There is a proud display of culture in South Texas, however there are often generational teachings that contribute to stigma and shame surrounding mental health. Despite the inherent challenges, campaigns of awareness are illuminating the path to peace and the work that still needs to be done.
The Rio Grande Valley is a vibrant hub of US-Mexico hospitality. The distinct foods, rich bi-national culture, and remarkable people create an inviting atmosphere where residents and travelers alike feel at home. Towering palm trees span the terrain between Raymondville to Rio Grande City; painting a picture-perfect view across the four counties that comprise the region. However, behind its tropical setting and charming communities, there is a different picture of the Rio Grande Valley some may not always see.
Isolated from nearby towns are rural subdivisions referred to as ‘colonias;’ found throughout unincorporated areas along the Texas-Mexico border. Colonias are home to families with mixed immigration status; children may have a United States citizenship, but their parents may not. While their homes vary in size and appearance, families who live in colonias experience similar challenges. A history of insufficient infrastructure and investment have created barriers that impact health and well-being across a variety of conditions. Deteriorating roads make transportation difficult and sometimes impossible. There is a perpetual concern over life-threatening flooding due to a lack of proper drainage systems. As night falls, most colonias are left in the dark with no streetlights to illuminate the area. The lack of adequate living conditions, medical insurance, and nearby healthcare facilities have contributed to further disparities and years of health inequities. Over the years, the number of colonias has grown, especially near border communities like the Rio Grande Valley. As these problems persist, national organizations like Grantmakers in Health are focusing their attention on the resilient people living there.
For more than 40 years, the nonprofit organization has been an arm of support to health funders across the country; including Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. This partnership of philanthropy creates access to a plethora of educational resources; including a network of organizations that fund programs improving the health of all people. The Board of Directors for Grantmakers In Health (GIH), travels to different regions across the country annually to gain insight on key issues affecting communities and cultures; they also meet with different organizations and learn about available tools, resources, and share best practices. Oanh Maroney-Omitade—Vice-President for Organizational Excellence at Methodist Healthcare Ministries and GIH board member explained, “for this year’s retreat the GIH Board was interested in seeing and learning first-hand more about the unique healthcare situations and solutions along the US-Mexico Border as it has been a prime topic in news and politics”. This prompted the most recent trip to the Rio Grande Valley which included visits to colonias.
Some of Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ executive team joined GIH board members on their trip, which began with a stop at the Museum of South Texas History, in Edinburg. Dotted with designs of Spanish-tile and wrought-iron sculptures from local artists; the museum offers a curated picture into the past, with exhibitions and historical artifacts showcased across its campus. Francisco Guajardo, Ph.D. is the museum’s Chief Executive Officer; he welcomed the group and enlightened them with rich stories and facts emblematic of South Texas history and culture. Along with fellow partners, the Knapp Community Care Foundation and the Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation; Methodist Healthcare Ministries invited local funded partners to meet with GIH board members. The museum’s hospitality extended into the early evening as thoughts and strategies were exchanged amongst groups. Jennifer Knoulton, Vice President for Community Health & Wellness for Methodist Healthcare Ministries said about the gathering, “We need to challenge, strengthen, and learn from one another – fostering that level of relationship takes time and intention”.
As the trip rippled into the next morning, the visiting representatives traveled to the town of San Juan to meet with staff members from La Unión del Pueblo Entero, otherwise known as LUPE. Murals are seen throughout the property, illustrating a journey from oppression to liberation. The organization’s roots were planted by labor rights activist, César Chávez and Dolores Huerta in 1989 with a shared vision of people working together to impact change. Since then, LUPE has grown in their mission to assist working-class and immigrant families; especially those who reside in colonias. LUPE’s Executive Director, Tania A. Chavez Camacho explained how the organization assists people through social services and English classes and extends to fighting deportation and pushing for adequate streetlights and drainage systems in colonias, but the problems remain; something the GIH group was able to witness firsthand.
