https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/gran...

Private

Yes

Yes

Open

One time

Dogwood Health Trust

Grant

Yes

Fixed

Single

• May 18, 2026 at 5:00 PM

12-24 months

• Charter schools
• Institutions of higher education
• Local school administrative units
• Nonprofits
• Units of local government

• Long-term Recovery
• Planning, Resilience & Mitigation

People and organizations in Western North Carolina have a long tradition of working together to improve community health, wellbeing, opportunity and access. This grant will support collaborations spanning organizations, sectors and geographic locations to plan, pilot and scale breakthrough solutions to complex community challenges in Western North Carolina. Community-led collaboration and innovation are inherently complex processes that defy simple definitions. For the purposes of this grant opportunity, Dogwood Health Trust is using the following working definitions: Collaboration is a process of multiple organizations sharing responsibility, resources, and decision-making to address complex place-based challenges that no single organization can solve alone. Collaboration often features some or all of the following:

• Multistakeholder and/or cross-sector engagement and coordination o Public, nonprofit, private and community partners working together toward common goals
• Trust and long-term commitment
• Strong ties between leaders and organizations
• Shared governance structure
• Pooling expertise, funding, networks and leadership
• Orientation toward complex challenges that no single actor can solve
• Systems barriers such as workforce gaps, rural health and educational disparities, infrastructure needs and economic opportunity
• Place-based focus
• Anchored in local identity, assets, culture and community dynamics.

Innovation is place-based applied creativity, focused on developing, adapting and scaling promising efforts to dramatically improve the health and wellbeing of all people and communities in Western North Carolina. Grants will range in size from $50,000 to $500,000 total. Funds are generally paid within a 12-month period, and the collaboration work may span 12 to 24 months depending on the scope and timeline of the work. Eligibility: Organizations with emerging or well-established collaboration in Western North Carolina are encouraged to apply for this opportunity. This grant opportunity will prioritize collaborations that are pursuing innovation to address complex challenges aligned to Dogwood’s strategic priority areas of housing, education, economic opportunity and/or health & wellness. We value partnerships that are rooted in shared goals and commitment, rather than those formed solely to pursue this grant opportunity. Collaboratives made up of organizations working in the Qualla Boundary and/or 18 counties of Western North Carolina are eligible to apply. Please refer to our FAQs for a comprehensive list of the 18 qualifying counties. A single organization – the Hub Applicant – will apply on behalf of the collaborative. Hub Applicants may be 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charities; government, quasi and non-governmental organizations; faithbased organizations; or K-12 schools, colleges and universities. The Hub organization administers all grant funds, including managing the administrative and logistical coordination of the collaborative. Funds should be allocated among the collaborative partners in a thoughtful way that maximizes collaboration, aligns with program implementation and accelerates impacts for communities in WNC.

$50,000

$500,000

Criteria and Review Factors: Proposals will be reviewed based on three core factors: 1) the strength of the collaboration, 2) the potential impact of the innovation, 3) the capacity of the lead hub. Guiding questions for the review include the following:

• Strength of the collaborative
• Are the right partners engaged at the right levels?
• Is there demonstrated effectiveness in coordination and community engagement and impact?
• Is the collaborative decision-making and governance structure well-defined?
• Potential of the proposed innovation
• Does this effort develop, adapt or scale a novel approach?
• How will the people and communities served be dramatically better off because of this effort?
• What is the potential to scale this effort to transform systems that serve people and communities in WNC?
• Capacity of the proposed Hub
• Does the hub champion a shared vision that was created by and for the community?
• Does the hub effectively coordinate programming?
• Does the hub cultivate and mobilize resources and partnerships