Financ
Director → Chief Financ, 2023
On filings since 2019
1.4 hrs/week
$1K (2019) → $1K (2025)
Kathy McNamara-Heimbach
Executive Di
Executive Director → Executive Di, 2023
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$93K (2019) → $110K (2025)
Barbara Caskey
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
1.4 hrs/week
$1K (2020) → $2K (2025)
Former officers (3)
- Former: Gary Olson (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Thomas Hystead (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Julie Stone (2019–2022) — Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $110K, to Kathy McNamara-Heimbach (Executive Di). 8 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Application contact: Kathy Mcnamara-Heimbach
Mailing address: 130 West Superior Street, Suite 700, Duluth, MN 55802
Phone: (218) 727-9872
Email: kheimbach@thevictoryfund.org
Frequently asked questions about First Community Health Foundaton
How much does First Community Health Foundaton give each year?
First Community Health Foundaton gave $622K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $865K across 11 grants.
What is First Community Health Foundaton's typical grant size?
First Community Health Foundaton's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $56,542, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from First Community Health Foundaton that year got $47K on average.
Where does First Community Health Foundaton give grants?
First Community Health Foundaton gives mostly in Minnesota: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Duluth, MN (8 grants).
Does First Community Health Foundaton give general operating support?
Yes: 27% of First Community Health Foundaton's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are First Community Health Foundaton's largest grantees?
First Community Health Foundaton's largest 2025 grantees include Recovery Alliance Duluth ($125,000), First Witness ($75,000) and Well Being Development ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is First Community Health Foundaton?
First Community Health Foundaton reported $6.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $338K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does First Community Health Foundaton fund?
The foundation’s website says its mission is to help communities find solutions to chronic health issues in northeastern Minnesota. It identifies addiction recovery and dementia care as its two main focuses. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from First Community Health Foundaton?
For grants, the website directs eligible organizations to discuss eligibility with the Executive Director and submit a completed application by email, along with six copies by mail or hand delivery. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is First Community Health Foundaton's EIN?
First Community Health Foundaton's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-0635532. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching First Community Health Foundaton by hand.
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