Drum roll please…

Award season is upon us. Musicians recently rocked through the Grammys on February 15 while Hollywood recently embraced the glitz and glam of the Academy Awards.

Keeping with the spirit of the awards, we are here to announce the recipients of AHF’s 2016 Mission Support Grants, or MSG. This season is one of the busiest and most exciting times of year as we support deserving organizations advancing health and wellness throughout all areas of our community.

Before we cue the music and “announce the winners,” I’d like to share a bit of history about the MSG program. Mission Support Grants started in 2010 when the board was looking to streamline how we distribute money into the community. These grants have been distributed every year since then, giving out $1 million annually to organizations in the San Diego and Imperial Counties that advance health and wellness. This money finances core operating support, meaning the organizations can use it as they see fit, hopefully to fund something they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to do.

Tracking how allocated funds are spent is one of the most exciting aspects of this whole process. We get to see how these organizations will leverage their grants and creatively influence the health and wellness space. Every year, they come up with some great applications for the funding, and I’m sure this year is no different.

Now, back to the show. Similar to the Oscars, we break our recipients down into categories. First up…

Organizations Impacting People Under 250% of the Poverty Level

These recipients from San Diego County are:

• Community Health Improvement Partners (CHIP)
• ElderHelp
• Multicultural Health Foundation
• Somali Family Service

The Imperial County recipients are:

• Cancer Resource Center of the Desert
• Neighborhood House of Calexico
• Imperial County Food Bank

Our next category:

Organizations who Impact the Uninsured and Underinsured in the Community

Both San Diego County and Imperial County:

• Planned Parenthood
• San Diego County Medical Society Foundation
• UCSD Student Run Free Clinic

Next we go to:

Organizations Advancing Health and Wellness for Children

San Diego County:

• Just in Time Foster Youth
• Neighborhood House
• Reality Changers
• Voices for Children

Imperial County:

• Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Imperial County

And finally, we have:

Organizations that Impact Homeless Individuals and Families

San Diego County:

• Dreams for Change
• PATH – People Assisting the Homeless
• San Diego Rescue Mission

Imperial County:

• Imperial Valley Homeless Taskforce

Well, that’s our show! A huge congratulations to all the winners. Be sure to follow your local programs and to get involved in causes important to you. We always welcome inspiration through your ideas and progress throughout the year. Feel free to share your thoughts.

-Nancy Sasaki, Executive Director
Alliance Healthcare Foundation
NSasaki@AllianceHF.org

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About Alliance Healthcare Foundation

Alliance Healthcare Foundation is a San Diego-based nonprofit which works with nonprofit, government and community agencies to advance health and wellness throughout the San Diego and Imperial Counties. AHF works to serve the most vulnerable – the poor, working poor, children and homeless by providing grants, advocacy and education to support its region.

To learn more about AHF, visit:   AHF on Facebook, AHF on LinkedIn, AHF on Google+, AHF on YouTube, AHF on Twitter

To learn more about our grantees, visit our Grantee Page.