About
The CommonSpirit Health Equity and Advancement Fund (CHEAF) has transitioned into the CommonSpirit Community Health Improvement Grants (CHIG) program, further strengthening our commitment to improving community health and advancing health equity across the regions we serve.
Our Community Health Improvement Grants program is one way we partner with community organizations to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable and underserved populations across the communities we serve. Through restricted charitable contributions for defined projects, the program supports initiatives that advance community health, promote health equity, and strengthen local systems of care. Eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations may apply for grant funding from our hospitals to address the priority health needs identified through each hospital’s Community Health Needs Assessment and Community Health Implementation Plan.
Grounded in our Core Values and Mission, we are committed to improving the health of the people we serve, especially those who are most vulnerable, while advancing social justice for all.
List of 2026 Awardees
- All Access Wellness
- Ascending to Health Respite Care, Inc.
- Axis Health System
- Bakhita Mountain Home
- Benefits in Action
- Brother Jeff's Cultural Center
- Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado
- Catholic Charities of Central CO
- Chanda Center for Health
- Community Connections, Inc.
- Doctors Care
- Durango Mutual Aid Distribution
- ECHO & Family Center Early Childhood Cou
- Face It TOGETHER
- Foster Source dba Be the Source
- Fostering Hope Foundation
- GoFarm
- Growing Gardens of Boulder County
- Health Research Toolbox
- Heart Mind Haven
- International Rescue Committee
- Jeffco Prosperity Partners
- Jefferson Center for Mental Health
- Kids At Their Best
- Mountain View Core Knowledge School
- Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center
- PorchLight, A Family Justice Center
- Posada
- Rise Against Suicide
- Rising Up
- SafeSide Foundation
- Solid Rock
- Summit County Family Resource Center DBA Family & Intercultural Resource
- TESSA
- The Refuge
- Tri-Lakes Cares
- UpRoot Colorado
- YANAM2M
- Catholic Charities of Southwest Kansas - Garden City
- Catholic Charities of Southwest Kansas - Dodge City
- Dodge City Family YMCA
- Genesis Family Health Center
- LiveWell Finney County Health Coalition
- Southwest Health Transport
- Blue Star Families Utah Chapter
- Catholic Community Services of Utah, Salt Lake City
- Center for Women and Children in Crisis DBA The Refuge Utah
- Davis County Health Department
- Family Promise of Ogden
- Navajostrong
- Neighborhood House Association
- The Children's Center Utah
- The INN Between
- Valley Behavioral Health
Application Resources and Information
2027 Application Timeline
- July 20 – September 18, 2026: Grant application period opens. Applicant organizations can apply online.
- Webinar schedule TBD
- To receive updated information, please complete this form
- Webinars (July - August): Join a webinar to learn more and ask questions.
- July 24, 2026 at noon MT- https://commonspirit.zoom.us/j/96498712378?pwd=b5z2uIgQeqIWvS5mHLmDLs9Og9IWSE.1&jst=2
- July 31, 2026 at noon MT- https://commonspirit.zoom.us/j/99751062537?pwd=4iFQCGRbb6wnrWFIzNVHvkHHFd7MS4.1&jst=2
- August 7, 2026 at noon MT- https://commonspirit.zoom.us/j/94824981575?pwd=iFabVpq3T8Eu2T4GSMaXFpf39QpDNq.1&jst=2
- Spanish interpretation will be available during the July 31 and August 7 webinars. If you require interpretation in another language, please email us at [email protected]
- (on or about) January 20, 2027: Applicants notified of funding decisions
- February - March 2027: Grant agreements are signed, followed by award payments.
- April 1, 2027: Grant period begins
- November 12, 2027: Mid-year reports due
- March 31, 2028: Grant period ends
- May 12, 2028: Final reports due
Applicant Eligibility Criteria
This is a summary of eligibility criteria. The program overview document contains additional important details.
- Applicants must be IRS 501(c)3 non-profit organizations, or have a fiscal agent that is a 501(c)3 organization and capable of administering grant project funds. Applicants must provide an IRS Determination Letter documenting 501(c)3 status and be in good standing.
- Applicants and partners must have a philosophy and services not inconsistent with the Mission, Vision and Values of CommonSpirit Health.
