Wellstar Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $20 million raised (FY24)
• Grant Range: $10,000 (Community Transformation Program)
• Geographic Focus: Metro Atlanta and Georgia
• Application Method: Annual competitive process (fixed deadline)
• Decision Time: Approximately 3 weeks (announcement to application deadline)

Contact Details

Mailing Address:
Wellstar Foundation
1800 Parkway Place
Marietta, GA 30067

Phone: 770-956-GIVE (4483)

Email: give@wellstar.org

Website: foundation.wellstar.org

Grant Inquiries (Community Transformation Program): communityhealth@wellstar.org

Overview

Established in 1984 in Georgia, Wellstar Foundation Inc (EIN: 58-1627413) is the philanthropic arm of Wellstar Health System with over $54 million in assets. The Foundation primarily fundraises to support Wellstar Health System's charitable activities, raising $20 million in fiscal year 2024 from over 8,000 community and team member donors. While most funding supports Wellstar's hospitals and programs, the Foundation also makes external grants through its Community Transformation Program (CTP), launched in 2020 by the Wellstar Center for Health Equity. The Foundation focuses on four strategic areas: health equity, behavioral health, innovation, and workforce development. The organization earned a Four-Star rating (90%) from Charity Navigator and invests 100% of donations directly into programs that create healthier communities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Community Transformation Program (CTP)

• Amount: $10,000 per recipient
• Focus: Technology-based initiatives addressing health disparities
• Application Method: Annual competitive process with Notice of Intent and Full Proposal stages
• Recipients: Typically 7-8 organizations per year; 19 organizations funded from 2020-2023
• Impact: Over 18,000 lives touched; nearly 2,250 benefited from mental/physical health interventions

Scholarship Program

• Recipients: Wellstar employees, spouses, and dependents pursuing healthcare-related degrees
• Programs: 14 scholarship opportunities available
• Fields: Clinical and non-clinical healthcare professions

Priority Areas

The Community Transformation Program specifically targets:

• Technology solutions improving healthcare access for vulnerable, marginalized, and underserved communities
• Social determinants of health initiatives, particularly technology equity
• Projects addressing health disparities identified in Wellstar's Community Health Needs Assessment
• Sustainable technology solutions with long-term viability beyond the grant period

Key focus areas align with:

1. Health equity
2. Behavioral health services
3. Innovation and medical technology
4. Workforce development
5. Clinical excellence

What They Don't Fund

• For-profit organizations
• Individuals (except scholarship program)
• Political organizations
• Current cohort grantees cannot reapply immediately (must wait for next cycle)

Governance and Leadership

Foundation Board Chair: Randy Koporc, Fifth Third Bank

Wellstar Health System Leadership:

• President & CEO: Ketul J. Patel (assumed role late October 2025, succeeding Candice L. Saunders)
• Board of Trustees Chairman: Frank Ros

Foundation Board of Trustees (29 members):

Notable trustees include:

• Ketul J. Patel - CEO, Wellstar Health System
• Dr. L. Joy Baker - Wellstar Health System
• Dr. Theolyn Price - Wellstar Health System
• Bird Blitch - Ogeechee Ventures
• Mark Buffington - BIP Capital/BIP Ventures
• Jasmine Crowe-Houston - Goodr Co.
• Chris Durham - Valor Bridge Partners
• Karl Fillip - NOVO Health Services
• Karen Keen - Augusta University
• Ken Manning - Hughes & Company
• Gary Miller - Greystone Power
• Condace Pressley - WSB-TV
• Jesslyn Rollins - CEO, Biolyte
• Courtney Showell - PWC
• Ashish Thakur - CEO, Atlanta CEO Council
• Matt Webb - Ajay North America, LLC
• Stephanie Windham - Beck, Owen & Murray Law Firm

(Plus 12 additional trustees representing diverse business and community sectors)

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply (Community Transformation Program)

Two-Stage Application Process:

Stage 1: Notice of Intent (NOI)

• Deadline: Mid-October (approximately)
• Brief expression of interest

Stage 2: Full Proposal

• Deadline: Early November (approximately)
• Detailed proposal submission via online portal: wellstar.smapply.io

Required Components:

• Evidence of past success improving and measuring health outcomes
• Detailed initiative activities and timeline
• Itemized budget
• Letters of support
• Tracking mechanism for measuring initiative progress
• Demonstration of sustainability beyond grant period

Eligibility:

• Non-profit, community-based agencies with 501(c)(3) status
• Organizations with experience improving and measuring health outcomes
• Projects targeting populations with health disparities

Decision Timeline

• Program Opens: Late September
• NOI Deadline: Mid-October
• Full Proposal Deadline: Early November
• Award Announcement: Early December
• Project Start: Mid-December

Total timeline from full proposal deadline to award announcement: approximately 3-4 weeks

Success Rates

From 2020-2023:

• 19 organizations received funding across three cohorts
• Typically 7-8 recipients selected per year
• Estimated cost avoidance from emergency department visits among program participants: $225,000 to over $1 million
• 6 out of 7 organizations interviewed continued using their funded technology, indicating 86% long-term sustainability

Reapplication Policy

Current cohort grantees are not eligible to reapply for the immediate next cycle. Organizations must wait until their cohort year has concluded before reapplying.

