California Health Care Foundation

OVERVIEW: The California Health Care Foundation is an Oakland-based funder that supports access to health care, quality healthcare, policy and research in California.

IP TAKE: This funder is not exclusive to the Bay Area, but since it is based in Oakland, many low-income health care grants stay in the region.

PROFILE: Established in 1996, the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) is a nonprofit and independent statewide funder headquartered in Oakland, California. It also has a State Health Policy Office in Sacramento. It focuses its efforts on the health care delivery system and providing care to low-income people in California. CHCF’s goal is to create a more patient-centered health care system by informing policymakers and industry leaders and by investing in ideas. Grantmaking goals are improving access to coverage and care, promoting high value care and access to health insurance, high-value health care, health policy, and laying the foundation for meaningful change in California’s health care system. In addition to funding direct services, this foundation often works in partnerships with its grantees to produce research to inform public healthcare policy.

In the area of health care access, CHCF works in the areas of policy, affordable care expansion and to improve safety-net organizations so that low-income patients are able to receive high quality care. The foundation’s promotion of high value care works to improve the quality of care for low-income Californians, prioritizing those with pressing or complex healthcare needs, mental illness or end-of-life issues. CHCF’s Laying the Foundation program works in the areas of market analysis, health journalism, leadership development and innovative approaches to healthcare delivery. Past CHCF grantees include California Healthline, the California Safety Net Institute, the University of California San Francisco and the Ravenswood Family Health Center.

Foundation grants range from just a few thousand dollars to $500,000. Grantseekers can search for past grants here. Grants are not restricted to organizations based in California, but all grants must relate to the delivery of health care in California. Many grants are awarded in the San Francisco Bay Area.

CHCF accepts unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits and posts RFPs on its website. The CHCF staff considers requests for less than $250,000 on a rolling basis with no submission deadlines. However, requests over $250,000 are recommended to the board of directors, which meets each year in March/April, June, September, and December. Grantseekers will usually hear back within six to eight weeks whether a full proposal is requested. Direct general questions to the staff via online form or at 510-238-1040.

PEOPLE:

Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).

LINKS: