Wellness Grants Awarded to Local Nonprofits to Nurture Staff Health and Well-being
November 14, 2024
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In recognition of the hardworking, committed nonprofit employees working to advance health equity through coverage and care, the REACH Foundation has awarded 27 grants totaling $124,355 to organizations to celebrate and nurture the wellness of their nonprofit staff and volunteers.
The Wellness Grant opportunity was introduced in 2023 to help organizations enhance wellness initiatives, address staff morale, and cultivate positive work environments to address workforce retention. REACH grantees could apply for a one-time grant of up to $5,000 for creative ideas to support, care for, and commemorate their staff and volunteers.
“This Wellness Grant is a game-changer for local health nonprofits, especially for smaller grassroots organizations where budgets for staff well-being and professional development are often limited,’ said Carla Gibson, Vice President of Programs. “By providing this support, we’re able to invest in the people who make our mission possible, creating a healthier, more sustainable work environment that enables our grantee partners to thrive and continue serving our community.”
We recently sat down with Damon Daniel, President of AdHoc Group Against Crime (AdHoc), and Raleigh Miller, Chief Development Officer, to discuss how their organization prioritizes the wellness of their staff.
On any given day, the AdHoc team may field a crisis intervention call, respond to a local shooting, or help a family relocate to ensure their safety. Often referred to as “Kansas City’s social service emergency room,” the AdHoc team’s partnership with local police departments also means that the staff operates on a 24-hour basis, ready to assist victims of violent crimes at any hour of the day.
“The work that we do isn’t warm and fuzzy,” Daniels explains. “We deal with such traumatic things.”
AdHoc’s diligent team has risen to the challenge, but it’s a challenge that takes an emotional and mental toll. Experiencing trauma, firsthand or vicariously, increases the likelihood of emotional burnout and stress that can manifest into a host of other health issues. Considering the stakes of AdHoc’s work and its pivotal role in the community, Daniel and Miller have made a point to prioritize their team’s mental and emotional well-being.
However, like many nonprofits that rely on funding for programs and operations. Resources to support employee development, well-being, and recognition are limited and often the first item removed from their organizational budget.
“The entire nature of the nonprofit sector is that we can’t always afford to pay people what they’re really worth,” Miller says. “They’re doing extraordinarily hard and important work, and we’re here trying to make things work on a shoestring budget.”
Motivated to discover alternative forms of compensation for the team, AdHoc’s leadership applied for REACH’s 2023 Wellness Grant opportunity and was awarded $5,000. Their request encompassed finding meaningful ways to provide wellness experiences that the staff could leverage to work through stressful and traumatic moments.
Due to the kind of trauma and violence that AdHoc staff members encounter, Daniel and Miller chose to use their funds for a staff retreat at the Midwest Alliance for Mindfulness, where the staff was able to learn meditation techniques, breath work, and daily affirmations that could be used to create and maintain a healthy mental state of mind.
“What the retreat accomplished was to make it more intentional for us to spend quality time together. And I think that helped so much,” said Daniel. “I could see a shift in people being able to have—what would have normally been a tense conversation—to be more relaxed.”
In addition to the retreat, leadership also provided gift cards that could be used for therapeutic massages and a full day at the zoo for staff and family to spend time together.
“If you want to really grow your way of showing appreciation and retaining your staff, REACH’s wellness grant is a great way to do so,” says Daniel. “Because that’s how I looked at it, to let my staff know that their work is so important, and they’re so important to the mission and vision of this organization.”
The impact of the Wellness Grants extends far beyond financial support; they represent a commitment to the holistic well-being of nonprofit employees who tirelessly serve their communities. For AdHoc, this funding was so significant it led to organizational change. They now have carved out a line item in their organizational budget for staff wellness and prioritize allocating funds to that line item yearly. Organizations like AdHoc demonstrate that prioritizing staff wellness nurtures a positive work environment and enhances the quality of services provided to those in need. By recognizing the invaluable contributions of their teams and creating opportunities for growth and self-care, local nonprofits are empowered to thrive. To learn more about REACH’s grant investments, click here.
Wellness Grants for 2024 were awarded to the following organizations:
