WORCESTER, Mass. – The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts announces the opening of its 2023 Synergy Initiative and Activation Fund grant opportunities to target community-identified health issues and support innovative approaches to addressing health issues in the region.

The Synergy Initiative provides multiple years of funding (approximately $2 million in total funding over roughly five years) for collaborative projects that address health issues in Central Massachusetts with integrated, comprehensive strategies focused on systems change. The Activation Fund supports discrete, one-year projects in Central Massachusetts (typically between $60,000 and $120,000) aimed at helping move an organization to its next level of capacity and effectiveness that can be sustained over time.

The Foundation does not name specific health issues or priority areas, instead looking to community-based organizations to identify health issues and potential solutions. Information sessions outlining each program’s funding goals, eligibility criteria, and application processes will be held in February and March.

“Since its launch in 1999, The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts has been committed to improving the health of those who live or work in Central Massachusetts. We look forward to this next round of Synergy Initiative and Activation Fund grants as an opportunity to further our impact in the region, and we are especially excited to pilot several innovative activities aimed at supporting smaller, newer organizations interested in our grant opportunities,” said Dr. Amie Shei, President and CEO of the Foundation.

The deadlines for submission of initial application materials are April 12 for the Activation Fund and July 12 for the Synergy Initiative. To learn more about both grant opportunities and register for an upcoming information session, please visit the Foundation’s website at www.hfcm.org.

In 2023, the Foundation is also piloting several equity-related initiatives aimed at increasing access to the Foundation’s Activation Fund grant opportunity and helping smaller organizations build capacity.

For those with limited English proficiency, interpretation and translation services will be available for virtual information sessions when requested in advance through the registration process. For small organizations with limited grant development capacity and experience, the Foundation is offering technical assistance focused on the Activation Fund through an outside consultant for up to five applicants.

Organizations with annual operating budgets less than $500,000 will also be eligible to request up to 10% of direct project costs for unrestricted, supplemental support aimed at building capacity. These pilots will be evaluated to assess effectiveness and to inform future implementation. To learn more about these opportunities, please visit the Foundation’s website. Applications for the technical assistance pilot are due by February 17.

Foundation staff is available to assist throughout the application process for both funding opportunities by discussing project ideas and providing feedback. To schedule a consultation for the Synergy Initiative, contact Dr. Kathy Mills, Vice President for Programs (), and for the Activation Fund contact Jennie Blake, Senior Program Officer ().

About The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts

The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts uses its grantmaking resources to improve the health of those who live or work in the Central Massachusetts region, with particular emphasis on vulnerable populations and unmet needs. The Foundation was established in 1999 with the proceeds from the sale of Central Massachusetts Health Care, Inc., a physician-initiated, not-for-profit HMO. The Foundation has assets of approximately $80 million and has awarded grants totaling over $52 million since it began its grantmaking in 2000. For more information, visit www.hfcm.org.

 

OXFORD, MASSACHUSETTS – bankHometown and its employees recently made donations totaling more than $22,000 to three United Way organizations in Central Massachusetts.

Employees pledged more than $19,000 of their own funds in support of the bank’s United Way workplace campaign. Combined with the bank’s direct contribution, the campaign total of $22,485 will be divided among the United Way organizations of Central, North Central, and South Central Massachusetts as determined by the employees. The campaign provides employees with the opportunity to donate and direct funds, advocating for causes that are most important to them.

As a long-time contributor to the United Way, the bank and its employees have donated nearly $150,000 to United Way organizations in Central Massachusetts through the workplace campaign and donations to other United Way-related campaigns, events, and initiatives.

The United Way is a volunteer-driven organization that serves residents through its own programs and services as well as those of its partner agencies. The organization works to advance the common good by focusing on the building blocks for a good life – education, financial stability, health, and basic needs.

“United Way provides much-needed support to our friends and neighbors throughout Central Massachusetts,” said bankHometown President and CEO Robert J. Morton. “bankHometown and our employees are proud to support the organization in its mission to unlock the full potential of our communities.”

Sobre bankHometown
Founded in 1889, bankHometown is headquartered in Oxford, Massachusetts and has $1.3 billion in assets and 16 branches located throughout Central Massachusetts and northeast Connecticut. Through its sponsorship and charitable giving program, The Giving Tree, bankHometown and the Hometown Bank Community Foundation support non-profit organizations and causes throughout Worcester and Windham Counties. In 2021, The Giving Tree donated nearly $288,000 and over the last decade has donated more than $2.3 million. For more information, visit bankhometown.com.

Pittsfield, MA –Berkshire Bank, a leading socially responsible community-dedicated bank with financial center locations in New England and New York, announced more than $2.8 million in Foundation philanthropic investments during 2022. During the fourth quarter of 2022 (October 1- December 31), more than $764,000 was contributed to help the communities Berkshire Bank serves. The grants awarded cover a wide range of projects that help foster upward economic mobility, support overall well-being, and enhance opportunities for individual and small business success, particularly for underrepresented populations. The investments also support the Company’s BEST Community Comeback which includes a planned $15 million in community contributions by the end of 2024.

In total, Berkshire’s Foundation assisted 155 nonprofit organizations during the fourth quarter of 2022 through grants supporting a wide range of critical projects like food insecurity, health, wellness, homelessness, educational advancement, arts, culture, diversity, and inclusion. The Berkshire Bank Foundation is committed to supporting programs that work toward providing equitable opportunities for economic prosperity. In addition, the Foundation supports programs that align with Berkshire Bank’s Center for Women, Wellness, and Wealth (CWWW) to provide opportunities for women to build a future enriched with financial stability, balance, and growth.

