Opportunity Overview
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) accepted applications for its 2027 Community Health Improvement Grants through September 18, 2026. The 2027 application window is now closed. The program supports nonprofit-led collaborative projects that improve health and quality of life for vulnerable and underserved populations in communities served by VMFH hospitals around Puget Sound.
Funding and Deadline
Grant awards range from $20,000 to $100,000. The application period closed on September 18, 2026. VMFH’s current public program page and 2027 webinar slides do not state an exact closing time or time zone, so Atlas does not infer one. Projects run from April 1, 2027 through March 31, 2028.
Eligibility and Priorities
The applicant must be an IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in good standing, or use a qualified 501(c)(3) fiscal agent capable of administering the grant funds. Because the Washington cluster’s minimum award is $20,000, every Washington proposal falls in the standard-grant category and must include at least two additional collaborating partner organizations with distinct, complementary and substantive roles.
The current Washington hospital list identifies the participating Virginia Mason Franciscan Health cluster as St. Michael Medical Center in Bremerton, St. Anne Hospital in Burien, St. Elizabeth Hospital in Enumclaw, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, and St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma. Current priority significant community health needs are life expectancy, unintentional injuries, food insecurity, firearm related incidents, drug induced deaths, birthing person deaths, domestic violence, incomplete vaccination coverage, mental health, behavioral health, access to health care, pregnancy and births, and basic needs. Projects must serve underserved or vulnerable people in the applicable hospital service area and align with the current CHNA.
Allowability and Budget Controls
Projects are funded for one year and require mid-year and final written accountability reports. Ineligible proposals include unrestricted general operating support, event sponsorships, activities lasting less than nine months, capital projects, lobbying and political campaigns.
VMFH’s 2027 webinar materials add controlling budget limits: itemized administrative operating costs such as rent, telecommunications and insurance may be no greater than 10% of the total request; the webinar also states that indirect costs, including overhead, HR, development and administrators who do not directly work on the project, are capped at 10%. General equipment purchases are capped at $5,000, with up to an additional $2,500 permitted for computer equipment, and total equipment may not exceed 50% of funds requested. Contracts for services are not funded.
Application and Review
Applications are submitted through the CommonSpirit Health grants portal linked from the official VMFH Community Health Improvement Grants page. The webinar instructs Washington applicants to enter the portal for WA Seattle-Tacoma. VMFH’s published scoring framework allocates points to applicant and partner organizations, community need and population served, sustainability, project activities and outcomes, collaboration and partner roles, and the grant request and budget.
N9+ / Dr. Miltie Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 94/100. N9+ Fit Score: 38/100 conditional. Access-to-care and chronic-disease projects could create a legitimate role for connected examination or telehealth technology, but this is not a technology procurement and the verified equipment rules materially limit any device-heavy concept: general equipment is capped at $5,000, computer equipment at $2,500, and total equipment may not exceed 50% of the request. The Nonagon N9+ remote physical examination platform should be included only when an eligible nonprofit’s program design makes remote physical examination materially necessary and the proposed cost treatment is supported by VMFH’s rules. QC Healthcare is not treated as a primary fit on the current criteria.
Dr. Miltie is not the eligible lead applicant. Any role would be applicant-led through a qualifying nonprofit and must remain consistent with the grant’s collaboration, budget and allowability requirements.