LUPE staff invited them to tour nearby colonias; the path took them off major highways and onto rural roads not often travelled. In the small town of Donna, make-shift signs point to a way of life for colonia residents. There are no nearby grocery chains or restaurants in sight; instead, a local business simply called ‘The Little Store,’ was bustling with customers getting their breakfast tacos and items for the day. As the group arrived, they were welcomed with warm smiles and curious onlookers outside the Little Store. As the crowd convened around a set of picnic tables, the staff from LUPE introduced a group of women who live within the colonia. They spoke in Spanish and opened up about their day-to-day lives and the hardships they have endured due to the poor conditions outside their doors. One woman pointed to the countless stray dogs roaming the streets and expressed concern over the growing population. Another woman shared her frustration over the lack of nearby parks or playgrounds, and the limitations it creates for children eager to play. Cracks and craters can be found around every corner of the gravel; it is a regular problem for the colonia, but residents are worried it has become a barrier for emergency vehicles. Through local testimonies the GIH group gained a deeper understanding not only of the obstacles colonia residents experience, but of their welcoming and resilient spirits.
The next colonia was just outside the city of Alamo. A muddied road laid out the path to the next destination; a home that sat at the curb of the colonia. The gate to the chain-linked fence was open and a group of colonia residents and LUPE staff welcomed the visitors onto the property. They gathered under a small canopy and were introduced to the homeowner along with her son. She spoke of the obstacles experienced within her community; something the group had become more familiar with during their trip. Despite the living conditions, she maintained a sense of pride in her home. As any good host would, she prepared refreshments for her guests in anticipation of their arrival. The group was also introduced to a young woman and learned of her plans to pursue a college degree, and her mother, whose overwhelming joy brought her to tears. The camaraderie of the colonia was evident as they shared in each other’s hardships, happiness, and dreams for a better future. “What stands out to me is that colonia residents are not in a situation where they need or want someone to ‘save them’. There is pride of place, of homeownership, and these tax-paying community members want spaces where their voices are heard and acted on. The generosity is astounding, and focusing on their unique strengths and assets is essential in addressing the structural barriers within colonias”, said Knoulton.
Following the tour, the GIH group departed to their respective areas of the country, carrying newfound knowledge and shared experiences. The insights they gained helped to shed light on different perspectives, from people living within colonias. The investment into learning about the Rio Grande Valley will serve GIH in their mission, and benefit communities faced with similar challenges. Methodist Healthcare Ministries is thankful for its valuable partners and their work toward healthier communities. The bonds created during the GIH tour will continue to strengthen as the path toward health equity is paved forward.
The Rio Grande Valley is booming in business and commerce, with no signs of slowing down. For colonia residents, they are a critical part of that economic and communal fabric of hospitality and culture that makes the RGV so unique. Yet, more work lies ahead for health care funders like GIH and community advocates to address the systemic inequities that persist. Each day, colonia residents are met with a unique set of adversities because of where they live and the scarcity of resources. The focus and support from philanthropic organizations is crucial to these communities striving for change. However, colonia residents continue to navigate through the barriers and bridge opportunities that allow them to amplify their voices. Now, it’s time for the listening to turn into deepened layers of support that allow colonia residents to flourish and thrive.
In our last blog, we explored collaborative peer relationships. We shared why and how nonprofits might collaborate with each other—the benefits, reasons, and methods of collaboration. We now want to dive a little deeper into what collaboration could look like for nonprofit organizations. Let’s keep in mind that the goal of collaboration is not always to write a collaborative grant, but it could be, if it’s what might be best for your organization. Sometimes it’s even more beneficial to partner with other organizations—and funders—to seek out more funding and maximize your impact on your community.
“Most funders and nonprofits value working together, and many are looking for ways to improve the quality of their collaborations. Even if some of what we try doesn’t work, deepening relationships with grantees and other stakeholders builds a strong foundation for future efforts. With the right conditioning and enabling environment, we can make progress on effectively partnering with others to achieve meaningful impact.” Source: https://www.geofunders.org/resource/what-are-the-different-ways-to-collaborate/
Collaboration takes many forms. Building relationships and partnerships might be all that your organization needs. However, if you find that exploring a collaborative grant with fellow organizations might advance your organization’s mission in impacting your community, we would love to provide support. If you’ve never applied for collaborative funding, that’s okay! We’ll break it down in a few steps.
You’ll want to begin by identifying other organizations that could be great partners and reach out to them now. Great partners often address the same or similar challenges of your community, have similar mission, vision, values, and goals to yours to make a broader impact. Or maybe they have an entirely different approach to addressing the challenge that compliments and aligns with your organization’s goals.
Establishing trust and getting to know each other’s expertise and available resources takes time. You can think of developing a partnership as an ongoing part of your grantseeking efforts. You can start by appointing a team leader and establishing a workplan and project schedule. You then might assign roles and responsibilities and agree on how you’ll make decisions. It might also be helpful to designate one person to do the writing and have everyone read a draft and suggest edits.