“We are so proud of the impact we have made collectively at Berkshire Bank through our financial support and volunteer service,” said Lori Gazzillo Kiely, Director of the Berkshire Bank Foundation. During 2022, Berkshire Bank employees donated more than 23,000 volunteer hours to help our communities,” she added. Kiely continued, “We are pleased to continue to support non-profits doing great work to positively impact individuals, families, and small businesses within our Berkshire Bank footprint.”

The grant recipients listed below are just a sample of the projects Berkshire Bank has supported to strengthen organizations throughout MA, NY, CT, RI, and VT. They include:

• Berkshire Resources for the Integration of Diverse Groups and Education, Inc. (MA)
• Berkshire Black Economic Council, Inc. (MA)
• Bennington Museum, Inc. (VT)
• Columbia County Recovery Kitchen (NY)
• Catholic Charities Worcester County (MA)
• Cradles to Crayons (MA)
• Connecticut Children’s Medical Center Foundation, Inc. (CT)
• Disability Policy Consortium (MA)
• Double H Ranch (NY)
• Fenway Community Development Corporation (MA)
• Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell (MA)
• Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective (CT)
• Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless (NY)
• Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (NY)
• Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation, Inc. (MA)
• Peoples Equal Action And Community Effort (PEACE) Inc (NY)
• Quinebaug Valley Community College Foundation (CT/RI)
• Rhode Island Black Storytellers (RI)
• Rhode Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (RI)
• Rescue Mission of Syracuse (NY)
• Salve Regina University (CT/RI)
• Sculpture Now (MA)
• Springfield Museums (MA)
• Thames Valley Council for Community Action, Inc. (CT/RI)
• The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Inc. (MA)
• The Reading League, Inc. (NY)
• The Springfield Puerto Rican Parade (MA)
• The Vermont Food Bank (VT)
• UMass Memorial Health Care (MA)
• Urban League of Greater Hartford, Inc. (CT)
• YMCA of Greater Boston (MA)
• Vermont Symphony Orchestra (VT)
• Women’s Business Development Council (CT/RI)

Additional details on the Foundation’s grant programs and focus areas can be found at berkshirebank.com/foundation.

Why Ski with David?

Several years ago David was diagnosed with FTD/PSP, a degenerative neurological disease. PSP is a rare, physically debilitating disease and affects all aspects of daily function. There is no known cure.

We are working with the MGH Frontotemporal Disorders Unit to help and support David in the life he loves. Ski with David for PSP will benefit the clinical care and research programs at the MGH FTD Unit, bringing the cure of tomorrow closer to the care of today.

RACE TO CURE PSP

Race Fee: $25 / 2 runs (LIFT TICKET CAN BE PURCHASED SEPERATELY)

3 Categories:

18 and Under “Guppies”

Under 45 “Millennials”

45 and Older “Old Timers”

Race Date & Location:

Sunday, February 12, 2023
Wachusett Mountain Ski Area
499 Mountain Rd, Princeton MA 01541

Race Schedule:

7:30 AM – 9:00 AM – Registration

9:30 AM – 12:30 PM – Race on Challenger

2:00 PM – Awards

Please Note: Each racer will be limited to 2 runs. Fastest Run Wins! Separate lift ticket purchase necessary for non-passholders.

The day will also feature a fundraising raffle. Raffle tickets will be sold at the registration table.

Come ski with David and enjoy a wonderful winter day at Wachusett Mountain! To learn more about PSP and support the research for a cure, please visit: Ski with David for PSP – Campaign (massgeneral.org)

The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts announces the opening of its 2023 Synergy Initiative and Activation Fund grant opportunities to target community-identified health issues and support innovative approaches to addressing health issues in the region. The deadlines for submission of initial application materials are April 12 for the Activation Fund and July 12 for the Synergy Initiative.

The Synergy Initiative provides multiple years of funding (approximately $2 million in total funding over roughly five years) for collaborative projects that address complex health issues in Central Massachusetts with integrated, comprehensive strategies focused on systems change. The Synergy Initiative typically opens every four to five years, with the last round opening in 2019. The Activation Fund supports discrete, one-year projects in Central Massachusetts (typically between $60,000 and $120,000) aimed at helping to move an organization to its next level of capacity and effectiveness that can be sustained over time. The Activation Fund usually accepts applications annually. The Foundation does not name specific health issues or priority areas, instead looking to community-based organizations to define health issues and potential solutions. Funding guidelines and answers to frequently asked questions for each program may be found on the Foundation’s website at hfcm.org.

INFORMATION SESSIONS & STAFF CONSULTATIONS

A series of virtual and in-person information sessions outlining each program’s funding goals, eligibility criteria, and application processes will be held in February and March. To register for an upcoming session, please complete this Registration Form. Foundation staff is available to discuss project ideas and provide feedback. To schedule a consultation for the Synergy Initiative, please contact Dr. Kathy Mills, Vice President for Programs (); for the Activation Fund, please contact Jennie Blake, Senior Program Officer ().

PILOT EQUITY INITIATIVES

In 2023, the Foundation is also piloting several equity-related initiatives aimed at increasing access to the Foundation’s Activation Fund grant opportunity and helping smaller organizations build capacity. Each initiative will be evaluated to assess effectiveness and to inform future implementation.

• For those with limited English proficiency, the Foundation is partnering with the Center for Health Impact to make interpretation and translation services available during virtual information sessions if requested in advance through the registration process.
• For small organizations with limited grant development capacity and experience, the Foundation is partnering with Sharon S. McDonald, President of Effective Grants, LLC, to offer grantwriting technical assistance for up to five applicants. To learn more and apply for this technical assistant pilot, please complete the Technical Assistance Pilot Application Form by Friday, February 17.
• Organizations with annual operating budgets less than $500,000 will be eligible to request up to 10% of direct project costs for unrestricted, supplemental support aimed at building capacity during the grant period.