Community Partnership Investments and Support Program

Columbus Regional Health (CRH) considers community investments, partnerships, sponsorships, and support requests for regional events, programs, activities and non-profit organizations, which offer opportunities to market CRH’s services, strengthen critical relationships and/or to extend CRH’s mission to improve the health and wellness of the people in southeastern Indiana.

Request Deadlines

The 12-month fiscal year resets every January and financial support requests will be considered on a semi-annual basis as follows:

January 1  – May 31  (deadline is October 28)

June 1 – December 31 (deadline is April 29)

Please note that due to the ongoing risks of in-person gatherings as a result of COVID-19, CRH has a special Events & Sponsorship Decision Tree in place for sponsorship requestors to know whether CRH can participate in or support.  Please consult this decision tree prior to making your request.

Definitions

Below are CRH’s definitions for its Community Investments, Partnerships, Sponsorships, Events & Outreach Education Program and Funding Requests: 

  1. Community Investments / Partnerships:
    1. Community investments and partnerships are sponsorships where both parties are committed to maximizing participation to achieve a mutually-agreed-upon outcome.
    2. It may apply to one-off events, but more often applies to community programs extending over many months or even several years.
  2. Sponsorships:
    1. Financial and/or in-kind support in return for the right to use an opportunity such as an event, program, or organization’s influence to promote CRH’s name, image, products and services.
    2. A sponsorship is not a donation (in cash or kind.)
  3. Events & Outreach Education:
    1. An occurrence wherein CRH has the opportunity to have a presence in a community or private setting whether it be in-person or virtual to further support the community, public, or mission of Columbus Regional Health.
    2. This occurrence may also include providing speakers and /or clinical support staff for educational purposes.
  4. Funding Requests supported by Columbus Regional Health Foundation (CRHF):
    1. Philanthropy, or charitable giving, is usually a one-off cash donation and/or in-kind service to a specific cause or not-for-profit organization.
    2. Philanthropic donations are given to meet specific needs such as:
      1. Projects that further support the goals of:
        1. Healthy Communities Initiatives
        2. VIMCare Clinic
        3. CRH Treatment & Support Center
        4. Columbus Regional Health
      2. Projects that further support the current Community Health Needs Assessment Strategy:
        1. Increased Access to Care
        2. Treatment, Recovery & Prevention of Substance Use Disorder
        3. Infant Mortality Prevention
        4. Prevention & Management of Diseases & Disorders
      3. Scholarship opportunities for those pursuing careers in healthcare:
        1. Robert Borczon Memorial Medical Scholarship for CRH employees
        2. Ronald D. Roberts Memorial Medical Scholarship for students in at least their second year of medical school
        3. Heritage Fund Scholarships
        4. Access Indiana Scholarships

    Objectives

    Through CRH’s Sponsorship/Community Investment/Partnership efforts, we aim to achieve the following: 

    1. Alignment with like-minded, not-for-profit organizations to help us advance our mission to the community.
    2. Reinforce and strengthen the CRH brand as the community’s healthcare partner for life.
    3. Establish and develop genuine, mutually beneficial relationships with key audiences.
    4. Loyalty and advocacy towards CRH through exclusive partnerships whenever applicable.

    Selection Criteria and Guidelines 

    Regrettably, we are unable to support every request that we receive. We have outlined our guidelines below to help you understand where we focus our attention and resources, as well as our expectations for mutually beneficial partnerships. 

    Restrictions

    Due to policy, CRH & CRHF will not support the following requests: 

    1. Projects, programs and events outside of our primary or secondary service areas (i.e. Bartholomew County & surrounding areas).
    2. Projects, programs and events that do not align with our Mission, Vision & Values
    3. Requests for CRH to be the sole financial supporter for an event, program, project or organization.
    4. Requests with unreasonably high financial terms and/or low value to CRH and its mission.
    5. Multiple requests from same organization within any given budget year.
    6. Requests with unnecessary legal, safety, financial, reputation and environmental risks.
    7. Political campaigns, candidates, parties or partisan activities.
    8. Projects of local government departments.
    9. Personal fundraising efforts and/or family foundations.
    10. Participation in trips, tours, contests, etc.
    11. Individual teams or groups (e.g. youth travel team, classroom projects, high-school senior projects, entire leagues, etc.)
    12. Requests from for-profit organizations.

    Categories 

    Except for philanthropy for specific causes, at CRH & CRHF we focus community investment on: 

    1. Health
    2. Youth
    3. Education
    4. Sport/Recreation
    5. Arts and Culture
    6. Environment

    Priority 

    Priority is given to requests that best align with CRH & CRHF’s Mission and Values, with the following attributes: 

    1. Community benefit initiatives focused on:
      1. Assistance with non-medical needs such as housing, clothing, nutrition and social needs.
      2. Improved access to health services, recreation, and physical activity.
      3. Expansion of mental health programs and services to support victims of addiction, traumatic events, and domestic violence.
    2. Mutually-beneficial business and relationship development initiatives which positively affect our patients, payers, physicians/providers, employees and/or employer partners.
    3. Image and brand enhancement.
    4. Value of investment based on number of individuals served and/or brand impressions.
    5. Category exclusivity and advocacy for CRH.
    6. CRH representation on organization’s board and/or event committee(s).

    Expectations and Accountability 

    Our philosophy is to support as many like-minded non-profits as our annual budget permits. Therefore, we are limited on the amount of financial support we can provide to any given project considering that we receive requests from ~100 community-based non-for-profits each year. However, in the case of budget restrictions, CRH & CRHF desires to collaborate with requester to find creative ways to achieve mutually-beneficial relationships.

    With a service area in South Central Indiana that spans the counties of Bartholomew, Shelby, Johnson, Jennings, Jefferson, Decatur, Jackson, Scott, Ripley, Brown, and surrounding areas, we are committed to ensuring these areas receive a fair and reasonable share of community investment funding.

    Application Timeline and Process 

    1. The 12-month fiscal year resets every January and financial support requests will be considered on a semi-annual basis as follows:
      1. January 1 – May 31 (deadline is October 28)
      2. June 1 – December 31 (deadline is April 29)
    2. Only one application per organization each budget year will be considered. If an organization has multiple events, programs and projects, the requester must specify each within one application. If an organization plans a new or additional event after its initial submission, CRH & CRHF will only consider supporting it during the subsequent budget year (via new application).
    3. Every application will be reviewed and assessed according to CRH & CRHF guidelines.Applicants will be notified of approval or denial no later than four to six weeks after the application deadline.
    4. Personal interviews and meetings to discuss potential projects and proposals will only be considered after an application has been submitted online. Those appropriate or required for an interview / presentation will be notified.
    5. All applications must be submitted online through the official form located below.
Community Partnership Investments & Support Request Form