The Quantum Foundation, Palm Beach County’s largest health-funding foundation, is accepting applications from small, grassroots nonprofits to share in $750,000 as part of its Quantum in the Community initiative.
For the past four years, the foundation has set aside nearly $4 million to help local nonprofits working toward a healthier Palm Beach County by meeting the basic needs of residents such as food, clothing, shelter, utility bills and transportation.
Last year, 66 organizations qualified for grants through the initiative. “We’re always looking for new organizations to apply,” said Shannon Hawkins, Quantum Foundation’s senior program officer overseeing the fund. “As an organization, we want to connect with small groups in the county we may not have funded before. There are so many people doing so much good work out there.”
Quantum Foundation President Eric Kelly agreed. “We’re a health foundation, and we’ve always worked hard to ensure a robust health workforce for the county and funded the local community health center system, but we fully acknowledge that without meeting people’s basic needs, it’s impossible for them to be healthy,” he said.
Applications are carefully considered by a committee comprised of Quantum Foundation staff and board members Ethel Isaacs-Williams, Donna Mulholland and Denis Coleman Jr.
While the application process is streamlined, there are a few criteria that all applicants must meet:
• The organization must be registered as a 501(c)(3).
• It must have been working in Palm Beach County for at least six months.
• Its annual operating budget may not exceed $500,000.
• It must provide basic needs like food, clothing, shelter and transportation to county residents.
Also, no one organization will receive more than $25,000.
To learn more, visit www.quantumfnd.org/quantum-in-the-community. All applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Aug. 14. Successful applicants will be notified during the week of Oct. 26.
ABOVE: Quantum Foundation Chairman Denis Coleman with fellow board members Donna Mulholland, Richard Sussman and Kerry Diaz.