Although we know that frequent communication is critical, everyone communicates differently. Be sure to discuss communication approaches and ensure a strong infrastructure with tools that all organizations can utilize. There are many types of collaboration tools available online such as:
When you’re concerned about a community issue, act. Let the needs of the community be your driving force rather than funding opportunities. Before searching for funders, consider which other organizations you can partner with to address the issue together, leaning on your respective viewpoints, assessing data, and brainstorming possibilities.
Discuss money early on. After agreeing on an approach with your collaborative partners, create a budget that details what each partner needs in the collaborative. Without a clear and comprehensive budget being established, a collaborative proposal can fail. Although, remember that a collaborative project budget does not always completely fund an initiative, program, or personnel. This means that organizations who are part of the collaborative might have to seek additional funding to make collaborative efforts monetarily whole.
Confront discord right away and ensure that all partners commit to civil, honest discussion to address the issue. If you are unable to find a solution, strive to maintain ongoing relationships even if a partner organization decides to part ways with the collaborative. However, keep in mind that collaborative relationships are often very fluid and just because a partner needs to bow out doesn’t mean the collaboration is failing. Source: https://www.tgci.com/blog/2020/11/four-more-tips-collaborative-grant-proposals
Hopefully some of these tips and suggestions will help you in your collaborative journey. We know that collaboration can look different from one organization to another based on needs, goals, connections, and resources. Your organization might be newer to collaborative efforts and eager to learn and get started. Maybe your organization is more seasoned and experienced in collaborating with other organizations, or collaborative funding, and ready to dive a little deeper. Perhaps you’re somewhere in between! We can all learn much from each other’s experiences, no matter where we are in our journeys.
So, let’s chat! Tell us below…what has your experience been with collaborating with other organizations? Have you experienced any barriers to collaborating? Would trying a new approach to collaborating help address a barrier? What experiences have you had with collaborative grants? What was that like for your organization? What lessons did you learn?
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Learn more about what Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Capacity Building team is doing to assist organizations in improving operations and performance through its Capacity Building blog series on mhm.org. If you have any questions, please email us at claurence@mhm.org.
To read previous entries in the Capacity Building blog series, see below:
With a professional background working in education, mental health counseling spaces, and the nonprofit sector, Chloé serves her community through education, advocacy, and capacity building. She utilizes her love of learning and connecting with people in her work as a Capacity Building Specialist at Methodist Healthcare Ministries to support and empower our funded partners. Her mission is to strengthen our partners’ organizations so they can continue their incredible work building health equity and serving underserved individuals.
Building Collaborative Relationships: Relationship building with peers and other nonprofit organizations
We’re back with our third blog post in this Capacity Building Series! Let’s explore the practice of building collaborative relationships with peers and nonprofit organizations. So, what is collaboration? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, collaboration is the act of working together with other people or organizations to create or achieve something. In short, to collaborate is to create, produce, or achieve together.
You might be asking yourself, why do nonprofits collaborate anyway? How might working with another nonprofit benefit my organization? You might wish to collaborate for three main reasons:
How might nonprofits collaborate with each other? Each partnership between nonprofits will look different depending on the end goal. Nonprofits can work together through cooperation, coordination, and/or collaboration. Let’s look at the 3C Model below that demonstrates the distinguishment between these levels.
For a great example of a local group demonstrating collaboration principles, BUILD Health Challenge® (BUILD) 4.0 awardee, Bridges to Care San Antonio (BTCSA), is a collaborative made up of NAMI Greater San Antonio, City of San Antonio Human Services Department, H. E. Butt Foundation, and WestCare Foundation, that is working to bridge the gap in mental health issues for underserved and predominantly Black and Hispanic/Latino communities and create more welcoming, inclusive, supportive, engaged, and resilient communities by collaborating with faith and community-based organizations.
The BUILD Health Challenge® (BUILD) invests in multi-sector, community-centered partnerships and champions the national movement for health equity by moving attention, resources, and action upstream to support health and well-being across the United States. Since 2019, Methodist Healthcare Ministries has been a philanthropic partner of the BUILD Health Challenge. Learn more about Bridges to Care San Antonio (BTCSA) and their work as a BUILD Health Challenge awardee at https://buildhealthchallenge.org/communities/bridges-to-care-san-antonio/.
