Building community funding through partnerships

In 2014, Providence Hood River Hospital partnered with United Way to pilot the collective impact community resource model. The idea was simple: Identify and support a shared technical expert to work with community-based organizations across different sectors, issues and geographies that could collaboratively build community funding capacity.  

This approach in Hood River has successfully launched more than 65 programs with 85 local partners, creating more than 60 jobs, training more than 100 community health workers and directly securing $18.5 million in funding.  

The model of fostering collaboration and developing tools toward successful grant applications has been as significant as the funding itself. Replicating this model requires equipping the community with the technical resources to achieve cross-sector engagement and working as one to identify and develop the needed tools for a successful grant application process. 

This approach was brought to Providence Seaside Hospital’s service area in early 2024. The collective impact health specialist began collaborating with community-based organizations to catalogue the community’s assets, largest need areas and shared priorities.  

The goal was to pinpoint which partners are addressing each identified need, what they aspire to do, and how they can achieve those aspirations collectively. This step fosters trust and deepens relationships, encouraging partners to dream bigger for the community. Ultimately, it promotes a culture of collaboration, demonstrating that the benefits of working together outweigh the challenges. 

Three collaborative applications were submitted for funding as of December 31, 2024:  

• Oregon Health Authority: Behavioral Health Referral Network - $14 million over 4 years 
• USDA Community Food Program - $400,000 over 4 years 
• OHA/OHSU HOW-TO Program (workforce development) - $1 million over 3 years 

Future work involves identifying additional funding opportunities, coaching individuals with grant writing skills, convening partners to develop ideas in response to funding opportunities and identifying lead applicants.