- Proposals are for projects that address one or more of the hospital’s significant health needs in the hospital’s most recent Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) or Community Health Implementation Strategy, with sustained project activity over a period of between 9 and 12 months.
- People and communities to be served are within the hospital’s service area and include identified underserved or vulnerable populations, to help address health inequities. People to be served can include members of the community at-large, patients of CommonSpirit Health entities or both.
- The program is intended both to support the delivery of services and to strengthen collaborative service systems. Consistent with this aim, proposals for grant projects of $20,000 or more must include collaborating partner organizations other than the granting hospital with distinct, complementary and substantive project roles.
- Proposals are for one year periods only. Applicants can apply in subsequent years for similar scopes of work or to conduct different projects, but projects will not be funded for more than four consecutive years.
- The grant program has limits on funding for equipment purchases, including computer equipment.
Ineligible Activities and Applicants:
The following activities and applicants are not eligible for funding consideration:
- Requests for unrestricted general operating support
- Event sponsorships
- Projects or activities with a duration of less than nine months
- Capital projects, including buildings, renovations, or major infrastructure improvements
- Lobbying activities, political advocacy, or political campaigns
Service Areas and Health Priorities
- Access to Care
- Chronic Disease Management
- Mental Health
- Substance Use
- Social Determinants of Health
Health priorities vary per hospital, please see each hospital's specific health priorities and service area.
Grant Award Ranges
Grant award ranges have minimum and maximum amounts that vary by hospital, within the categories of small grants (up to $19,500) and standard grants ($20,000 or more).
Each participating hospital has a specific grant funding range that will be posted when the application period opens.
Online Application Process
- Complete online grant application submitted by deadline. No emailed applications will be accepted.
- Budget - Applicants are required to provide a budget for the overall project, including any additional funding sources and amounts not included in the Community Health Improvement Grant request. The application’s budget template includes fields where applicants can enter and document other funding sources supporting the project.
- To access the 2027 Community Health Improvement Grant application, please visit the grant website and scroll to the hospital where you are seeking funding. Select the Grant Application Link associated with that hospital to begin your application.
- EUNA and Application additional information here
Additional Information
Applicant Training for Grants Video
Grant Recipient Requirements
Reporting for grants of $20,000 or more is semi-annual. Reporting for grants of less than $20,000 is annual only, at the conclusion of the grant period. The report questions will closely follow the application, and in particular ask about year-to-date and final performance compared to the proposed activities, numbers of persons served, and specific outcome goals. Information will be required about grant program expenditures compared to the submitted budget, and about notable project barriers and successes.
More Information
- Request to join the email distribution list
- General questions about the Community Health Improvement Grants program can be directed to [email protected]
Yes, it is permissible to submit an application to more than one hospital, either for similar projects or different ones, if the applicant has a presence and operates in the service areas of those hospitals.
Note that some hospitals located relatively near each other grant together, and do not individually accept applications.
For coordination purposes, we request that applicants disclose in the application when they are applying to more than one hospital. And, grant program staff ensure that hospitals’ Local Grant Leaders are informed when an applicant has done so.
This is permitted as long as the proposals are distinct from each other (i.e., not for substantially the same project activities, meeting the same needs, for the same population) and the partner organization has distinct, complementary and substantive roles in the proposed project on which they are a partner.
The grant program does not require or expect the hospital’s participation. This question is included in the application because it is important to know in advance if the applicant intends to request any specific role for the hospital in the project.
Some applications do include the hospital in proposed activities. For example, a hospital may be requested to be (or already be) a partner with the applicant organization in delivering health education programs. Or the proposed project may involve coordination between the applicant and the hospital (e.g., to help community members find a medical home). It is also possible that the applicant and the hospital both may be members of a local coalition helping to address the health need.
No, there is no expectation of exclusivity. The grant program exists to support community health services delivery and the enhancement of collaborative community service systems. We fully expect applicant organizations to be well-networked and working with multiple organizations in the community.
No, the grant program is not for a referral program between the applicant and the hospital. See the grant program web page for a full description of the purpose and eligibility criteria. In some cases, applications are submitted and grants awarded that help support service delivery to people who are clients or patients of both the applicant and the hospital, but that is only one type of activity funded.