Check out more resources on collaboration from BUILD Health Challenge® (BUILD):
There are many types of collaboration in the nonprofit space, and it can be difficult to differentiate between them. However, it is important to identify the best type of partnership for your organization and situation, which requires reflection, dialogue, relationship building, and communication. Collaborative efforts can look different for various end goals, can ebb and flow between collaboration types, and can also incorporate multiple types of collaboration all at once.
Let’s take a look at these common types of collaboration, from least formal to most formal:
So, what has collaboration looked like in your organization (with or without a grant)? We’d love to hear about your experiences with collaboration and what you’ve gained or learned about collaborating with other organizations.
With a professional background working in education, mental health counseling spaces, and the nonprofit sector, Chloé serves her community through education, advocacy, and capacity building. She utilizes her love of learning and connecting with people in her work as a Capacity Building Specialist at Methodist Healthcare Ministries to support and empower our funded partners. Her mission is to strengthen our partners’ organizations so they can continue their incredible work building health equity and serving underserved individuals.
As we close out the month of February, let’s not skip a beat when it comes to our hearts. American Heart Month is a time health workers, advocates, and organizations emphasize the importance of our cardiovascular health. Think of your heart, blood vessels, and blood circulation working together as a system; they all rely on each other.. However, challenges exist for many people across the country.
Between 2017 and 2020, the American Heart Association reported 48.6 percent of United States adults experienced a form of cardiovascular disease or CVD. The term refers to several ailments like high blood pressure, heart failure, coronary artery disease, stroke, and heart arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats). Health conditions, pertaining to obesity, diabetes and blood cholesterol levels can increase the chances of CVD; yet most of the risk comes down to our day-to-day decisions. A poor diet, tobacco use, and lack of exercise are often associated with CVD.
We can mitigate risk factors by making conscious decisions and efforts to improve our health. Put an end to tobacco use, manage your blood sugar, exercise regularly and opt for a balanced diet; think of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains.
While it’s critical we focus on making better decisions; we should not forget our spiritual and emotional health. As a Wesley Nurse, I recognize the impact these aspects have on our hearts. The heart is not just a muscle that pumps blood; instead, it’s often considered the place of feelings and thoughts. I urge everyone to listen to their hearts in both the physical and spiritual sense. Some people seek out prayer or meditation, while other may want to talk to a counselor or enjoy time to themselves.
The journey to achieving optimal health will look different for everyone, but it begins by taking the first step. If you are having trouble; let’s talk about it. If you have a solution that could help others; I encourage you to share. American Heart Month may be ending, but it’s never too late to show others, and yourself a little more love.
References
In the first part of this blog, we learned why it is important to build relationships with funders and explored some ideas to help create genuine relationship connections. Now, let’s focus on the many ways an organization can approach funders and initiate engagement.
Approaching a funder in a personalized way to strengthen or establish a relationship can make a big impact and there are many ways you can do so. Consider the following:
Imagine having only a few precious minutes – or even one minute – with a funder you have been trying to meet. How do you make a connection with that funder? What do you say? The ability to deliver a strong elevator pitch can be a gamechanger. It’s an opportunity to share your organization’s story in a compelling way. Share your passion. Write a script. An elevator pitch can be used for so many occasions–your letter of interest to a funder, grant applications, fundraising campaigns, phone calls, meetings, etc.
Here are some tips:
Remember, this is just a general guide – consider adapting your elevator pitch to meet the moment. It should sound natural so be sure to practice! Start by practicing with friends first, get their feedback, and practice as often as you can. Practice will help build your confidence and improve your flow and pace, allowing you to sound more natural and compelling.
Maintaining the Relationship
Now let’s keep that momentum going. Once you’ve approached the funder, the relationship building has only just begun! Cultivating, building, and maintaining your relationship with a funder can not only increase your chances of getting the grant, but also help the funder feel appreciated and valued as you stay connected after receiving the grant.
Remember, relationship building with a funder often begins when seeking a grant but doesn’t end there. It should continue throughout the inquiry and application process and even after being awarded a grant or not.
After Being Awarded the Grant:
If You Did Not Get a Grant Award:
As we’ve discussed in this two-part blog, successful grant seeking can include much more than submitting a proposal or application. Building a relationship with funders is foundational and key to helping your organization secure funding and support your mission.
Now you can apply some of these relationship building principles and practices to your grant seeking efforts. We hope these strategies and tips help you and your organization.
