FAQs

What exactly is SLHI trying to do?

Our mission is to improve the health of all Arizonans, but especially those in need. We focus on the strategies of education, advocacy and community development, which we undertake in partnership with others. We look for opportunities where our human and financial resources can leverage positive change, both at the grassroots level of community organizations and services, and at the level of health policy and systems development.

How does SLHI fit into the foundation and grantmaking world?

SLHI is a public charity that supports the work of other organizations through direct grants and carries out its own education, advocacy and community development programs. We view grants as one of the means, but not the ends, of our work. We have gradually evolved into a hybrid organization: part operational, part grantmaking. With any luck, we will continue to evolve as opportunities and needs arise.

What’s the best way to apply for a grant, and what are my chances of success?

Visit our community grants section for information on how to apply for grants, eligibility and all related questions. The amount of funds available for unsolicited community grants has declined in recent years, along with the rate of approval. We see many excellent proposals we would love to support if we had the available funds.

Do you provide help in preparing a proposal for funding?

If you have questions about whether there's a fit between your organization's interests and SLHI, please give us a call. Short of helping to write a proposal, we try to provide suggestions and informal feedback in the application process. If it appears that the proposal isn't a good fit with SLHI, we look for other ways to be helpful, such as referrals and introductions in the community. Some of our most successful community partnerships don't involve a funding relationship at all.

After you get a grant from SLHI, can you make changes in the grant budget?

Yes. Changes in line item allocation above $1,000 require approval, but all you have to do is let us know why you need to make the changes and send in the request. It's fairly straightforward.

What is TAP?

TAP stands for 'Technical Assistance Partnership,' and began in 1997 as a one-year project to offer technical assistance to community organizations (marketing, fund raising, strategic planning, etc.) through a collaborative model: organizations team up around a common need/issue and receive targeted technical assistance as a group. The program is now in its eighth year and demonstrates the truth of the adage, "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts." Please visit the TAP section of our website for more information.

I can’t pay for necessary medical care. Can I get assistance from SLHI?

We don't make direct grants to individuals to pay for medical care, but we do have funds restricted to the provision of medical services for people who can't afford to pay for care themselves. We administer these funds through a network of community partners. See our medical assistance section for more details.

How can my organization work with SLHI in its education and advocacy programs through Arizona Health Futures?

While we don't accept unsolicited proposals through Arizona Health Futures, we are always interested in talking with community organizations working in the areas of public education, advocacy and community development. We are especially interested in grassroots community development around issues of health care access, quality and cost. Visit our Arizona Health Futures section for more information. If you have some ideas for a mutually beneficial partnership, let's talk.

How do I go about applying for a job at SLHI or a similar organization?

We don't currently have any job openings, but when we do we often rely on a wide network of both formal and informal contacts for good leads. Whether it's full-time staff or contractual consulting work, we generally look for persons with superb written and oral communication skills, research and analytical abilities and experience, and some exposure to the health field in all of its varied dimensions. The way to "break" into this type of work is to get connected to other people in the field and expand your own network of contacts. What goes around usually comes around. We try to be helpful by connecting talented people to opportunities in the community.