Dogwood Health Trust: General Operating Support

Overview

Dogwood Health Trust

Dogwood Health Trust was created in 2018, but our ethos was inspired by a tradition of caring for a community that is more than a century old and rooted in our Appalachian culture. Our founding board established our purpose to dramatically improve health and wellness, grounded in a deep commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Since our inception, the Dogwood board and staff have called on these traditions to shape how we work, across our Western North Carolina region, so that every generation can live, learn, earn and thrive – no exceptions.

Our Purpose

To dramatically improve the health and wellbeing of all people and communities of Western North Carolina.

Strategic Priorities

The best ideas for dramatically improving the health and wellbeing of the region come from the people who live and work in our local communities.

Dogwood invests in aligned organizations that advance efforts in our four strategic priorities of:

* housing
* education
* economic opportunity
* health & wellness

As we look ahead and respond to the opportunities and challenges from Hurricane Helene, Dogwood’s grantmaking will focus on:

* Capacity
* We’ll strengthen strategically aligned organizations and the people that lead them day-to-day through multi-year, unrestricted general operating support and capacity-building grants.
* Collaboration
* We’ll invest in innovative ideas and collaborative efforts led by organizations and communities responding to the challenges and opportunities in our post-Hurricane Helene environment.
* Connections
* We’ll convene and connect the leaders and organizations doing work across our four strategic priorities and across our region so that dynamic networks of new relationships and ways of working together emerge.
* Capital Attraction
* We’ll help our partners attract more financial resources from public and other philanthropic sources.

General Operating Support for Strategically Aligned Organizations

General operating support is funding for advancing an organization’s core mission, including building or growing programs, advocacy or policy efforts, or other uses. Organizations decide how to use funds and grant reporting is simplified.

Grant sizes will range from $50,000-$350,000/year for two years

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

* Strategically Aligned Organizations
* Serve Western North Carolina
* Advance Dogwood’s strategic priorities of housing, education, economic opportunity, and/or health & wellness
* Demonstrate a commitment to serve, engage with and reflect the voices and lived experiences of disinvested and disconnected people and communities.
* Who is eligible to apply:
* 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charities of all sizes that serve the Qualla Boundary and 18 counties of Western North Carolina
* Organizations can apply for General Operating Support, Capacity Building, and/or Collaboration & Innovation grant opportunities, as long as there is alignment with eligibility requirements and that Dogwood funding typically does not exceed 25% of total revenues over the last four tax years.

Ineligibility

* Who is not eligible:
* government and governmental organizations, colleges and universities, fiscal sponsor organizations, houses of worship and religious organizations
* As a private foundation, we are limited in some aspects of funding. 
* Generally, we do not fund:
* Direct payments to individuals.
* For-profit companies. 
* Work outside of our 18-county plus the Qualla Boundary service area.
* Organizations that do not align with our Purpose, Values and Guiding Principles and Commitment to Equity.
* Activities that supplant government sources of funding (e.g., capital to build or rehab government-owned buildings, infrastructure/maintenance, public services typically paid for through tax revenue).
* 100% of a capital request.
* Amounts that typically exceed 25% of an organization’s total revenues for the last four tax years (less any other grants from Dogwood during this period).
* This is referred to as “tipping.”

* Any programs that proselytize (attempt to convert people from one religious belief to another).