Discussion (You can leave a comment below to continue the conversastion.)
Click here to read Part 1 of this blog series, Building Realtionships with Funders.
With a professional background working in education, mental health counseling spaces, and the nonprofit sector, Chloé serves her community through education, advocacy, and capacity building. She utilizes her love of learning and connecting with people in her work as a Capacity Building Specialist at Methodist Healthcare Ministries to support and empower our funded partners. Her mission is to strengthen our partners’ organizations so they can continue their incredible work building health equity and serving underserved individuals.
Since 1995, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. has provided over $1.4 billion to improve the well-being of the least served through its clinics, programs, and strategic partnerships. Methodist Healthcare Ministries is proud to partner with organizations that share similar missions and organizational objectives of increasing access to care for uninsured and economically disadvantaged individuals and families across South Texas.
The Rio Grande Valley’s diverse and binational population is at a crossroads. With over 2.67 million residents in the area, the region surpasses both San Antonio and Austin in population. Despite being one of the largest urban areas in Texas there is a lack of a centralized municipal government which means that resources allocated to the area are often divided among dozens of cities across the region. During the COVID-19 Pandemic this decentralization was even more evident as the unemployment rate in the region increased to 17.3%, far exceeding the statewide rate of 13%, according to the Texas Tribune. However, since 2020 the unemployment rate in the area has dropped to 5.2% in Hidalgo County (the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area) and 4.9% in Cameron County (Brownsville-Harlingen) as of October 2023, according to USA Today.
Part of the effort that is driving this success is the work of the Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement (VIDA). The organization promotes workforce development programs and provides skilled unemployed or underemployed individuals with connections to employers looking for various types of skilled labor.
Established in 1995 by Valley Interfaith and industry leaders, VIDA addresses the disconnect between Rio Grande Valley residents and employer demand for skilled labor by providing comprehensive workforce training that better equips program participants to pursue a more gainful means of employment.
For the first time, Methodist Healthcare Ministries (MHM) is partnering with VIDA to address health equity and the social determinants of health (SDOH). One of these priority areas includes education and workforce development, which overlap with VIDA’s mission and vision.
As an MHM partner receiving 2023 grant dollars, VIDA recently received a capacity building grant of $60,000 to hire a Development Director. The Development Director will strengthen and cultivate new partnerships as well as identify new sources of funding to support the organization and its programs.
“VIDA was developed as a workforce development intermediary where to help industries fill those jobs that were in high demand evolving with technological advances and at the same time give residents of our region more opportunity to upskill and achieve economic mobility,” said Felida Villarreal, President and CEO of VIDA.
Today, VIDA builds institutional relationships in the Rio Grande Valley that links employers to unemployed and/or underemployed residents and uses these relationships to create necessary support services for their students such as career guidance, intensive case management and financial assistance.
“VIDA offers a variety of wraparound student support services that vary from student to student because it’s very customized to the individual’s needs,” Villareal said. “We can provide anything from tuition, tools, transportation or childcare assistance as well as financial assistance for anything they may need in their career journey to ensure program persistence and completion.”
Prior to joining the program participants typically earned $8 an hour but graduates earn an average annual salary of $47,756. VIDA is opening doors to better employment opportunities that include higher salaries, access to employer sponsored healthcare insurance and established career paths with room for growth.
“That drastic change and being able to achieve that economic prosperity, has a tremendous impact on their lives and that of their families,” Villarreal said. “There’s just no limit to the potential and professional growth from that point on. We’ve even seen some of our graduates become successful business owners.”
According to the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies, the Rio Grande Valley is currently experiencing a shortage of 6,000 nurses across the region which puts further strain on existing medical staff and their ability to serve patients. In response to this, VIDA recently made national headlines as one of 25 organizations across the nation to be awarded the $3 million Nursing Expansion Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. This will be key in providing services for students pursuing careers in the medical field and alleviating the shortage of nurses in the area.
“We’re truly grateful for the opportunity to be selected as a MHM grant recipient,” said Villarreal “We’ve already expanded our fundraising division and are seeking additional opportunities to grow our programs, serve more students and provide additional services to our community.”
