Quick Stats
- Annual Giving: $13,975,964 (2023)
- Total Assets: $19.3 million
- Grant Range: $300 - $10,500,000
- Application Process: Rolling basis
- Geographic Focus: Primarily Oregon, with focus on Portland metro and underserved communities
Contact Details
Heatherington Foundation for Innovation and Education in Health Care
- Website: https://foundation.health/
- Email: leighk@foundation.health
- Phone: (503) 471-2103
- Address: 2121 SW Broadway Dr, Suite 115, Portland, OR 97201
Overview
The Heatherington Foundation for Innovation and Education in Health Care was established in 2014 by FamilyCare Health to honor Dr. Jeff Heatherington's 30 years as president. Operating as a private foundation with approximately $19.3 million in assets and distributing nearly $14 million annually in grants, the foundation transforms healthcare across Oregon through strategic partnerships and bold funding initiatives. Named after Dr. Jeff Heatherington—founder of FamilyCare Health and a leader in osteopathic medicine for nearly 50 years—the foundation embraces a whole-person approach to health, addressing physical, mental, and systemic factors that influence well-being. The foundation's recent major contributions include a $22.5 million donation to Western University of Health Sciences and a $6 million endowment to Willamette University's Public Health Program. In 2021, Jeff Heatherington received the American Osteopathic Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his transformational impact on osteopathic medicine through commitment, advocacy, leadership, and courage.
Funding Priorities
Grant Programs
The foundation provides grants on a rolling basis, allowing flexibility to respond quickly to innovative ideas and evolving healthcare challenges. Recent grants include:
- Major Educational Gifts: $300,000 - $10,500,000 for transformative healthcare education initiatives (e.g., Western University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Willamette University Public Health Program)
- Community Health Programs: $40,000 - $575,000 for trauma-informed care, nutrition support, and technology access (e.g., Gladstone School District)
- Long-term Partnerships: Multi-year commitments totaling $300,000 - $500,000+ for comprehensive wraparound programs (e.g., Maurice Lucas Foundation at Parkrose Middle School, supported for six years)
In 2023, the foundation made 24 awards; in 2022, 16 awards.
Priority Areas
- Healthcare Access: Expanding access to physical and mental healthcare, particularly for underserved and rural communities
- Mental Health: Addressing Oregon's high rates of unmet mental health treatment needs (4th highest nationally)
- Early Childhood Development: Supporting programs that address childhood trauma and promote healthy development
- Healthcare Education & Workforce Development: Building the osteopathic medicine pipeline and training future healthcare leaders
- Substance Abuse Recovery: Supporting recovery programs, particularly in rural areas
- Healthcare Innovation: Funding innovative delivery models and high-impact programs
- Community Wellness: Preventive care and holistic wellness initiatives
- Capacity Building: Strengthening healthcare organizations' ability to serve communities
What They Don't Fund
Specific exclusions are not publicly documented on their website.
Governance and Leadership
Dr. Jeff Heatherington, LHD (Hon.) - Founder and President
- Founded FamilyCare Health in 1984
- Graduated from Willamette University (1965, BA in Political Science)
- Former Executive Director of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of Oregon for 30 years
- One of the founders of Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest
- Board member of AOF, Oregon Symphony, and Oregon Health Council
- Recipient of AOF Lifetime Achievement Award (2021) and AOA Distinguished Service Certificate (2007)
Key Leadership:
- Bob Carus - Board Chair
- Dr. Rob Richardson, DO - Vice Chair; chairs the gifts committee; Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at WesternU; distinguished alumnus of COMP-Northwest
- Erik Szeto - Treasurer
Jeff Heatherington's Philosophy: "Solving our largest healthcare challenges begins with educating the future leaders of this field."
"My political science professors at Willamette taught me how systems work and how to ask good questions. My hope is that today's students graduate with the same grounding, so that they can become confident leaders who make a difference in the world."
Application Process & Timeline
How to Apply
The Heatherington Foundation accepts applications through an online portal on a rolling basis:
- Initial Inquiry: Submit an initial application through the online portal at https://foundation.health/apply-for-grant/
- Review: Foundation staff review the inquiry
- Full Application (if invited): Complete a comprehensive grant application
- Site Visit: Participate in a site visit or virtual meeting with the foundation team
- Decision: Receive funding decision
Required Materials:
- Organization details
- Executive Director information
- Board Chair information
- Detailed narrative explaining fund usage and delivery services
- Last three years of audited financial statements
- Certification of charitable work
- Requested grant amount
- Match information (if applicable)
Decision Timeline
The foundation operates on a rolling basis, which allows them to be "agile and responsive to community needs" and to "move quickly when innovative ideas emerge." Specific decision timelines are not publicly documented but the rolling process suggests flexibility in timing.
