As we enter a new fiscal year, we would like to make current and prospective grantees aware of the following changes:

• We will now consider projects and programs which incorporate positive emotional health. They will be reviewed on an ad hoc basis. Because emotional health is such a broad term, we are confining the definition of emotional health for our purposes to a preventive perspective – that of a sense of well-being rather than that of treatment of mental illnesses or disorders. We encourage existing grantees to incorporate these principles into their programs to include emotional well-being as an important component of overall good health.
• We will now consider capital projects, with no individual project budget to exceed $100,000 per project.
• We will now consider proposals from new grantees from within our service area (ten-mile radius around Pottstown).
• For all of our grantees, we want to encourage your ideas, projects, and passion. In order to stay at our best, we encourage existing grantees to consider adding to existing ideas or changing some aspects of projects – feel free to try something new: The possibilities for great ideas are endless.

ANNOUNCEMENT: As of June 28, 2011, our grant giving goals have been redefined.

The Foundation distributes grants according to the following:

• Funding Programs and solutions for long-term improvement in healthy behaviors.
  • Promoting healthy living through nutrition, activities and programs in public and private schools to reduce obesity and encourage healthy living.
  • Improving parks, programming and the built environment to increase access and physical activity.
  • Creating and promoting social networks involving healthy living.
• Funding programs for physical health and emotional well-being
• Funding learning opportunities and strategic planning to strengthen non-profits.

We continue to provide support through educational resources and programs including:

• Coordinating and funding nonprofit resources and sponsoring professional development programs for our grantees as well as to the nonprofits in the region.
• Leading the Healthy Schools collaborative group.
• Health and wellness information and resources on the PAHWF and the Mission Healthy Living websites
• Our second Needs Assessment Report (July 2009).

It is always important for Pottstown Area community leaders, nonprofit directors, educational and civic leaders, and the business community to focus on collaborative efforts in order to leverage dollars and resources to make health and wellness a priority for the long term. The Foundation is happy to assist with and recommend possible partnerships with other organizations who share our interests in enhancing the health and wellness of Pottstown Area residents.

Please call the Foundation office at 610-323-2006 x 29 (Anna Brendle) or x 25 (Laurie Betts, MD) if you have any questions about our grants program or to learn more about the other resources we offer.