Application Success Factors

What Wellstar Values

From Program Evaluation: "Six out of seven grantee organizations interviewed reported continuing use of the technology solutions funded through the CTP, indicating strong buy-in and long-term benefits."

Key Success Factors:

1. Long-Term Sustainability: Demonstrate that the technology solution will continue beyond the grant period. Successful applicants show clear plans for maintaining and expanding the technology.

2. Health Equity Focus: Projects must target vulnerable, marginalized, and underserved communities. Align proposals with Wellstar's Community Health Needs Assessment priorities.

3. Measurable Outcomes: Strong applications include evidence of past success and clear mechanisms for tracking progress and measuring health outcomes.

4. Technology Innovation: Solutions should be innovative applications of technology to address healthcare access or social determinants of health. Examples from past recipients include:

   • Digital platforms addressing social determinants of health
   • Enterprise resource planning systems for service delivery
   • Telehealth integration for rural/underserved populations
   • Telemedicine programs for specific demographic groups

5. Cost-Effectiveness: Projects that can demonstrate potential to prevent emergency department visits or reduce healthcare costs are highly valued.

Recent Successful Projects

Past recipients include:

• Milestones Community Development Corporation: Comprehensive digital platform addressing social determinants of health for South Atlanta residents
• Open Hand Atlanta: Enterprise resource planning system for meal production and delivery to vulnerable populations
• Rock Springs Clinic: Transportation barrier solutions and telehealth integration for rural communities
• Roswell Organization for Community Development: Telemedicine program for Black and Hispanic populations in North Fulton and Cherokee Counties
• Troup Cares Inc: Upgraded telehealth program for uninsured/underinsured residents

Application Tips

• Align proposals with one or more of Wellstar's six key areas identified in their Community Health Needs Assessment
• Emphasize collaborative approaches and capacity for innovation
• Show clear connection between technology solution and improved health outcomes
• Include strong letters of support demonstrating community partnerships
• Provide detailed, realistic budgets with clear allocation of the $10,000 grant

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Technology-focused: This is specifically a technology grant program. Solutions must involve digital platforms, telehealth, software systems, or other tech-based interventions.

• Small but strategic grants: At $10,000, these grants are modest but come with valuable capacity-building support including mentoring, coaching, networking, and access to Wellstar's annual Community Transformation Summit.

• Strong track record matters: Organizations must demonstrate experience improving and measuring health outcomes. New organizations without this evidence may face challenges.

• Sustainability is critical: The evaluation found 86% of recipients continued using their technology long-term. Proposals must show how technology will be sustained beyond the grant period.

• Annual cycle with clear timeline: Applications open in late September with decisions by early December—plan accordingly and prepare materials in advance.

• Beyond the money: The program includes site visits, evaluations, brainstorming sessions, and access to a network of 19 peer organizations addressing similar challenges.

• Geographic focus: While based in Marietta, the program serves Metro Atlanta and beyond—rural Georgia projects are welcome if they serve vulnerable populations.

References

• Wellstar Foundation official website: https://foundation.wellstar.org/ (Accessed January 16, 2026)
• Community Transformation Program application portal: https://wellstar.smapply.io/prog/2024-2025_community_transformation_program/ (Accessed January 16, 2026)
• "Wellstar Center for Health Equity Awards Grant Funding to Eight Local Organizations to Improve Patient Access and Care Through Technology," Wellstar Health System: https://www.wellstar.org/articles/wellstar-awards-grants-to-improve-care-access-via-technology (Accessed January 16, 2026)
• "Powering Progress: Key Insights from Wellstar's Community Transformation Program," Wellstar Health System: https://www.wellstar.org/articles/powering-progress-key-insights-from-wellstars-community-transformation-program (Accessed January 16, 2026)
• Wellstar Foundation Board of Trustees: https://foundation.wellstar.org/foundation-board/ (Accessed January 16, 2026)
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Wellstar Foundation Inc: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/581627413 (Accessed January 16, 2026)
• Cause IQ Organization Profile, Wellstar Foundation: https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/wellstar-foundation,581627413/ (Accessed January 16, 2026)
• Charity Navigator Rating for Wellstar Foundation Inc: https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/581627413 (Accessed January 16, 2026)
• Wellstar Foundation Contact Page: https://foundation.wellstar.org/contact-us/ (Accessed January 16, 2026)