Annual Grant Cycle
In 2023, Methodist Healthcare Ministries took time to examine current philanthropic industry best practices, identify gaps in the service-area resource landscape, and consider how our grant support can be most impactful in serving the least served.
Building upon our health equity strategy, we incorporated equitable grantmaking principles to reduce administrative burdens for grantees and to provide more flexible funding. We sought and incorporated feedback from stakeholders across our region and within our organization. Many of of our valued funded and community partners joined our effort by providing insights, and we are grateful. As a result, we introduced new approaches to grantmaking with our 2025 grant cycle. These changes will continue going forward, and MHM will seek new ways to improve our grantmaking journey.
What to Expect
Thanks for your interest in advancing health equity through a 2025 grant from Methodist Healthcare Ministries. On this page, you will find all the information and resources you need to understand our new process. The sections below pertain to both the Open and Cornerstone 2025 Grant Cycles. It is imperative to review all the sections detailing Grant Guidelines, Planning Your Application, and then reviewing our 2025 Grant Focus Areas. Please use the links above to navigate through those sections or scroll down to the content you need to review.
Open Grant Cycle: Proposals were welcomed from organizations serving communities within our 74-county service area. Applications selected for funding will align to priorities within each focus area as outlined by the Community Investment’s Theories of Change. The Theories of Change will provide clarity and offer potential measures for each focus area with the intent to inform the scope of applications, clearly communicate MHM priorities, and ultimately result in a more efficient and transparent process for grant
Cornerstone Grants: As illustrated in Isaiah 28:16, a Cornerstone serves as a critical beginning block in construction that provides a strong foundation to build upon as well as directional alignment. In this spirit of strong foundations, MHM offered invitation-only Cornerstone Grants to select Access to Care and Food Security long-term partners who have consistently demonstrated outcomes aligned to MHM’s Theories of Change. Cornerstone invitations were sent directly to organization contacts. Many of these organizations have been pivotal in safeguarding access to care in their communities, whether through clinical care, mental health services, or as food banks serving our region. These organizations have helped inform our grantmaking strategy as we have broadened the definition of healthcare to address the Social Determinants of Health. We know we they will continue to play an integral role in our health equity strategy.
What We Look For:
In alignment with Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Funding Philosophy, the Community Investments process aims to be transparent and accessible, providing prospective partners with a clear understanding of how our grants can help them achieve their goals. We recognize and appreciate the time and effort required to prepare an application.
With that in mind, please note that while this is not an exhaustive list, we consider the following programmatic and project themes during our evaluation process:
Collaboration
We believe that best work is done together, and impact is greater with collaboration. We seek partners who are active participants in local collective efforts and deeply engaged in their communities.
Community Perspectives
We value the insights and deep personal knowledge that residents with lived experience bring to programs and organizations. We look for partners and programs that intentionally incorporate the voices of those closest to the communities we serve in their organizational decision-making processes.
Serving the Least Served
Our priority is to support MHM’s mission to serve economically disadvantaged, geographically under-served, and historically disenfranchised populations.
Systemic Change
We recognize that disrupting the complex cycle of intergenerational poverty requires a combination of solutions and an integrated approach. We seek programs that address the root causes of health inequities.
MHM does not award grants to organizations that willfully discriminate against any particular class of individuals. To be eligible for funding, organizations must comply by all applicable local, state and federal anti-discrimination laws in hiring, employment practices and service provision.
Community Investments grants prioritize requests that align with our focus area strategies and serve rural counties.
Additionally, new Bexar County funding will only be awarded for those efforts focused in MHM priority zip codes.
Following our planning year, MHM offered an open, competitive grant cycle for 2025 funding. Applicants who considered applying to MHM for funding for 2025, reviewed the grant guidelines, focus areas, and FAQs carefully to ensure their request aligned with MHM’s priorities
Eligibility
To apply for an MHM Community Investment grant, an applicant must:
- Be recognized by the IRS as a 501 (c)3 organization or tax-exempt organization.
- Have a 501(c)3 or tax-exempt status for at least one year or have a fiscal sponsor whose status has been in place at least one year.
- Provide services to a community in at least one of MHM’s 74 service counties.
Previous grant recipients must be in good standing to apply. Good standing status includes:
- No significant unspent grant funding during the grant period.
- Good overall organizational financial and programmatic standing
Organizations with an existing multi-year Community Investments grant for 2025 were not eligible to apply for the 2025 grant cycle.
Focus Area Theories of Change
The Community Investments Theories of Change help our grantees and MHM strengthen strategies and maximize results by outlining the work ahead, defining success, and detailing the path to achieve it.
