The New Hampshire Children’s Health Foundation committed $1,511,589 in grant and directed funding in its latest grant round. The projects funded included efforts to improve children’s oral health, reduce food insecurity, address childhood trauma and increase opportunities for healthy eating or active living. The Foundation makes grants for terms ranging from one to three years.

Organizations receiving funding include:

• Southern NH Planning Commission $45,000 over 2 years to improve access to places for children and families to walk and play.
• University of New Hampshire’s Institute for Health Policy and Practice, $64,000 over 3 years to continue to update the NH oral health data dashboard.
• Building Community in New Hampshire, $90,000 over 3 years to improve nutrition access and consumption for newly settled refugee children in Manchester.
• NH Hunger Solutions, $90,000 over 3 years to increase participation in the school breakfast program in Manchester and Nashua.
• Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua, $27,000 to increase participation in Fresh Start Garden Program.
• International Institute of New England, $15,000 to train case managers and build partnerships to connect newly settled refugees to culturally appropriate food resources in Manchester and Nashua.
• Regenerative Roots Association, $12,000 to expand fresh food growing capacity for Nashua refugees.
• NH Oral Health Coalition, $90,000 over 3 years for general operating support to advance policy and practice for improved oral health services to children, families and adults.

Strategic investments

Beginning in 2019, New Hampshire Children’s Health Foundation initiated a directed funding model for the funding priority To Prevent and Reduce Childhood Trauma. The decision to take a long-term, multi-prong approach was proposed by the Foundation’s board of directors who seek to accomplish transformational change in addressing this issue. The Foundation’s focus for this work built on existing efforts in New Hampshire, many of which were already funded with Foundation dollars.

The Foundation recently committed additional funding to these partner organizations to support projects designed to advance its strategy in this area:

• University of New Hampshire’s Institute for Health Policy and Practice, $613,589 over 26 months to continue and expand its work with pediatric primary care practices to screen for and address childhood trauma.
• New Futures, $405,000 over 3 years for community engagement and advocacy leadership training to advance early childhood and healthy policy systems change in New Hampshire.
• The Center for Trauma Responsive Practice Change, $60,000 for an 18 month Child Parent Psychotherapy Learning Collaborative comprised of 45 masters level mental health providers.

The Foundation’s next responsive grant round opens February 1, 2022. Details available here.