The HNHfoundation awarded grants totaling more than $500,000 in 2009.  During a period of extreme market fluctuation in which the Foundation endowment fell sharply, the board of director’s priority was to ensure that multi-year commitments were fulfilled.  As a result, only two new grants were awarded.  Overall, grant awards were made to both statewide and local organizations. 

The mission of the HNHfoundation is to evaluate and promote access to quality health and dental insurance coverage and healthy lifestyles for the residents of New Hampshire.  To support the mission, the Foundation makes grants in two areas: to increase the number of New Hampshire children who have access to health and dental insurance coverage and to support initiatives to prevent childhood obesity.  Grants categories include: project support, advocacy/public policy activities, capacity building, general operating support and to leverage other funding. 

2009 Grantees Include:

The Public Policy Institute of Boston, $50,000: for advocacy and public policy activities relative to increasing access to children’s health and dental insurance in New Hampshire, to be conducted by NH Voices for Health.

Keene State College, $98,771: to support the Early Sprouts research project, a multi-year “seed to table” nutrition program for low income children up to age five and their parents.

Franklin Pierce Law Center, Institute for Health Law and Ethics, $15,000: for general operating support for monitoring and informing legislative and policy implications of child and family access to health and dental coverage.

Foundation for Healthy Communities, $218,567: for project support, community based grants, website maintenance and strategic planning on behalf of the New Hampshire Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Initiative.

New Hampshire Healthy Kids, $50,000: for general operating support related to increasing access to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and Medicaid. 

Manchester Health Department, $30,000: this grant, leveraged with additional funding from the national Convergence Partnership, is for project support to implement policy and environmental change strategies that improve the food and built environment in the Center-City neighborhood. 

Children’s Alliance of NH, $15,000: for general operating support related to informing advocates of the impact of federal and state legislation on New Hampshire children and their families.

Media Power Youth, $35,000: for capacity building activities to provide youth media literacy specific to healthy eating and obesity prevention.

For more information about the HNHfoundation, visit www.hnhfoundation.org