The Theories of Change present objectives and priorities for each focus area. These are intended to serve as guides and not a comprehensive list of eligible programs or metrics.
If you have questions about your specific request, contact us at CommInvestments@mhm.org or reach out to the program officer corresponding to your focus area of interest.
Funding requests must address one or more of the Focus Areas listed below.
Approximately $18 million in funding will be available for the 2025 open grant cycle. MHM generally funds grant requests that are less than 20% of the overall organizational budget. The average grant size is $250,000.
Cornerstone Applicants: should refer to their invitation email for additional guidance in preparing their grant application.
Grant Types
Two opportunities of grant funding will be offered for the 2025 grant cycle.
- Open Grant Cycle: No invitation needed. Applicants can request funding to support the grant types listed below.
- Cornerstone Grants: Invitation only. Applicants should refer to their invitation email for additional guidance on grant types.
After reviewing the submitted application, MHM may elect to fund the request in part or in full.
Project / Program
Request to support an existing, new or expanded program or project. These requests may include capital/renovation costs associated with a project or program.
Example: an organization requests a grant to add a facilitator for a nutrition program at one of its new locations. The location requires a room to be updated with new flooring, lighting, and paint.
The request may also add support for capacity building.
- Capacity building line item not to exceed 20% of the total grant request
- To include capacity building line item, add to the project budget template
Capacity Building
Capacity Building requests include support to build capacity, and do not include capital or project / program fund requests. Review the FAQs for additional information about capacity building requests. Cornerstone applications may not submit capacity building requests.
Example: A collaborative has been in existence for one year. The organizations participating have different requirements for sharing data. The collaborative will submit a grant request for a consultant to build a data sharing agreement for the organizations and identify a tool or software for the collaborative to use to capture their data.
Capital
Capital requests should not include program/project or capacity building expenses. If awarded, capital projects will be required to submit a current certificate of insurance. Cornerstone applications may not submit capital requests.
Example: An organization has purchased a new building. The organization submits a grant request to replace the roof.
Grant Goals
The grant application includes goals for the request within the grant period. The goals should support the Priority or Priorities for the Theory of Change your grant request addresses. The mid-year and year-end grant reports will ask for an update on the progress toward these goals.
Goals may include a mix of quantitative and qualitative goals, with at least two (2) quantitative.
Quantitative: based on numerical data that can be measured or counted
- Example: number of pounds of food distributed, A1c improvements, PHQ-9 improvements, number of services a client receives. The goals should be measurable.
During the grant period, we will distribute 200 pounds of food.
Qualitative: based on data that measures the why, how, what, or under what conditions. The data may be gathered from surveys, observations, interviews.
- Example: participants in digital literacy training report teaching digital skills to others. You should be able to provide evidence of progress on the goal during mid-year and year-end reporting.
During the grant period, digital navigators will report how they share and apply what they learned in digital skill classes in their daily lives.
Refer to the Theories of Change for additional examples.
Grant Period Options
Single- Year funding: available for a 12-month period (January – December).
Multi-year funding: available for three years (12-month periods, January to December) to organizations that are 2024 Grantees through Community Investments and are currently in good standing. We encourage multi-year applicants to reach out to their program officer to discuss their proposal.
Grant Request Budget
Several options are available for grant payment schedules to meet the needs of organizations. You will choose one of the below payment schedules on the grant application.
Multi-year requests: the payment schedule is based on the annual grant amount, not the total request amount. Review the information carefully to select the best option for your needs.
Grant Payments
Several options are available for grant payment schedule to meet the needs of the organizations. You will choose one of the below payment schedules on the grant application.
Multi-year requests: the payment schedule is based on the annual grant amount, not the total request amount. Review the information carefully to select the best option for your needs.
Grant Requests Over $100,000:
Monthly Grant Payments
- January – September: Even monthly grant payments based on award amount
- October – December: Even monthly grant payments based on mid-year reconciliation
Quarterly Grant Payments
- At time of executed Grant Agreement: 25% of grant based on award amount
- April 1st: 25% of grant based on award amount
- July 1st: 25% of grant based on award amount
- October 1st: Up to 25% of grant based on mid-year reconciliation
Grant Requests $100,000 and under:
Monthly and Quarterly Grant Payments as described above.
Annual Grant Payment
- Full grant award amount at time of executed Grant Agreement
Biannual Grant Payment
- 50% at time of executed Grant Agreement
- September 1st: Up to 50% of grant based on mid-year reconciliation
Grant Payment & Reporting
Mid-year and year-end reporting requirements include a financial report reflecting actual spend that will be reconciled to budgets submitted at the time of application. The financial report should compare the budgeted MHM grant expense amounts to the actual MHM grant expense amounts, along with variance explanations as required.
