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Grants and Sponsorships

Centra is committed to improving the overall health in the communities and regions we serve by funding projects and sponsoring events that address community health needs outside of our healthcare system.
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Our approach

As a major economic force in central and southern Virginia, Centra is committed to supporting projects of regional importance which address our communities’ economic, social and community development needs. 

How to Apply for Grants & Sponsorships

To maximize the impact of Centra’s community contributions, we have created a user-friendly online application portal, for use by any organization requesting funding from Centra, whether a grant or a sponsorship. All applicants will be asked to create a login and submit their requests online.

For more information please send an email to communityhealth@centrahealth.com


Mandatory Grant Training

Centra’s annual Community Grant opportunity opens on March 1, 2024, at 8 am and will close on May 1, 2024, at 5 pm. Notification of funding will be no later than September 30, 2024.

In order to better prepare your organization to apply for this grant, there will be a mandatory Grant Application Overview via Microsoft Teams on February 21, 2024, from 1 to 2 pm. If you are planning to apply for a Centra grant this year, please have at least one representative from your organization attend. If you are not going to apply for a grant for this year, then you do not need to attend this meeting. 

Please note, if your organization is going to apply for a Centra sponsorship and not a grant, you do not need to attend this training.

For an invitation to the training, please send an email to communityhealth@centrahealth.com
 

Eligibility Criteria

Organizations requesting funding must be a legal entity that is tax-exempt under IRS Section 501(c)(3) or another non-profit as relevant to Centra’s funding priorities and not a private foundation as described under Section 509(a).

Projects that take place outside of Centra’s service areas will not be considered. Centra’s service areas include the cities/towns of Bedford, Danville, Farmville, and Lynchburg, and the counties of Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Buckingham, Campbell, Charlotte, Cumberland, Lunenburg, Nottoway, Pittsylvania or Prince Edward.

The following requests are among those that will not be considered for support:

  • Biomedical or clinical research
  • Conference or symposium fees
  • Debt reduction
  • Endowments
  • Organizations that discriminate based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression.
     
  • Individuals
  • Political campaigns, candidates or partisan activities
  • Projects with a religious purpose
  • Scholarships
  • League sports
  • School-based programs such as athletics, band, chorus and theater

Grant Information

In 2020, Centra moved its community grant giving from the Centra Foundation to Centra’s Department of Community Health. The dollars that are used for these funding opportunities come directly from Centra as part of the Community Benefit contributions for the communities Centra serves. The Centra Foundation no longer administers or funds these grants.

You can view the Centra Grant Application Guidelines and Budget Template here

  Submission Deadline Application Open Notified By
  5/1/2024 3/1/2024 - 5/1/2024 9/30/2024

NOTE: We recommend using Google Chrome as your browser when submitting your grant application for optimal functionality. 

Please review our Frequently Asked Questions.

Sponsorship Information

To view the sponsorship applications guidelines and template and submit your application, please click the “Sponsorship Application” link above. Sponsorship applications are reviewed and awarded during three cycles

  Deadline Application Open Notified By
Cycle 1 2/15/2024 1/15/2024-02/15/2024 3/15/2024
Cycle 2 6/15/2024 5/15/2024-6/15/2024 7/15/2024
Cycle 3 10/15/2024 9/15/2024-10/15/2024 11/15/2024

NOTE: We recommend using Google Chrome as your browser when submitting your sponsorship application for optimal functionality. 

General sponsorship information

  • Funding decisions are communicated by email to the contact person named on the application per the notification dates listed.
  • Presentations and/or site visits may or may not be requested.  
  • Please note that prior contributions do not indicate a precedent for future funding.
  • Due to the large volume of applicants, we regret that we are unable to critique unsuccessful proposals. 
  • Please see our Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

For more information please send an email to communityhealth@centrahealth.com
 

Priorities

Understandably, Centra is unable to fund the multitudes of requests it receives. Centra Board policy gives priority to funding sponsorships and grants that address the needs identified in the most recent Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNAs) for each of Centra’s service areas. Centra also supports projects of regional importance which address our communities’ economic, social and community development needs.  

Prioritized needs by region from the 2021 CHNA include:

Bedford

  1. Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders & Access to Services
  2. Access to Healthcare Services
  3. Issues Impacting Children and their Families
    1. Childcare
    2. Child Abuse/Neglect
  4. Transportation
  5. Aging and Eldercare
  6. Chronic Disease
  7. Employment/Job Assistance
  8. Financial Stability
  9. Housing
  10. Dental Care & Dental Problems
     

Farmville

  1. Access to Healthcare Services
  2. Broadband/Internet Access
  3. Issues Impacting Children and their Families
    1. Childcare
    2. Child Abuse/Neglect
  4. Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders & Access to Services
  5. Aging and Eldercare
  6. Chronic Disease
  7. Coordination of Resources & Community Outreach
  8. Education and Literacy (Pre-K & Public Schools)
  9. Housing and Homelessness
  10. Employment/Job Assistance
     

Lynchburg

  1. Access to Healthcare Services
  2. Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders & Access to Services
  3. Issues Impacting Children and their Families
    1. Childcare
    2. Child Abuse/Neglect
  4. Poverty
  5. Aging and Eldercare
  6. Housing
  7. Financial Stability
  8. Chronic Disease
  9. Food Insecurity and Nutrition
  10. Equity, Inclusion and Diversity