Apply For Funding

Welcome to the grant application portal for Dogwood Health Trust

Western North Carolinians have a proven track record of working together to improve the health of people in the region. Building on this strong history, we have an opportunity to listen, learn and dialogue about innovative ideas and creative and tested strategies to further enhance the health and wellbeing of the people in WNC. We are proud to partner with community organizations on equitable programs, initiatives and infrastructure that address the influence of housing, education, economic opportunity, and health and wellness on current and future generations.

Let’s Start a Conversation

We are always interested in learning more about what organizations in our region are doing and planning to help address issues that face our communities.

Our application process starts with a simple conversation, to share ideas and plans, and to initiate the process of working with our Dogwood Health Trust Impact Team.

Please review the information on this page, then use the link below to begin a conversation with our Impact staff for funding consideration.

What We Fund

We are interested in projects that address one or more of the goals and objectives within our four Strategic Priorities: Housing, Education, Economic Opportunity and Health & Wellness and that align with our overarching commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We also are interested in projects related to improving broadband access to support education and healthcare bridging rural divides, and addressing racial equity issues specifically. We understand that many of our interest areas will overlap or intertwine, and we welcome projects that reflect more than one of our Strategic Priorities.

Examples of the kinds of work we might fund include (but are not limited to) programs, projects or initiatives that:

Address disparities between different groups
Increase or improve access to resources or services within our Strategic Priorities
Support basic needs, particularly as they relate to increased demand due to COVID-19
Amplify the voice and influence of marginalized groups
Provide education and skills (at any age) needed for a lifetime of success and fulfillment
Build resilience in children and/or adults
Address substance use disorder
Improve how the systems involving our Strategic Priorities work for broader positive impact in WNC

We will also entertain the following types of requests:

Capacity building. Dogwood seeks to support capacity building that will help improve the WNC nonprofit sector’s ability to tackle specific issues. Examples can include (but are not limited to): strengthening the capacity of organizations to work in collaboration across organization and industry lines, supporting the capacity of leaders to work more effectively by exposing them to new ways of thinking and acting towards measurable change and strengthening the capacity of an organization to use new tools to more effectively communicate with its constituents and community, etc.
Capital requests. Dogwood will only consider capital requests which include other sources of support.

As we learn more about the potential partners in our region and the needs they are working to address, we will add more specific information for each strategic priority and update the pre-application process.

Who We Fund

In general, we will only make grants to 501(c)(3) organizations or government entities. All grant funds must be used to serve our 18-county region.

While our focus at the moment is on grants of $100,000 or more, we recognize that not every organization will be ready to engage with us at that level, so we will consider requests of any amount. We seek to support organizations that elevate uncommon leadership and voices that may have been overlooked or discounted in the past. We also encourage smaller organizations to explore opportunities for partnership with other nonprofits or government agencies to help elevate their work for broader or deeper impact.

Solicite financiamiento con una solicitud en español.

Apply for funding with a Spanish language application.

Need Help?

Visit our technical assistance page for an instructional video and FAQs, or call 828-398-4874.

What We Cannot Fund

As a private foundation, we are limited in some aspects of funding. Generally, we do not fund:

Direct payments to individuals
For-profit companies
Work outside of our 18-county service area
Organizations that do not align with our Purpose, Values and Guiding Principles
Clinical services for which there is another payor (with the exception of clinical services delivered by a Federally Qualified Health Center or a free clinic)
Activities that supplant government sources of funding (e.g. capital to build or rehab government owned buildings, infrastructure/maintenance, public services typically paid for through tax revenue)
100% of a capital request
Amounts that exceed 25% of an organization’s overall annual budget for a period of more than 2 consecutive years

Our Process

Our goal is to learn more about any potential applicant before requiring a detailed grant proposal. After an initial conversation with our team, we will accept applications at any time. However, we encourage applicants to speak with members of our Impact Team about processing time when making a request.

How Long Does the Process Take?

The application, approval and payment process can vary depending on the size and complexity of the request. Some grants may require extra steps that your Impact Team member will discuss with you. Examples include:

Requests of more than $2 million
Requests that, if funded, would bring the total amount of support from Dogwood to a single organization in 2022 to an amount exceeding $1 million
Requests from organizations in which a Dogwood board member or senior staff member has a potential conflict of interest
Complex requests requiring additional due diligence from our Impact, Legal/Compliance, and/or Finance Teams

We advise applicants to plan for a minimum of 60 days for the approval/declination process, and an additional minimum of 60 days for payment. The Impact Team member working with you will advise you on the specific timeline for your request.

Get Started

Helpful Tips for Applicants

Always start with a conversation. That way, both you and your Impact Team contact will know what to expect and increase your likelihood of an approval.
Review the application before you start to complete it, so you can gather required information before you begin.
Be sure that the application you complete is for the project you discussed with your Impact Team contact. While new ideas are welcomed, presenting them in an application without a preliminary discussion may send you back to the beginning of the process.

Step 1

Start the Conversation

Click the link above to start a conversation with a member of our Impact Team. If you experience technical difficulties with the conversation form, please contact us at [email protected] or call our technical assistance line at 828-398-4874.

Step 2

You will receive notification that your request was received and the name of the Dogwood Impact Team member assigned to your pre-application.

Step 3

Your Impact Team member will follow up with you within 10 business days with any questions, let you know if you should proceed with a full application and guide you through the process.

Have questions? Or an idea that’s not quite ready for pre-application? We’re happy to discuss and be a thought partner. Please email us at [email protected].