Our approach
We work to improve access to quality health care for Lake County’s low-income residents in two ways. First, we support the work of programs that target uninsured or underinsured individuals and families and underserved neighborhoods and communities. Second, we build the capacity of programs, organizations, and systems to serve those most in need.
“Capacity building” can mean many things. We use the term to describe funding directed toward achieving the following specific goals.
Increasing program effectiveness
We want to increase grantees’ ability to implement successful program models and strategies used elsewhere; evaluate their programs’ effectiveness; demonstrate how programs improve the health status of the persons they serve; leverage limited resources in new ways in order to gain efficiencies and reduce duplication; and build strategic partnerships and alliances.
Ensuring organizational sustainability
We want to enable grantees to improve their managerial and governance skills and resources, for example by conducting organizational assessments of strengths and weaknesses; strengthening their board of directors; addressing the equity and diversity of the organization; diversifying revenue sources; conducting strategic planning; developing evaluation methods and tools; and building information technology infrastructure.
Leveraging healthcare system resources
We want to give local organizations the capacity to collaborate to build and strengthen northern Lake County’s healthcare continuum of services. Examples include community needs assessments; feasibility studies; and planning and implementation of large-scale initiatives designed to improve coordination of services between systems, such as hospitals and community clinics.
For a more detailed discussion of what the Foundation hopes to achieve and how it uses grantmaking to achieve it, download our Theory of Change.