Opportunity Overview
CommonSpirit Health’s 2027 Community Health Improvement Grants are open for eligible nonprofit organizations serving vulnerable and underserved populations in four participating Minnesota hospital service areas. The program funds defined community health projects that address priorities identified in each hospital’s current Community Health Needs Assessment and strengthen local service systems.
Deadline and Grant Period
The application period is open through September 18, 2026. CommonSpirit does not publish a specific closing time or time zone on the controlling program page, so applicants should submit before the deadline date rather than assume end-of-day acceptance. Funding decisions are expected on or about January 20, 2027. Funded projects begin April 1, 2027 and end March 31, 2028.
Minnesota Participating Hospitals and Funding
- CHI Lakewood Health, Baudette: fixed award of $7,250.
- CHI St. Francis Health, Breckenridge: fixed award of $9,500.
- CHI St. Gabriel’s Hospital, Little Falls: $20,000 to $26,500.
- CHI St. Joseph’s Health, Park Rapids: fixed award of $10,500.
Who Can Apply
Applicants must be IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in good standing, or use a qualified 501(c)(3) fiscal agent capable of administering grant funds. Projects must serve vulnerable or underserved people within the applicable hospital service area, address one or more priority needs from the hospital’s current CHNA or implementation strategy, and provide sustained activity for approximately 9 to 12 months.
For requests of $20,000 or more, the proposal must include at least two collaborating partner organizations, not including the granting hospital, with distinct, complementary, and substantive roles. Partners may be nonprofit or public organizations.
Minnesota Priority Needs
CHI Lakewood Health: affordability and availability of community services; suicide, mental health, and substance misuse; elder care; access to health care; and barriers such as distance, cost, provider availability, wait times, and transportation.
CHI St. Francis Health: mental health, substance misuse, child care, child abuse, cyber bullying, community services, and barriers to accessing health care.
CHI St. Gabriel’s Hospital: substance misuse, obesity or overweight, affordability of health care services, mental health, and social connections.
CHI St. Joseph’s Health: mental health, opportunities for healthy living, substance abuse, transportation, and childcare.
Budget and Cost Rules
Current program guidance permits equipment purchases up to $5,000 plus computer equipment up to $2,500, with total equipment not exceeding 50% of the grant request. Vehicles are treated as equipment. Indirect costs are allowable up to 10% of the request.
The program does not fund unrestricted general operating support, event sponsorships, projects shorter than nine months, capital projects such as buildings or renovations, lobbying or political campaigns, or contracts for services. A proposal structured primarily as a purchase of vendor services or products for a hospital or its patients is not an eligible grant model.
Required Documentation and Submission
Applications are submitted through the hospital-specific CommonSpirit online grant portal. Current application materials require the applicant organization’s IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, a signed March 2024 IRS Form W-9, board of directors list, and most recent annual audit, review, or financial statement. The application also requests project activities, measurable outcomes, population and geography, partner roles, sustainability, and a detailed online budget.
The current public program materials do not state a mandatory applicant match or cost-share requirement. Applicants should follow the live hospital-specific portal for any additional current fields or uploads.
Atlas Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 87/100. This is a strong Minnesota community-health opportunity because participating hospitals identify access to care, behavioral health, substance use, transportation, elder care, childcare, and healthy living as current priorities.
N9+ Fit: 45/100 conditional. A limited applicant-led equipment pathway exists, but equipment is capped at $5,000 plus up to $2,500 for computer equipment and may not exceed 50% of the request. The N9+ should not be positioned as a stand-alone vendor sale or hospital service contract. Any role must be subordinate to an eligible community-health project and fit within the hospital-specific award and equipment limits.
Dr. Miltie direct-applicant fit: not eligible on current evidence. The lead applicant must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or use a qualifying nonprofit fiscal agent, and the program expressly excludes contracts for services.
Next Action
Identify eligible Minnesota nonprofit applicants serving the four participating hospital communities, confirm service-area and CHNA fit, verify that no same-organization plus exact-grant outreach has already been sent, and prioritize organizations with feasible projects that can be submitted before September 18, 2026.
Official Sources
CommonSpirit Health — Community Health Improvement Grants