Eligibility Criteria

Requests are considered from non-profit organizations with a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) designation as determined by the Internal Revenue Service, programs or coalitions operating under a fiscal sponsor* with verified tax-exempt status, and government entities (e.g. municipalities, school districts).  The organization or proposed project must also fall within our geographic service area (see map below), which consists of the 81 cities and towns in and around Worcester County.

*For more information on fiscal sponsorship and links to related resources, including sample agreements, please click here.

Grantmaking Service Area


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Funding Exclusions
In general, the following types of funding requests are not considered:

  • Endowments;
  • Undesignated support for capital campaigns;
  • Sponsorship of events;
  • Scholarships;
  • Recurring operating expenses (as the sole purpose of the grant); or
  • Retirement of operating deficits/debt

In addition, by law, The Health Foundation is not permitted to provide direct support to individuals for projects, scholarships, or health care, nor may it fund electoral activities or candidates for public office.

Additional Funding Requirements
Applicants selected for funding will be asked to provide evidence of liability insurance coverage as a provision in the grant agreement as an important business practice. Organizations without such coverage may include the cost of purchasing said policies as indirect costs.  For more specifics, please see the Resources for Applicants & Grantees page.