Eligibility Criteria

General Eligibility Criteria:

Beginning in 2023, we will prioritize nonprofits that are led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) first, followed by rural applicants, and then all other applicants that don’t fall into those two groups. Applicants that don’t fall into those two groups will be prioritized based on their organizational approach to equity.

We define a BIPOC-led organization as one where:

• 30% of its Board and Staff are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
• 51% of its clients are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and
• The CEO is a Black person, an Indigenous person, or a Person of Color

We will partner with and/or fund organizations that:

• Represent the community that it is trying to serve
• Are working to reduce or eliminate health disparities
• Serve under-resourced communities, people who are underinsured or uninsured, and people that are disenfranchised
• Are addressing the immediate needs of the community and/or is aimed at root causes
• Are anti-racist and are working to advance racial equity
• Are engaging with the community and lifting the community’s voice

All applying organizations must:

• Be operating programs as a 501(c)(3) and have at least one year of financial statements.
• Have operating expenses of less than $20 million.
• Be in Tennessee and impact our geographic area (see the map below).
• Align with our Strategic Priorities

We will consider agencies using a fiscal agent on a case-by-case basis. National organizations must have a Tennessee-based board, separate financial statements (including a 990 or an audit), and must have programs that impact our geographic area.