Meadows New Foundation Offers $500,000 in Local Grants
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The Meadows New Foundation is inviting nonprofit organizations to apply for the 2025 Meadows New Foundation Grants, as a total of $500,000 will be given out to help promote healthcare and health education in Montgomery, Toombs, and Wheeler Counties.
The Foundation was first created in May 2021, when the Meadows Regional Medical Center was sold to HCA Healthcare. “The funds that were acquired from that sell were put into a nonprofit 501c4, which is the Meadows New Foundation, and what we are doing is utilizing the investments that we are making from those funds to offer grants,” Meadows New Foundation Susan McLendon explained.
These grants are given to local organizations working to improve the health of individuals within the region by either providing access to healthcare or health education. “The mission of the Foundation is [that] it’s dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of individuals and families in three counties of our area, which are Toombs, Montgomery, and Wheeler. It is rooted in a legacy of compassionate care,” McLendon continued. “We’re also trying to engage the community to provide information about the health and wellness and the needs of the community. Then, we try to prioritize certain programs to address those needs that are being identified.”
The presentation of these grants is the Foundation’s way of supporting community-driven solutions to address health disparities so that people have access to care and promoting long-term wellness programs by forming key partnerships with entities that can promote and provide these things.
Last year was the first year which the grants were issued, and eight local organizations received funding from the Foundation; a total of $350,000 was invested in these organizations. “We are in the middle of an evaluation period with those grantees that were awarded the funds, and all of them are performing well and meeting goals and objectives. We will do a final evaluation at the end of the year,” she remarked. “When we determine how well that they have met their goals and objectives, and what kind of impact on the community, they can be eligible for more funds. New organizations are also welcome – we want to open this up to the region and allow them to apply for funds.”
This year, a total of $500,000 will be given out to local health organizations. “People can apply for up to $100,000 for the grant. That doesn’t mean that all the applicants will get $100,000 for the grant – we’ll have a process of evaluating the grant applications that come in, and then, of course, our board of directors will have the final say in what programs will be awarded and how much they will be awarded,” McLendon clarified.
The grant is available to 501c3 organizations that promote or provide healthcare in Montgomery, Toombs, and Wheeler Counties. Applications for this grant opened on August 15 and will continue to be available until October 1. These applications can be completed online at the Foundation’s website, www. meadowsnewfoundation. org. “It’s a total online application process. It’s very specific – it’s detailed – but it’s customer-friendly, so people can really just fill in the blanks to the questions that we ask,” McLendon added.
After October 1, McLendon and the Meadows New Foundation Board of Directors will review the applications and determine the recipients and grant amounts. Individuals and organizations unsure if they are eligible for the grant are encouraged to contact the Meadows New Foundation.
McLendon reflected on the grant program and the Foundation’s success. “We’re really proud of the accomplishments that we have so far. Since the Foundation has been in existence, since 2021, I think they have been able to achieve a lot,” she concluded.
For more information on the Meadows New Foundation, or for any questions regarding the grants, call (912) 937-4440.
