{"id":6637,"date":"2025-03-12T15:18:43","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T15:18:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fchealth.org\/?page_id=6637"},"modified":"2025-03-13T14:40:17","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T14:40:17","slug":"report-to-the-community","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/fchealth.org\/report-to-the-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Report to the Community"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Message from Our President and CEO<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As I celebrated my 20th<\/sup> year with the Foundation last year, I reflected on the leap of faith I took two decades ago to change careers and apply for this very job. From day one, the FCH Board and I shared a vision for a place-based philanthropy built on strong values: meaningful relationships, support beyond funding (we called it \u201chuman grants\u201d), innovation, collaboration, and strategic intention. Our program priorities have changed over time and our practices have evolved as we experimented and learned what worked and what didn\u2019t, however, these core principles continue to guide and deepen our work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This report on the past year exemplifies our commitment to these values and how far we\u2019ve evolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In our adoption of Trust-Based Philanthropy, we\u2019ve gone beyond reducing administrative burdens for grantees to offering more support beyond the grant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recognition that the health and well-being of our region is influenced by the larger systems and policies that impact daily lives, FCH engaged expert advocacy consultants to identify policy issues affecting local non-profits, which will allow us to better advocate for meaningful change on their behalf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While encouraging networking among our grantees, we’ve also modeled collaboration by partnering with peers to address affordable housing statewide. We also seek to engage our peers in building a local philanthropic community rooted in trust-based practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most exciting events of this year was the FCH Board\u2019s approval of a place-based investment strategy, allocating 17% of our assets to local initiatives and impact rather than traditional financial markets. This decision has already yielded our first local investment program\u2014the Revolving Loan Program for Affordable Housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we move forward, we remain committed to our founding principles while valuing how these have evolved to remain relevant and responsive to those we serve. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together and excited about the opportunities ahead as we continue serving our community with purpose and passion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Advocating for Our Rural Region<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The health and well-being of our communities depend not just on programs and services, but on systems and policies that shape everyday life. This reality, as well as feedback from our nonprofit partners, led us to develop an advocacy roadmap that will guide our expanded efforts in the coming years.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working with advocacy consultants in 2024, we conducted focus groups with 21 community leaders, interviews with members of our board, and surveyed 20 local organizations to develop specific advocacy strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We landed on three key approaches:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • Showcase Our Region<\/strong>: Through special events and convenings, we’ll connect decision-makers directly with local organizations and residents, helping them understand both our challenges and solutions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Develop Local Housing Leadership<\/strong>: Housing affordability directly impacts health outcomes and the fabric of our community. Through new and existing partnerships, we\u2019ll seek to amplify current efforts to build capacity among community stakeholders to advocate for housing policies that serve our region\u2019s needs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Provide Region-Specific Health Information to Policymakers: <\/strong>Our communities have valuable insights that often don’t make it to policy tables. We’ll gather both data and stories that highlight our unique health landscape, creating accessible, compelling resources for decision-makers. These evidence-based materials will help ensure that rural health realities are considered when policies are shaped.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

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    While our grantmaking has created meaningful impact, we recognize that our rural communities have valuable expertise that needs to be heard at policy tables. By combining our grantmaking with strategic advocacy, we can create more sustainable pathways for health equity and strengthen the resilience that already exists throughout our region.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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