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Alliance Healthcare Foundation

Annual Giving
$2.5M
Grant Range
$25K - $1.0M
Decision Time
4mo
Success Rate
17%

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2,495,220 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Approximately 17% (34 awards from nearly 200 Mission Support applicants)
  • Decision Time: 3-4 months (Mission Support); 9-12 months (i2 Innovation Initiative)
  • Grant Range: $25,000 - $1,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: San Diego and Imperial Counties, California
  • Assets: $80 million endowment

Contact Details

Address: 5060 Shoreham Place, Suite 350, San Diego, CA 92122
Phone: 858-678-0974
Website: www.alliancehf.org
Email: grants@alliancehf.org (Mission Support); i2@alliancehf.org (Innovation Initiative)

Overview

Alliance Healthcare Foundation (AHF) was founded in 1982 as the San Diego Employers' Healthcare Coalition and converted to a private foundation in 1994 with an $83 million endowment from the sale of Community Care Network, Inc. Today holding approximately $80 million in assets, AHF has awarded over 300 grants totaling more than $45 million since 1989. The foundation works to advance health and wellness for people who face significant barriers to better health in San Diego and Imperial counties through collaborative funding, convening, advocacy, and impact investing. In 2023, AHF distributed $2,495,220 through 77 grants. The foundation has recently sharpened its focus on racial equity, explicitly addressing how historical and structural racism contributes to health inequities. In an innovative 2023 move, AHF transferred $7.5 million (10% of its endowment) to the Imperial Valley Wellness Foundation to support a historically disinvested rural community.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Mission Support Grants: $25,000 - $100,000 annually (typically $25,000-$30,000)

  • Three-year, unrestricted core operating support
  • Total commitment: $2.7 million over three years to 34 organizations
  • Application cycle: Opens July-September (typically), decisions announced in January
  • Next cycle opens in 2027

Innovation Initiative (i2) Challenge Grant: $1,000,000

  • Milestone-based grant delivered in tranches
  • 9-month mentorship and capacity-building program with Nex Cubed
  • Includes $5,000 grant (Phase 2) and $20,000 grant (Phase 3) during program
  • Application period: November-January (annual), final award announced in November

Capacity Building Grants: Variable amounts

  • Short-term interventions and organizational development support

Impact Investments: Variable amounts

  • Social impact investments aligned with mission

Priority Areas

  • Addressing Root Causes: Guaranteed income, housing, youth opportunity, economic security
  • Supporting the Safety Net: Healthcare access, behavioral health services
  • Advancing Sustainable Innovation: Health and behavioral health transformation
  • Racial Equity and Social Justice: Prioritizes communities of color and organizations serving at least 60% BIPOC clients
  • Social Determinants of Health: Homelessness, early childhood development, community advocacy
  • Health Equity: Closing racial equity gaps in health and wellbeing outcomes

What They Don't Fund

Organizational Exclusions:

  • Individuals
  • Organizations without operating focus in San Diego County
  • Organizations formed under laws of countries other than the United States
  • Past i2 grantees (cannot reapply to i2)
  • Organizations requiring more than 15% of grant funds for indirect overhead costs

Product/Service Exclusions:

  • Pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, health food, fitness services, or medical devices requiring FDA approval (unless part of evidenced-based innovation addressing eligibility criteria)
  • Solutions reliant on ongoing grant funding without clear financial sustainability pathway (i2 program)

Geographic Restrictions:

  • Must serve San Diego and/or Imperial Counties
  • Must have U.S. federal tax ID

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Executive Committee:

  • Dale Fleming - Board Chair
  • Ilene J. Klein, M.D. - Board Vice Chair
  • Rodney G. Hood, M.D. - Secretary
  • Atul Patel - Treasurer

Committee Chairs:

  • Dwight D. Smith, Esq. - Chair, Nominating & Governance
  • James Beaubeaux - Chair, Program Committee
  • Alethea Arguilez - Vice Chair, Program Committee
  • Jeffrey Willmann - Chair, Audit Committee

Additional Board Members:

  • Elizabeth Dreicer (humanitarian, environmentalist, entrepreneur, and advocate)
  • Julianne R. Howell, Ph.D.
  • Robert B. McCray, J.D. (past Chair, seasoned healthcare industry leader)
  • Joe Ramsdell, M.D.
  • Killu Sanborn, Ph.D.

Committee Members

Roque Barros, Jr., Elizabeth (Lisa) Cuestas, Deborah M. Higgins, James Howell (CFA, CTP), Kim Davis King, Shannon Nelson, Adolfo Ventura (VP and Chief Programs Officer at MAAC), Alex Waters

Staff

  • Sarah Lyman - Executive Director
  • Arthur Roke - CFO and Chief Investment Officer
  • Barbara Orozco-Valdivia, MPH - VP of Programs & Community Partnerships
  • Erin Graham - Controller
  • Melanie Mijares - Programs & Communications Manager
  • Joshua Mbugua - Fellow, Impact Investment
  • Jawad Al Baghdadi - Operations Manager

Leadership Quotes

Sarah Lyman, Executive Director: "We remain focused on solutions addressing upstream systemic barriers to health and wellness" and emphasized the foundation is "analyzing our funding programs... applying a racial equity lens" to support "health and wellness for those most impacted by health and social inequities."