Underspent funds at reporting time will be reduced from the following grant payments after reconciliation. At the end of the grant period, MHM may request any funds that remain unspent be returned to MHM. Review the Reporting section for additional information.
Single-year grants will be reconciled as part of mid-year and year-end reporting.
Multi-year grants will be reconciled at mid-year and year-end reporting during year 1, and then at the end of each grant year for years 2 and 3.
Examples of grant amounts and reconciled payment amounts are available in the Grant Resource Library.
Unallowable Costs
MHM will not fund:
- Endowments
- Financial deficits or debt reduction
- Fundraising events
- Grants or scholarships to individuals
- Insurance (unless for a capacity building or capital grant)
- Land
- Legal fees
- Lobbying on behalf of a political candidate
Indirect Costs
Indirect costs are expenditures shared across multiple projects or programs within an organization and therefore difficult or impossible to attribute to a specific project or program. These expenditures would exist regardless of the programs run within an organization. Examples include utilities, administrative staff salaries and benefits, legal services, and rent.
MHM allows up to 15% of directs costs to be allocated for indirect costs. Your organization may still include up to 15% indirect costs in the MHM request budget, even if you have an established indirect cost rate as part of federal grants.
MHM requires that indirect costs are included on grant budgets at the time of application, as that line item cannot be added during the grant period. Review Community Investment’s Indirect Cost Guidelines for additional details that may pertain to your proposal.
Fiscal sponsorship: a portion of the requested grant monies is allowable for sponsor responsibilities. If you are applying with a fiscal sponsor, contact MHM when applying for guidance on budget submission for allowable fiscal sponsor fees.
Financial Statements
The open-cycle grant application includes an upload section for financial information. If you are unsure if your organization received a Community Investments grant in 2024, review the list on our website: https://www.mhm.org/grantmaking/
How & When to Apply
Step 1: Review Community Investments Grant Materials
- Eligibility & Grant Guidelines
- FAQs
- Theories of Change
- Application (.pdf)
- Budget Template
- Community Investments
Step 2: Attend/Watch the 2025 Grant Cycle Informational Convening
On September 6th, MHM hosted a 90-minute recorded webinar providing information about MHM’s overall strategy direction, funding priorities, and how to apply to the 2025 Grant Cycle.
To watch the pre-recorded convening, click here.
Step 3: Access the Online Grant Portal
Cornerstone Grants: applicants access the grant portal through the links provided in the invitation email.
Open Grant Cycle: MHM uses an online platform for application and reporting submissions.
Applicants were encouraged to follow instructions to access the application through our online portal. Only applications submitted through our online portal were accepted.
Step 4: Submit an Application
Only applications submitted through the online grants portal will be accepted. Submission of an application does not indicate a commitment of funding. Late applications will not be considered.
- Cornerstone Applications were due October 4, 2024, by 11:59 pm.
- Open Grant Cycle Applications were due October 11, 2024, by 11:59 pm.
Step 5: Receive Notifications
Applications will be reviewed from October 4th to December 9th by our internal staff and Board of Directors. Organizations selected to receive a grant for the 2025 cycle will be notified of the status of their application in December 2024 and January 2025.
Mid-Year & Year-End Reports
All grantees are expected to complete a written mid-year and year-end report on the progress of your grant. Grantees with multi-year grants must submit updated financial statements at year-end. Typically, the mid-year reports are due in July and the year-end reports are due in January. Community Investments sends out a notification when the reports are ready to submit, and they are submitted through MHM’s online grant portal. Additionally, program officers conduct in-person and/or virtual site visits throughout the grant period.Mid-Year & Year-End Budget to Actual
MHM grant funds are disbursed based on the payment schedule selected during the application process.
As part of the mid-year and year-End reports, grantees will submit a budget- to- actual financial report, comparing the budgeted MHM grant expense amounts to the actual MHM grant expense amounts, along with variance explanations as required.
Underspent funds identified during reconciliation will be deducted from subsequent grant payments.
- Single-year grants: are reconciled at mid-year and year-end reporting.
- Multi-year grants: are reconciled at mid-year and year-end reporting in year 1, and at year-end reporting only for years 2 and 3. At the end of the grant period, MHM may request the return of any unspent funds.
MHM does not require the submission of transactional documentation (such as receipts or general ledgers) for grantees to receive their payment. However, MHM reserves the right to conduct an audit of all funds received and expended during the grant period.
