Community Partnership Grants
The Healthy Lakewood Foundation (HLF) supports organizations working to advance health equity in Lakewood. Our Community Partnership Grants provide flexible, multi-year funding to organizations that directly impact the health and well-being of Lakewood residents – especially those who face the greatest barriers to health.
Community Partnership grants embody our commitment to trust-based philanthropy. We believe organizations know their work best, and our role is to provide flexible funding that helps them thrive and directly advances the health and well-being of Lakewood residents. This may include general operating support or programmatic support for specific initiatives, depending on organizational size, capacity, and context. Our trust-based commitment also means streamlined applications, multi-year commitments, and a focus on learning and partnership rather than compliance.
We are interested in partnering with organizations of all sizes – from grassroots groups to established nonprofits – as long as your work directly affects Lakewood residents. We understand health broadly, recognizing that while access to healthcare is essential, the conditions in which we live, learn, work, and connect with others also profoundly affect our health. Funding is unrestricted to support work advancing the health and well-being of Lakewood residents – for programmatic or general operating, depending on organizational size, capacity, and context.
To view the 2026 Community Partnership Grants PDF, click here.
Community Partnership Grants support work that addresses:
These grants seek to specifically support the following identified populations:
Basic needs and stability: Housing stability and affordability, food security and access, safety, and access to essential services
Mental health services: Mental health counseling, prevention programs, crisis support, and trauma-informed care
Education: Education access, early childhood, and school readiness
Community connection: Social connection, community engagement, and health-promoting community programs and spaces
Low-income families and individuals
Children and youth
Racial and ethnic minorities, including refugees and immigrants
Older adults
Persons with disabilities
LGBTQIA+ community members
Uninsured and underinsured residents
Grant amount
Grants range in size from $7,500 – $50,000 per year.
Grant duration
Grants awarded for one or two years of funding.
Organizations are eligible to apply if they:
- Do work that directly impacts Lakewood residents. This includes organizations based in Lakewood and organizations based elsewhere that provide significant programming or services in Lakewood.
- Have been operating for at least three years. This helps ensure organizational capacity and sustainability. If your organization is newer, please contact us to discuss whether this grant is the right fit.
- Are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or have a fiscal sponsor.
We value collaboration and integration with other Lakewood organizations and are interested in understanding how your work connects to the broader Lakewood ecosystem.
Rather than scoring or ranking applications, we look for partners whose work aligns with HLF’s mission and values. We consider:
- Impact in Lakewood: How your work directly benefits Lakewood residents, particularly those facing barriers to health.
- Mission alignment: The connection between your mission and HLF’s commitment to health equity.
- Organizational capacity: Your current capacity and your aspirations for growth – we are interested in where you are now, where you are headed, and what you need to get there.
- Community connection: Evidence of community trust, cultural responsiveness, and meaningful engagement with the people you serve.
These considerations are equally important, and we review applications holistically rather than through a checklist. We are interested in contributing to a thriving Lakewood by building a diverse portfolio of partners who work across multiple health equity focus areas and serve diverse populations.
What This Grant Doesn’t Support:
→ Capital campaigns or building projects
→ Fundraising events or event sponsorships
→ Lobbying activities beyond those permitted for 501(c)(3) organizations under federal law
→ Individual scholarships
→ Religious or evangelical purposes
Questions?
We are here to help! If you have questions about whether your work fits within Community Partnership Grants, need assistance with the application process, or would like to discuss your grant request, please contact Sharon Schuldt, HLF Foundation and Grants Manager. If you have never received HLF funding before, please reach out before applying.
Email: sharon@healthylakewoodfoundation.org
Phone: 216-206-6763
Cycle One:
February 17 to March 11, 2026: Application open
March 23 to April 24, 2026: Application review and interviews scheduled with select applicants
May 2026: Final funding slate approved by HLF Board
Cycle Two:
August 17 to September 16, 2026: Application open
September 28 to October 30, 2026: Application review and interviews scheduled with select applicants
November 2026: Final funding slate approved by HLF Board
Support:
At anytime, please email info@healthylakewoodfoundation.org with questions and for technical assistance. If you have never received HLF funding before, please email sharon@healthylakewoodfoundation.org before applying.
What to Expect
⇒ Submit HLF’s online grant application that helps us understand your organization, your work in Lakewood, and how funding would support you. We have designed the application to be as streamlined as possible while providing the information we need. If you have never received HLF funding before, please email sharon@healthylakewoodfoundation.org before applying. To view a PDF of the grant application, click here.
⇒ Ask for assistance with the grant application process when needed.
⇒ HLF staff and committee review applications to identify those that are a strong fit for this grant cycle.
⇒ Interviews with selected candidates. We may invite you to a conversation with members of our Grants and Learning Committee. This is a chance for us to learn more about your work and for you to ask questions about partnering with HLF. An interview invitation—or lack of one—should not be interpreted as an indication of final funding decisions.
⇒ Funding decisions made by the HLF Board of Directors based on Committee recommendations.
⇒ Review and submit signed grant agreement in online portal in a timely manner.
⇒ Agree to submit a final grant report and/or discuss learning with HLF staff. You may be asked to share information on spending related to the awarded grant.
⇒ Act as a responsible steward of the funding as well as an ambassador to the community.
⇒ Provide feedback on the application, implementation, and reporting phases of the grant process to help improve future funding opportunities.
⇒ You may be asked to share ideas with other funded groups and identify areas of synergy and shared impact.
The Healthy Lakewood Foundation does not fund organizations that in their constitution, by-laws or practices discriminate against a person or group on the basis of age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or religious beliefs.