Foundation for Seacoast Health Grant: Fall Responsive Grant

Foundation for Seacoast Health Grant: Fall Responsive Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Foundation For Seacoast Health
Amount: Up to US $15,000
Last Updated: February 25, 2026

Summary

The Foundation for Seacoast Health is inviting proposals for its Fall Responsive Grant cycle, focusing on enhancing nonprofit capacity and addressing urgent health issues. Organizations not previously funded in 2024 are eligible, while those that were funded are excluded. The grant aims to support initiatives raising awareness of health disparities and fostering collaborations. With a total of $100,000 available, applicants can request up to $15,000 for new or existing programs. Detailed guidelines are provided for potential applicants.

Overview

Now Accepting Fall Responsive Grant Proposals Organizations that have not yet submitted a grant request to the Foundation in 2024, are eligible to apply. Please see below for further information.Organizations that applied for a grant in one of our previous 2024 grant cycles, and did not receive funding, will be considered for this application cycle on an invitation only basis. Invited organizations will be notified no later than November 8, 2024, and will not be required to re-submit an application.Organizations that received a grant from the Foundation in 2024 are not eligible to participate in this grant cycle. Fall 2024 Responsive Grant Overview The Foundation’s Fall Responsive Grants will prioritize the following: Strengthening the capacity of nonprofit organizationsSupporting urgent or emerging health related issues and needsAddressing the following specific issues that require attention and for which there is inadequate funding:Raising public awareness of barriers to improving healthAddressing health disparities or equity issuesSupporting coalitions, convenings and public/private partnerships Please refer to our Grant Making Guidelines below for more information.We expect to award $100,000 during this grant cycle. The maximum request is $15,000 and organizations are encouraged to apply for new or existing programs.

Eligibility

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Application Details

Foundation for Seacoast Health Grant Making Guidelines
Grant Eligibility
A. Eligibility: The Foundation for Seacoast Health makes grants to the following types of organizations
whose efforts improve the health and wellbeing of individuals in one of the nine communities within the
Foundation’s service area (Portsmouth, Newington, New Castle, Greenland, Rye, and North
Hampton, NH; and Kittery, Eliot, and York, ME):
a. Those currently qualified as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code Section 501 (c)(3) and
are not private foundations as defined under Section 509 (a).
b. Entities which are supported through public dollars and impact health such as municipalities,
schools, and colleges.
c. Consortiums or community partnerships with a fiscal agent or sponsoring agency.
i. If your organization/project is not a 501(c)(3) entity and plans to use a fiscal sponsor,
that sponsor should send a cover letter with the proposal indicating support for the
project/program/service. This step is necessary as the fiscal sponsor will be
considered the grantee.
d. The following types of requests are typically not eligible for funding:
i. Support of political activities
ii. Support of sectarian religious programs
iii. Grants to individuals
iv. Short or long-term loans or re-payment of financial obligations
v. Grants for capital expenditures or capital and endowment campaigns
1. May be considered case-by-case based on the Foundation’s other commitments.
vi. Those submitted by for-profit organizations or programs operated by, or for the benefit
of, for-profit organizations.
B. Types of Grants: The Foundation offers the following types of grants. However, in any given year,
grant decisions are made based on the merits of the program as well as the other known financial
commitments and obligations of the Foundation. Grants are funded through the Foundation’s
endowment and a donor advised fund established at Vanguard Charitable. These grant guidelines are
followed for all grants authorized by Foundation Trustees.
Strategic Grants must fall into a funding priority area and typically will be in response to a request
for proposal (RFP). RFPs will be issued intermittently and will be announced on the Foundation’s
website. Initial application often follows a discussion with the CEO. In some cases, organizations or
community partnerships will be invited to apply for a strategic grant by the CEO or Community
Investment Committee as a result of prior work and/or success.
In the strategic grant program, the Foundation is seeking ideas or solutions that have the potential
to make a lasting impact on the health of individuals, families, or the community. Funding may

support new or existing projects. These grants are provided as either general operating or program
grants based on the needs of the grantee. In order to achieve the desired impact, strategic grants
are often awarded more than one year.
The application process for a strategic grant is more robust than our responsive grants and requires
submission of a detailed budget as well as explanation of expected impact. Applicants will have the
opportunity to present their project to the Foundation’s Community Investment Committee (CIC). In
addition, the Foundation CEO and/or CIC members may make site visits prior to an organization
being awarded a strategic grant.
Responsive Grants are intended to be flexible and responsive to the needs of the community.
Applications for responsive grants will be accepted twice each year in response to a grant
announcement. The maximum request is $15,000 and proposals need not fall into a funding priority
area. A nonprofit organization can only receive one responsive grant per calendar year. The
responsive grant process uses a simplified application and will be expedited with decisions typically
made within 45 days of the grant deadline.
An organization may bring an urgent need to the attention of the CEO at any time throughout the
year. If the CEO deems that the community may be negatively impacted if funding is delayed until
the next scheduled responsive grant cycle, she/he may invite the organization to apply off-cycle. An
urgent need is often identified as a result of a natural disaster or public health crisis.
Responsive grants prioritize the following:
i. Strengthen the capacity of nonprofit organizations.
1. This includes the Foundation’s workforce development grant previously offered.
ii. Support urgent or emerging health related issues and needs.
iii. Address these specific issues that require attention and for which there is inadequate
funding.
1. Raising public awareness of barriers to improving health.
2. Addressing health disparities or equity issues.
3. Supporting coalitions, convenings and public/private partnerships.
C. Priority Areas for Funding 2024-2027: All grant proposals must be designed and focused on the
Foundation’s general mission to advance a healthy Seacoast. We strive to champion initiatives that
positively influence and enhance the well-being of all Seacoast residents. Within this broad scope and
based on the Foundation’s strategic plan and/or the region’s most recently completed community needs
assessments, strategic grants must address one of the following areas of need in the region:
a. Mental and behavioral health of all residents
b. Healthy aging, caregiver support and other health related issues facing older adults
D. Selection Criteria: Priority will be given to proposals that:
a. Specifically address the need(s) identified in the announcement or request for proposal.
b. Thoroughly explain how the program/project/organization improves the health & well-being of
the Seacoast.

c. Demonstrate the applicant’s ability to successfully implement and/or sustain the
program/project.
d. Reach at-risk or marginalized Seacoast residents.
e. Leverage resources including other funding sources such as matching or challenge grants.
f. Involve collaboration or coordination with other organizations if applicable.
g. Strategic grants will also seek ideas and solutions that promote long-term system change or
improvement in health and/or access to care and services.
E. Submission Timeline: The Foundation accepts grant applications as follows:
a. Applications for responsive grants will be accepted twice each year, in February and October.
The grant process will be expedited with decisions typically made within 45 days of the grant
deadline.
b. The Terry Morton Award for At-Risk Youth is named in honor of one of the founding members of
the Foundation. The grantee will be selected from the annual pool of responsive grant
applicants. This grant may not be awarded every year.
c. Requests for proposals for strategic/pro-active grants will be announced intermittently based on
the Foundation’s strategic plan as well as other existing funding commitments.
d. Refer to the Foundation’s website for the most up-to-date information and grant
announcements. www.foundationforseacoasthealth.org
Board Approved: November 11, 2020; Revised October 2023; Revised October 2024