Success Rates
In 2023, the foundation made 24 awards from their total giving of $13,975,964. Success rate data is not publicly available.
Reapplication Policy
No specific reapplication restrictions or waiting periods are documented.
Application Success Factors
The Heatherington Foundation values:
Strategic, Long-term Partnerships: The foundation's relationship with the Maurice Lucas Foundation demonstrates their commitment to sustained impact. The initial three-year $300,000 grant grew to over $500,000 total support over six years, showing they reward proven results and deepen successful partnerships rather than spreading resources thinly.
Start Small, Grow Strategically: The Maurice Lucas Foundation partnership began with one school and expanded as impact was demonstrated. David Lucas, MLF Founder, captured the foundation's values: "Every student matters. Whether it's one kid or 100, it starts by showing up and caring."
Whole-Person Approaches: The foundation emphasizes comprehensive solutions that address "physical health, mental wellbeing, and social factors" rather than single-issue interventions. This holistic philosophy is central to their mission.
Innovation in Healthcare Delivery: As a private foundation, they specifically aim to support "innovative approaches that others might not fund" and to be "responsive to community needs."
Educational Excellence: With Jeff Heatherington's background in osteopathic medicine education and workforce development, the foundation prioritizes programs that build healthcare capacity for the long term.
Measurable Outcomes: The Maurice Lucas Foundation program achieved 100% high school graduation rates, 100% college acceptance rates, and average GPAs of 3.2-3.4—demonstrating the foundation values partners who can document clear results.
Service to Underserved Communities: The foundation was established "to improve community health care to individuals and families in the Portland, Oregon community, particularly to the socioeconomically underserved, the chronically mentally ill or indigent, at low cost or at no cost."
Partnerships Across Sectors: The foundation collaborates with "nonprofits, community health centers, tribes, and educational institutions" to create systemic change.
Key Takeaways for Grant Writers
- Rolling basis means flexibility: Unlike foundations with fixed deadlines, you can apply when your program is ready, allowing the foundation to respond to emerging opportunities
- Show commitment to depth over breadth: The foundation rewards long-term, comprehensive approaches that create lasting transformation rather than surface-level interventions
- Connect to their osteopathic medicine roots: Jeff Heatherington's 50-year career in osteopathic medicine shapes the foundation's priorities—emphasize whole-person care, preventive approaches, and addressing root causes
- Demonstrate innovation: Position your program as testing new approaches or serving communities in ways traditional funders won't support
- Be prepared for partnership: The foundation conducts site visits or virtual meetings before making decisions, signaling they want to know grantees deeply and build relationships
- Think multi-year: Their willingness to provide sustained funding (6+ years to Maurice Lucas Foundation) means you should propose long-term change strategies, not one-off projects
- Document your outcomes rigorously: With their track record of increasing support for high-performing partners, showing clear results positions you for expanded funding
References
- Heatherington Foundation Homepage - https://foundation.health/ (accessed January 2026)
- Heatherington Foundation, "Who We Are" - https://foundation.health/who-we-are/ (accessed January 2026)
- Heatherington Foundation, "Apply for Grant" - https://foundation.health/apply-for-grant/ (accessed January 2026)
- Heatherington Foundation, "Our Impact" - https://foundation.health/our-impact/ (accessed January 2026)
- Heatherington Foundation, "Featured Program: Maurice Lucas Foundation" - https://foundation.health/the-maurice-lucas-foundation/ (accessed January 2026)
- Heatherington Foundation, "Contact Us" - https://foundation.health/contact-us/ (accessed January 2026)
- Instrumentl, "Heatherington Foundation For Innovation And Education In Healt | 990 Report" - https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/heatherington-foundation-for-innovation-and-education-in-health-care (accessed January 2026)
- ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, "Heatherington Foundation For Innovation And Education In Healt" - https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/930988354 (accessed January 2026)
- Willamette University News, "Transforming public health education: the Heatherington gift" (2025) - https://news.willamette.edu/library/2025/03/heatherington-public-health.html (accessed January 2026)
- WesternU News, "WesternU COMP-Northwest to be named Heatherington College of Osteopathic Medicine" - https://news.westernu.edu/westernu-comp-northwest-to-be-named-heatherington-college-of-osteopathic-medicine/ (accessed January 2026)
- American Osteopathic Foundation, "Healthcare Leader Jeff Heatherington Receives AOF Lifetime Achievement Award" - https://aof.org/news/healthcare-leader-jeff-heatherington-receives-aof-lifetime-achievement-award (accessed January 2026)
- Maurice Lucas Foundation, "Legacy Award Recipient 2023 - Jeff Heatherington" - https://ml20.org/news/legacy-award-recipient-2023-jeff-heatherington/ (accessed January 2026)