United Way receives Community Health Impact Grant from Michigan Health Endowment Fund
United Way of Southwest Michigan is one of 57 grant awardees across the state who were selected by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund to take part in the 2022 Community Health Impact Grant Project focused on empowering community health organizations to build impactful collaborations, expand capacity, and respond to critical community health challenges.
Heather Cole, Director of Advocacy and Public Innovation at United Way, will be overseeing the project. “We’re so thankful to the Health Fund for supporting this project. This award will help create more leaders and grow a network of people and organizations who center their work on serving the aspirations of the community,” she said.
The fund’s Community Health Impact program supports health-focused, community-based organizations with bold ideas to address health challenges. United Way of Southwest Michigan’s bold idea is “Building a Network of Turned-Outward Organizations.”
“Turning outward” is a step-by-step process developed by The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, an organization working to stimulate community-led change. “Turning outward” entails taking steps to better understand communities, changing processes and thinking to make conversations more community-focused, being proactive to community issues, and putting community aspirations first. United Way of Southwest Michigan is committed to building a “Turned-Outward” network in our community.
Through UWSM’s partnership with The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, this grant will bring training, resources, and support to United Way and its partners over the next two years.
“United Way has been working with Rich Harwood and the Harwood Institute for several years now. Rich is a wonderful leader and is dedicated to transforming communities and building empathetic, skilled leaders who can help people unleash their potential to create better lives for their families and neighbors,” said Anna Murphy, President & CEO of United Way of Southwest Michigan.
ABOUT MICHIGAN HEALTH ENDOWMENT FUND
The Michigan Health Endowment Fund is a philanthropic foundation that works to improve the health and wellness of Michigan residents while reducing healthcare costs, with a special focus on children and seniors. The Health Fund supports organizations across Michigan, from grassroots groups addressing local health challenges to large agencies working in every county. From the urban streetscapes of downtown Detroit all the way to the rural corners of the Upper Peninsula, our partners are doing innovative, evidence-based work to improve the health and wellness of Michigan residents. For more information, visit mihealthfund.org.
ABOUT UNITED WAY
United Way of Southwest Michigan fights for the Health, Education, and Financial Stability of every person in every community. We have the influence and relationships to make sustainable change a reality. By harnessing resources from corporate, nonprofit, and public partners, we provide immediate assistance to our most vulnerable populations while addressing the root causes of our community's longstanding challenges and changing lives for the better. To join the fight—through giving, advocacy, and volunteering—visit www.uwsm.org.