The foundation describes its commitment as "not performative, and it is not situational. It is practical, enduring, and deeply held."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Mission Support Grant:

  • Applications submitted via Submittable portal: alliancehealthf.submittable.com
  • Foundation offers optional Zoom webinars to review application process
  • 15-minute office hour sessions available for additional support
  • Recommendation: Draft responses in Word document first, then copy into Submittable
  • Incomplete applications will not be reviewed
  • Applications must be submitted before 5:00pm PST deadline (submissions after this time cannot be saved)

Innovation Initiative (i2):

  • Applications submitted via online portal
  • Optional informational overview sessions held
  • Contact i2@alliancehf.org for questions

Decision Timeline

Mission Support Grant:

  • Application opens: Early July
  • Application deadline: Mid-September (5:00pm PST)
  • Board review and recommendations: Mid-December
  • Decisions announced: January
  • Funding distributed: January (following executed grant agreements)
  • Total timeline: 3-4 months from application deadline to notification

Innovation Initiative (i2):

  • Applications open: November 1
  • Application deadline: Late January (5:00pm PST)
  • Three-phase program: February-October (9 months)
    • Planning Phase: February-April
    • Validation Phase: May-June ($5,000 grant awarded)
    • Building Phase: July-October ($20,000 grant awarded)
  • Final pitch session: Late October/November
  • Challenge Grantee announced: November
  • Total timeline: 12 months from application to final award

Success Rates

Based on recent cycles, approximately 17% success rate for Mission Support grants (34 organizations selected from nearly 200 applicants). Executive Director Sarah Lyman noted: "With nearly 200 applicants from incredible non-profits in the San Diego community working diligently to address complex social and health issues, it's a difficult task to narrow down to the small fraction of applicants we have the resources to fund."

The foundation awarded:

  • 77 grants in 2023
  • 102 grants in 2022
  • 71 grants in 2021
  • 45 grants in 2020

Reapplication Policy

Specific reapplication policies for unsuccessful Mission Support applicants were not publicly documented. Contact grants@alliancehf.org for clarification. For i2 Challenge Grant, past i2 grantees are not eligible to reapply.

Application Success Factors

Mission Alignment Factors

Alliance Healthcare Foundation uses a holistic review process with applications reviewed by at least three reviewers. Success depends on:

Community Focus: Strong preference given to organizations serving at least 60% BIPOC clients and communities that are at least 50% communities of color. The foundation prioritizes "communities with the greatest social and health inequities."

Root Cause Approach: The foundation seeks solutions that address "underlying root causes that contribute to inequities" rather than just alleviating symptoms. As stated in their strategic priorities, they are "focused on solutions addressing upstream systemic barriers to health and wellness."

Evaluation Practices: Demonstrate strong organizational evaluation practices and ability to measure health outcomes and reduced disparities.

Financial Strength: Show solid budget management and financial sustainability. Organizations must not require more than 15% of grant funds for indirect overhead.

Holistic Review Considerations

Evaluators consider diversity across multiple dimensions:

  • Geographic location within San Diego County
  • Populations and communities served
  • Types of services and activities
  • Organization size
  • Mix of new and returning grantees

Innovation Initiative (i2) Specific Factors

For the i2 Challenge Grant, successful applicants demonstrate:

  • Coachability: Willingness to learn and adapt during mentorship
  • Founder success history: Track record of achievement
  • DEI considerations: Diversity, equity, and inclusion in leadership and approach
  • Scalability and feasibility: Realistic plan for growth
  • Market understanding: Clear grasp of problem and solution space
  • Commercial traction: Evidence of demand or early adoption
  • Community-informed design: Involvement of affected communities in solution development
  • Sustainability pathway: Clear plan for financial independence from ongoing grants

Practical Application Tips

From the foundation's guidance:

  • Prepare responses requiring word counts in Word document first, then copy into Submittable
  • Save application frequently; incomplete applications won't be reviewed
  • Plan submission well before 5:00pm PST deadline
  • Attend optional webinars and office hours for clarification
  • Use provided application template
  • Contact program staff with questions early in the process

Funded Organization Examples (2024)

To understand what AHF values, review their 2024 Mission Support cohort including organizations like:

  • North County LGBTQ Resource Center: Served 160+ individuals with mental health therapy, launched Unicorn Homes program to combat homelessness
  • San Diego Rapid Response Network: Provides emergency humanitarian assistance to asylum seekers including shelter, food, medical care
  • Second Chance: 30 years serving justice-involved adults and youth to break cycles of addiction and incarceration
  • RISE San Diego: Elevates urban leadership through dialogue-based civic engagement
  • UCSD Center for Community Health: Advances health equity through community partnerships

Innovation Initiative Examples (2022)

i2 grantees demonstrate transformative approaches:

  • Project New Village: Food justice hub in southeastern San Diego connecting communities to healthy, locally-sourced food
  • Urban Restoration Counseling Center: Mental health services by and for people of color, training next generation of diverse clinicians, therapy accessible on sliding scale

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Racial equity is paramount: Explicitly address how your organization centers racial equity and serves communities of color. The foundation has been intentional since 2020 about examining how structural racism contributes to health inequities.

  • Focus on root causes, not symptoms: Demonstrate how your work addresses upstream, systemic barriers rather than just providing temporary relief. Show sustainability beyond grant funding.

  • Geographic specificity matters: You must serve San Diego or Imperial Counties and preferably be headquartered there. The foundation deeply knows these communities.

  • Competitive but committed: With approximately 17% success rates, competition is significant, but the foundation values long-term relationships. Mission Support grants are three-year commitments showing their dedication to partners.

  • Unrestricted support philosophy: The Mission Support program provides unrestricted core operating support, reflecting AHF's trust in grantee expertise and their understanding that flexible funding creates strongest impact.

  • Innovation requires different approach: The i2 Challenge Grant is not for established programs—it's for transformative, scalable innovations with clear business models. Coachability and willingness to iterate are essential.

  • Budget discipline expected: Keep indirect overhead under 15%. The foundation values efficiency and direct service delivery.

References

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