Since 1989, the KCMSA Foundation has distributed $1.4 million
to the following recipients:
In March 2018, the Alliance held its 27th charity event, Dose of Generosity. Since 1989, the Alliance has raised over $1.4 million for local nonprofit organizations, such as those listed above, through major fundraising events. We have found that in the past few years, organizing and holding large scale fundraisers for third parties has become increasingly difficult. This caused us to rethink how we have been fundraising. We remain committed to giving back to the community financially, in addition to our time and talent, but decided to explore other ways of accomplishing this goal.
This year we will begin shifting all fundraising dollars to support our own charitable Foundation. This way, we can continue to support local health related initiatives through the Foundation’s grant programs. This means we no longer need to hold large charity events, such as the Dose of Generosity, in order to award a major grant. While making this transition, the Foundation needs to cut back on major grants for the coming year, and will be revising the major grant application process to align to our new structure.
Additionally, this shift moved us to look at what type of programs and organizations we have supported and whether they reflect the health needs in our community. We have decided to incorporate the health needs of our community identified in the Kent County Community Health Needs Assessment as an additional criteria for grant applicants. This study found four major health issues facing our community: Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Obesity, and Poor Nutrition. You can access the full report here.
The Foundation also has a long history of bridging the gap for individuals when insurance and Medicaid will not cover essential items for their health and wellbeing. We will continue to accept grants from nonprofit organizations requesting funds on behalf of an individual’s health need.
We are excited about the new direction our Alliance and Foundation are taking, and look forward to increasing our impact on the health and wellbeing of the community. We hope you will join us in the journey connecting and growing a healthier Kent County!
The Kent County Medical Society Alliance Foundation (KCMSAF) was incorporated on March 4, 1997 for the purpose of funding organizations involved in “charitable, educational and scientific endeavors”. The goal of the Foundation is to make funding available to organizations that provide for the improvement of the health and well being primarily of the citizens of the greater Grand Rapids area. Those organizations should have 501(c)3 status. The recipients of support are determined through a grant application review process. There are two types of grants given by the Foundation – mini-grants (up to $3,000) and major grants.
Click here to view our 501(c)3 documentation.
To learn about the requirements and the application process for a mini grant from the Alliance Foundation, please go to our page dedicated to mini grants. The Foundation Board of Directors meets four times a year to review requests. Submissions are taken on an ongoing basis.