Grantmaking
Overview
At the Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation, we seek to collaborate with organizations that offer transformative, lasting health solutions. From providing critical primary care through the Blue Ridge Health – Highlands Cashiers clinic to supporting school nurses at local schools, our partnerships are the central way we help improve health and well-being for all on the plateau.
Grants are our most prolific way to impact our community. The Health Foundation strives to partner with organizations whose transformative, lasting solutions will advance our mission to improve the health and well-being of Highlands, Cashiers, and surrounding communities. In 2024, the Health Foundation provided an average of $23,750 to the 16 organizations that received grants.
We encourage organizations we’ve previously funded to propose new innovative projects that offer fresh perspectives and approaches to addressing critical issues, ensuring diversity and effectiveness in our grant-making efforts.
2025 LIFT Grant Schedule
July 1 – Step 1, Pre-Application Period Opens
July 30 – Step 1, Pre-Application Deadline at 5:00 pm
Invitations for Step 2, Full Applications, will be sent to organizations by September 1
September 1 – Step 2, Full Application Period Opens
September 30 – Step 2, Full application Deadline at 5:00 pm
November – Grant Notifications & Agreements sent to organizations
APPLICATION & GRANT ACCOUNT ACCESS
The Health Foundation utilizes online portals to manage active grants with current partners and to facilitate application processes for new LIFT Grant opportunities.
In 2025, we are transitioning to a new “Applicant and Grantee Portal” for our LIFT Grant and future grant opportunities. All grantseekers will need to use this new portal for 2025 LIFT Grant and future applications.
- The new portal consolidates all applications from funders using Blackbaud Grantmaking into one location, providing a streamlined experience for grantseekers with a single login. This means that grantseekers can see applications for the Health Foundation and other funders in one place. The new portal is more user-friendly, allowing applicants to easily manage applications, requirements, reports, and invite additional users to collaborate on forms.
At the same time, grantees with active grants prior to 2025 will still need to use the Health Foundation’s “Legacy Grantee Portal” to submit reports and manage their grants.
- We ask that our long-term grantees know that your application history will
be starting over in the new portal. You may want to download any previous
applications and reports. The Legacy Grantee Portal will not be available after August 31, 2025
Please keep this transition in mind while planning and submitting your grant application.
CONTACT US
If your organization has involvement or ideas aligned with our strategic priorities, we would love to hear from you. The Health Foundation is especially interested in collaboratives with like-minded organizations that align programs and projects with shared goals and a common vision for working together. We look forward to speaking with you!
2025 LIFT Grants strategic priorities
As a Foundation, grants are the most prolific way we advance our mission to improve health and well-being in our area.
We are pleased to share our three strategic priorities for the 2025 LIFT Grants: Access to Primary Care, Access to Behavioral Health, and the Well-being of Infants, Children, and Adolescents. We look forward to collaborating with organizations that support these areas of focus.
Access to Primary Care
Projects, programs, and services that expand access and remove barriers to primary health care, leading to measurable improvements in positive health outcomes for people of all ages and backgrounds.
Access to Behavioral Health
Behavioral health and substance use issues are increasing in our community, and we are especially interested in supporting projects, programs, and services that effectively improve access to these critical services.
Well-being of Infants, Children & Adolescents
Projects, programs, and services that support initiatives and organizations promoting the health and well-being of our young people, ensuring they have the resources and care needed to thrive and reach their full potential.
Funding Eligibility
ORGANIZATIONS
- Public charities described in section 501(c)(3) and 509(a) (1,2 or 3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and to private operating units of government for public purposes. This includes Native American tribal organizations.
- Projects focused on Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, and Swain Counties, as well as the Qualla Boundary.
- Projects that align with our mission and strategic priorities.
- Multi-year funding is generally not accepted.
WHAT WE CAN’T FUND
- Individuals
- Organizations with a political purpose, including lobbying
- Out-of-area projects
- Grants prohibited by tax law and regulation
Projects not inclined to be funded in 2025
Please note we understand that the challenges facing our community are more than any one organization can solve. For those reasons, we are not able to fund grants in the following areas in 2025:
- General Operating Expenses
- Repeat requests for previously funded projects
Interested in applying? We’d love to hear from you! Click below for details on our application process.