Learn more about VIDA and their programs through their website: https://www.vidacareers.org/
Why do relationships with funders matter? Consider these facts:
So, what can a nonprofit do to stand out while also getting to know funders? In short, having a genuine connection with a funder can break through the competition. The goal is to build authentic relationships. At Methodist Healthcare Ministries, we know through experience that relationships built on false narratives, or projections of how you want others to perceive you instead of who you really are, won’t last. However, making connections by focusing on and prioritizing relationships and trust can help a funder get to know you. Remember, growing relationships is like any other organic process—they need tending on a regular basis.
You’re probably familiar with the term “Return on Investment” or ROI. What about ROR (Return on Relationship)? Ted Rubin, a social marketing strategist, trademarked the concept of Return on Relationship. Think about relationship building in terms of a Return on Relationship—there is value accrued due to nurturing a relationship. Relationships inherently are not financial assets; relationships are priceless.
Here are some ideas for increasing your Return on Relationship with funders:
Move beyond only being in a transactional mode with funders. Transactional actions can include questions about grant applications, grant guidelines, grant reports, etc. Instead, think of funders as allies. Funders want their current and prospective partners to succeed. So, find funder allies and then listen carefully to their suggestions regarding your partnership to get the most out of the financial support provided and, perhaps, support beyond the check such as capacity building services. Funders often have expertise, insight, and social capital you can use to be more successful. Many nonprofits and grantees miss out on useful opportunities because they are solely focused on just getting the money versus building a relationship.
Be transformative. Strive to interact in a transformative mode with funders. Being transformative is dynamic. It’s your organization engaging outside of the grant cycle time period. It’s storytelling – your organization’s current events, future plans, and outcomes; sharing ideas or ways to be more strategic. It’s important to set realistic expectations of how much time funders can spend with a partner or prospective partner, so keep balance in mind.
Initiate engagement. Be proactive and seek out funders. This is especially important when it comes to rural grant seeking & philanthropic deserts; funders likely won’t find you. You have to find them! Some resources to help with rural grantseeking:
Seek peer advice. Don’t forget your peer organizations in your relationship building strategy with funders. Search a foundation’s list of recent grant recipients. If a peer organization has recently received funding, reach out to ask how they established the connection. While grant seeking is competitive, your peer organizations will understand that foundations often have diverse funding interests and will trust you to build a relationship based on your organization’s unique programs and services. Incorporate the tips and feedback you receive from your peers into your cultivation strategy.
Understanding Foundations |
⇢ What is a community foundation? |
⇢ What is a private foundation? |
⇢ What is a corporate foundation? |
Source: insidephilanthropy.com |
Once you know the different types of foundations–Community,
Private, Operating, and Corporate–you can then research how foundations operate and discover their “why” and/or purpose. Knowing this information can help you vet foundations and grant opportunities more appropriately. In your vetting process, look for alignment with organization type, programs, and services that have been funded. Research the typical grant award; grant periods (one year or multi-year); criteria for funding; funding restrictions; timelines; grant guidelines and application process, etc.
A community foundation is a grantmaker that serves a specific community or region. Distinct from a private foundation, which is usually funded by a single individual, family or corporation, a community foundation is a public charity that is funded by many donors and governed by a board that reflects the community it serves. Examples: San Antonio Area Foundation, Coastal Bend Community Foundation, and Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country.
A private foundation is a non-governmental agency who might be an individual or family that establishes a private foundation to give money (and sometimes other resources) to nonprofits engaged in charitable activities. Examples: Meadows Foundation, Nancy Smith Hurd Foundation, and Anderson Charitable Foundation.
A corporate foundation is a private foundation whose money is contributed by a for-profit business. Think Home Depot or State Farm.
An operating foundation is a private foundation that provides public programming and services and charitable funding. Examples: St. David’s Foundation and Episcopal Health Foundation.
Be curious – Funders who don’t accept unsolicited proposals? Consider and approach funders who don’t accept unsolicited applications if they are a good funding fit for your organization’s work and mission. Many of these foundations are willing to consider new applicants but are using other methods to learn about potential partners to limit the number of proposals they have to review. Your organization deserves to be considered. Don’t dismiss a prospect just because you have read that they do not accept unsolicited proposals, especially if it fits your organization’s work and mission. It doesn’t hurt to ask. Don’t tell yourself no by assuming they’ll tell you no. If it’s a no, then let them tell you no.
Source: https://help.candid.org/s/article/applications-not-accepted
Look at the funder’s grant awards from the last several years to see its giving trends. The funder could be a good prospect if the funder awards grants to different organizations from year to year, has a similar funding priority to your organization’s mission, and makes grants in your geographic region. However, if a funder makes grants to the same organizations year after year, you might consider looking at other funders instead.
