What We Fund

We are committed to the vision of a healthy community with equitable access to health care.

The Jenkins Foundation funds organizations that address health disparities resulting from inequitable social, economic, or environmental conditions. The Foundation’s grantmaking seeks to eliminate barriers that keep individuals from accessing primary health, mental health, and substance use disorder services.

In particular, the Jenkins Foundation strives to fund proposals that are:

  • Filling gaps to meet the needs of the community
  • Meeting individuals where they are with community-based services and organizations
  • Increasing access to services in under-resourced communities

The Jenkins Foundation will begin accepting preliminary proposals for the Summer 2023 grant cycle on April 3rd. The deadline is May 8th.

What We Look For

Eligibility

Proposals will be accepted from charitable organizations, which serve the residents of the City of Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, Goochland, and Powhatan.

Types of Requests

The vast majority of grants awarded by the Jenkins Foundation are made for operational and programmatic purposes.

On an infrequent basis, the Jenkins Foundation will consider capital campaign requests. Eligible organizations must:

  1. align with the strategic priorities of the Jenkins Foundation;
  2. have a history of past support from Jenkins;
  3. clearly demonstrate how capital funding will significantly improve the organization's ability to provide, enhance or expand the reach of services provided; and
  4. contact Eric Clay, Senior Program Officer, to start a conversation and confirm your eligibility prior to submitting your request. 

Even when considered, a capital request may not fit within the grants budget for that grant cycle.

Grant Priorities

The Foundation’s funding priorities fall under three focus areas:

I. Access to Primary Care
Including, but not limited to:

  • Safety net clinics
  • Dental and oral health care
  • Case coordination and community health workers
  • Home visiting

II. Access to Mental Health Care
Including, but not limited to:

  • Counseling
  • Mental health education
  • Residential mental health treatment
  • Trauma-informed care

III. Prevention and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders
Including, but not limited to:

  • Substance use disorder counseling
  • Substance use disorder residential treatment

In addition, the Foundation is committed to the long-term viability of the organizations it supports, and will consider capacity building grants that strengthen an agency’s ability to better serve its clients. The Foundation will also consider a limited number of proposals outside the above stated focus areas.

Grant Amount

Generally, grants of up to $75,000 will be awarded. The Foundation will also identify a limited number of projects for greater funding.

Grant Duration

Jenkins Foundation typically awards grants for a single year from the date the award is made.

Occasionally, we will consider requests for multi-year support (usually 2-3 years). Eligible organizations must:

  1. align with the strategic priorities of the Jenkins Foundation;
  2. have a history of past support from Jenkins;
  3. clearly demonstrate the special needs or circumstances driving a multi-year request; and 
  4. contact Eric Clay, Senior Program Officer, to start a conversation to confirm your eligibility prior to submitting your request.

Questions about the application process?

Contact Eric Clay
Sr. Program Officer, Health Initiatives
804-409-5647