Funding Guidelines

The following types of organizations are eligible to seek funding from MFH:

• Nonprofit corporations that are exempt from Federal income tax under provisions of Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code. Organizations may call 1.877.829.5500 for a copy of the IRS tax determination letter for their organization.
• State or local government agencies, provided MFH is assured that its support will not supplant existing funding for activities for which MFH support is requested and that the recipient governmental agency assumes an increasing portion of the cost of such projects over the period of MFH support.
• Applicants that are registered to conduct business in the state of Missouri and classified by the state as being in good standing. Applicants not in good standing will not be considered for funding. An organization can check its standing with the state of Missouri through the Secretary of State at www.sos.mo.gov/BusinessEntity/soskb/csearch.asp.

Note: The total of current MFH funding cannot exceed 25% of an organization’s annual expense budget.  All current MFH grants and contracts are considered in calculating an organization's 25% limit.  In-kind expenses are not considered in determining the size of an annual expense budget.

• For-profit organizations are not eligible to apply for MFH grant funds.

MFH will consider funding the following types of activities and expenses as part of a proposed project:

• Salaries and benefits for staff
• Cost of direct clinical care for the uninsured and underinsured
• Conferences or symposia
• Equipment (see below for details)
• Printing, publications or media projects
• Supplies
• Support of health professional training and workforce development
• Travel
• Indirect expenses (up to a maximum of 15% of salary expense only - see below for details)
• Existing operating costs (only eligible for funding under Basic Support and General Support for Advocacy grants)
• Support for advocacy activities that are consistent with MFH's mission and tax-exempt status
• Consulting projects to help an organization improve its capabilities, capacity, efficiency and/or effectiveness (through the Strategic Organizational Development program)

MFH will consider funding the following types of activities and expenses, subject to the limitations stated:

• Capital Construction: Considered only where construction is required to meet a specific project's objectives and represents no more than 25 percent of the funding requested from MFH or $75,000, whichever is greater. Capital construction and renovations are not funded under Basic Support and General Support for Advocacy grants.
• Benefits & Payroll Taxes: MFH recognizes that benefits such as health insurance, life insurance, retirement, etc. are commonly provided to full-time employees, and that payroll taxes are required by statute. Accordingly, benefits and payroll taxes expense can be included in a project subject to the limits stated below.
  --Full time employee with annual salary up to $30,000: up to 32% of salary
  --Full time employee with annual salary $30,001 - 60,000: up to 25% of salary
  --Full time employee with annual salary over $60,001: up to 15% of salary
  --Part time employees: up to 10% of salary
• Indirect Expense: Indirect expense includes general organizational expenses such as executive management time, finance, human resources or other support services effort, liability insurance, facility rent/lease, postage, telephone, utilities, etc. in support of employees providing health care services directly related to the project.
  The Foundation will consider indirect expenses up to a maximum of 15% of salary expense only (Salary expense does not include benefits and payroll taxes).
• Major Equipment: MFH prefers to pay actual costs of use of major equipment required to accomplish the objectives of a project. Acquisition of expensive equipment (value >$5,000) is permitted only when such equipment is required to meet a specific project's objectives. When equipment is dedicated to an approved project less than 80 percent of the time, sharing of costs with other sources is required.
• Research: MFH will support research designed to improve methods for health services delivery, or to develop more effective public health programs provided such research is an integral part of a project funded in whole or in part by MFH. The research component of the total project cannot exceed 50 percent of the funding requested from MFH.
• Social Services: Although MFH views health as a broad and inclusive concept, funded projects combining health and social services elements must have a strong health component. Programs must clearly identify and quantify health outcomes and the majority of the funding requested must be for expenditures clearly identified with health services delivery or prevention of disease.

MFH will not fund the following types of activities and expenses:

• Annual appeals or other fundraising events
• Basic biomedical research not part of a MFH-defined grant program
• Capital campaigns
• Direct support of an individual's medical care, education or training
• Endowment building or development campaigns
• Existing deficits incurred outside any MFH-funded project
• Lobbying of any kind directly supported by MFH grant funds
• Ongoing general operating expenses of established programs (except in Basic Support and General Support for Advocacy grants)
• Purchase of health insurance for individuals or groups (other than as a part of employee fringe benefits on approved projects)
• Real estate acquisition
• Religious efforts
• Research on drug therapies or devices
• Restoration of funding cuts by government or other organizations
• Use of MFH funds to expand existing public insurance programs

In awarding grants, MFH will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or veteran status. As part of the grant process, all grantees will be required to affirm that, in providing services funded in whole or in part by a MFH grant, the grantee will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or veteran status either in its employment practices or in its policies and procedures concerning access to services.

MFH may set aside one or more of the funding guidelines for a specific program. In such cases, the guidelines set aside will be highlighted in the publication describing that program.