Source: https://help.candid.org/s/article/applications-not-accepted
With a professional background working in education, mental health counseling spaces, and the nonprofit sector, Chloé serves her community through education, advocacy, and capacity building. She utilizes her love of learning and connecting with people in her work as a Capacity Building Specialist at Methodist Healthcare Ministries to support and empower our funded partners. Her mission is to strengthen our partners’ organizations so they can continue their incredible work building health equity and serving underserved individuals.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Wesley Health & Wellness team offers a wide variety of programs and classes designed for every skill level! All classes are free and open to the public. Registration is required, call (210) 922-6922 to register.
Click here to download a copy of our Wesley Health & Wellness Center – Calendar of Events for November 2023.
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Early voting in Texas begins today, October 23, for fourteen amendments to the Texas constitution. Each one is the result of legislation passed during the 88th Texas Legislature earlier this year.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries advocated for several of the propositions on the ballot. They positively impact nonmedical drivers of health, improving the health of Texans and the patients we serve.
This amendment allows cities and counties to provide a property tax exemption for childcare providers if a minimum of 20% of their students receive subsidized childcare services. The exemption must be at least 50% of the property’s appraised value and does not apply to school district taxes or home-based childcare providers who have already received a homestead exemption.
This amendment lowers school district property taxes. Specifically, the amendment:
The 88th Texas Legislature created the Texas Water Development Board to oversee projects throughout the state recognizing clean water is essential for healthy communities. This amendment creates a fund within the state treasury, endowed with $1 billion to begin to address the state’s significant water issues.
The Texas Broadband Development Office estimates 3 million Texas households do not have broadband internet connections and an additional 5 million households have unreliable connections. Most live in rural areas. The amendment provides $1.5 billion to develop and finance broadband, telecommunication and 911 services as well as provide matching funds for federal grants from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program.
This amendment exempts biomedical equipment and inventory when calculating a facility’s appraised value for property tax purposes. All taxing entities are included (city, county, school districts and special taxing districts) in the exemption. The rationale for giving the exemption is more manufacturers will choose to locate their business in Texas with a more favorable tax situation.
For more information about any amendments on the ballot, including arguments for and against each amendment, visit the nonpartisan voter guides published by The Texas Tribune or the League of Women Voters.
Everyone is encouraged to exercise their right to vote. Early voting runs through Friday, November 3. Election Day is Tuesday, November 7. To find your polling location and hours, visit the Texas Secretary of State’s website.
Since 1995, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. has provided over $1 billion to improve the well-being of the least served through its clinics, programs, and strategic partnerships. Methodist Healthcare Ministries is proud to partner with organizations that share similar missions and organizational objectives of increasing access to care for uninsured and economically disadvantaged individuals and families across South Texas.
In the months following November 1963, just after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, President Lyndon B. Johnson carried on Kennedy’s plans to alleviate the burdens of Americans living in poverty. Later the next year, Congress passed the Economic Opportunity Act, which established and funded Community Action Agencies and Programs. By 1968, there were over 1,600 agencies across America serving the country at a local level.
One of these Community Action Agencies, the Community Council of Comal County was established in 1965. In 1981, the change in funding from the federal government to state Block Grant funding led the organization to be renamed the Community Council of South-Central Texas (CCSCT).
Almost 60 years later, CCSCT has expanded to serve 31 counties across South, Central and West Texas with the objective of promoting and delivering much needed services to low-income families in their service area. Case by case, CCSCT uses their network of over 1,000 partner nonprofits and programming to help families on their journey to becoming fully self-sufficient.
In 2023, Methodist Healthcare Ministries (MHM) provided $100,000 in grant funding to CCSCT to fund their housing support programs across their service area. The grant also supported the renovation of a new public outreach facility in Karnes County, where unhoused individuals can come for connections to resources, as well as use printing and computer services.
“It (the grant funding) has been instrumental in providing assistance to low-income families when funding is low or when we are unable to serve that population,” Carol Delgado, program officer at CCSCT, commented. “MHM funding has allowed us to provide assistance that we normally wouldn’t be able to provide.”
The grant provided by MHM will also, in part, go towards the building of a new outreach facility in Karnes County with the hopes of providing basic resources such as a computer lab, breaking down transportation barriers, as well as directing clients to much-needed programs offered by CCSCT.
“A homeless person or unhoused person is not going to be able to travel to our Seguin office or our Jourdanton office so they can go through the front door [at our Karnes office],” Kenneth Loy, Program Manager and Veteran’s Resource Coordinator, commented. “It allows people down there to have a local place to help address an unhoused issue.”
One of the programs CCSCT provides is home and rental assistance in the form of the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance program (TBRA) which offers security and utility deposits as well as rental subsidies for up to 24 months while the household engages in a self-sufficiency program. Securing safe and secure shelter as well as food and water is key to facilitating access to healthcare and other needs for unhoused populations.
CCSCT also provides support for eligible former members of the military through their Veteran’s Financial Assistance program. The program is supported by a grant from the Texas Veteran’s Commission Fund for Veteran’s Assistance and provides short-term services such as one-time utility payments and one-time rent or mortgage payments.
The ERA2 program is an initiative set forth by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to assist eligible families with financial assistance and housing stability. It’s through this program that CCSCT has been able to receive funding to help transition families and individuals out of homelessness and into permanent living spaces. CCSCT has seen a 40% success rate with transitioning eligible households from temporary and semi-permanent living areas and into permanent housing.
“The two basic needs that people look for are food and shelter,” Loy said. “And so, when you address food and shelter, you allow a person the freedom to do other things like pursue healthcare.”
If you or a loved one would like to contact the Community Council of South-Central Texas, visit their website and find a location near you to get in contact with a representative today.
CCSCT Website: https://www.ccsct.org/
For some recent high school graduates, the summer before starting college is filled with days at the pool, spending time with friends, and maybe preparing for their first time living away from home. For Bobbie Campos, oral health intern, summer is an opportunity to learn, grow, and serve her community. Campos is currently completing her second internship with the oral health team at Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Dixon Health & Wellness Center as part of the 2023 SA Worx program, where she and other interns are developing lifelong transferrable skills that they can take to any career.
The SA Worx program connects students across San Antonio to internship opportunities with organizations working in their areas of interest. It is an industry-led program that provides educators with student resources to pass along while also creating a reliable source of strong talent across multiple industries here in San Antonio.
MHM has participated in the SA Worx program for over 7 years and continues to be the program’s largest partner with over 28 interns housed in facilities across San Antonio for the 2023 program. Interns at MHM can select an area of interest such as oral health, behavioral health or recreation and work on-site with MHM team members serving our patients and clients.
Interns are also encouraged to attend several workshops that further enhance their experience at MHM while providing professional development opportunities for the students. Workshops covered topics such as Gallup Strengths, where interns learn more about their strongest qualities and how to use them for professional growth.
“It has made me look at my strengths in our strength finders’ workshop, we learn different strategies that help you realize everything that you want to be and everything you’re already good at,” Savanna Rodriguez said. “So that way, you can grow in that area.”
Rodriguez is currently completing her second internship at MHM as a Behavioral Health Intern, an opportunity that has allowed her to grow personally and professionally over the years.
“I have anxiety going in crowds and just sparking up a conversation. But here I’ve learned that you don’t have to be scared because everybody is very welcoming here specifically.” Rodriguez said. “But even if they’re not, I’ve learned that you can be that welcoming person and you can spark up the conversation when somebody else feels nervous.”
MHM’s Talent Management team, consisting of Brittani Dmitriev and Diane Rodriguez, have facilitated the partnership with SA Worx and the internship program. Together, they manage the interns by department and facilitate learning opportunities throughout the duration of the program.
“Seeing the interns that returned from last year to this year, you can definitely see the difference,” Dmitriev said. “They’re very confident in themselves and in the work that they’re doing. It’s giving them experience and it’s also helping them personally just grow, from teenager to young adult.”
The interns are now completing their final week in the internship program as schools preparing to reopen for the upcoming school year. While most of the interns will be returning to complete high school, Bobbie Campos will be starting her first semester at Palo Alto College’s dental program.
“It has inspired me to go into this occupation. I knew I wanted to be in the dental field, but I didn’t know which part.” Bobbie said. “So just getting the experience in the different areas made my mind so set on being a dental hygienist.”
Are you or someone you know interested in the SA Worx program and interning at MHM? Visit the link below to learn more about the SA Worx program and how you can apply for the next cohort:
https://greatersatx.com/sa-worx/programs/internships/
Jaime Wesoloski
President & Chief Executive Officer
