NCHT announces spring grant cycle recipients

A door welcomes guests to the Health Trust

The Natrona Collective Health Trust is excited to announce the recipients of its 2023 spring grant cycle. After carefully considering a total of 73 grant applications, the Trust awarded 35 grants to area nonprofits totaling more than $2 million.

The Trust offered three grant opportunities in the spring cycle: multi-year general operating, multi-year advocacy, and boost grants. Among these recipients, the Trust is excited to welcome 20 new nonprofit partnerships.

General operating grants are awarded to nonprofits that provide programs and services to Natrona County residents in the areas of early childhood development, the prevention and mitigation of adverse childhood experiences (ACES), the creation of and support for positive childhood experiences (PCES), and the provision of mental/behavioral health services. This is a 2-year grant opportunity, with distributions in 2023 and 2024. The spring recipients are listed below:

Organization Amount awarded each year
Brain Injury Advocates *  $                    20,000
CASA of Natrona County  $                    20,000
Casper Boxing Club*  $                    20,000
Casper Housing Authority CARES  $                    60,000
Children’s Advocacy Project, Inc.  $                    80,000
Climb Wyoming  $                    80,000
Community Action Partnership of Natrona County*  $                    60,000
Hope House  $                    40,000
Learning Junction Children’s Center, Inc*  $                    40,000
Mercer Family Resource Center  $                    80,000
Mother Seton Housing, Inc  $                    40,000
Wyoming Food for Thought Project  $                    80,000
Wyoming Housing Network*  $                    60,000

* Denotes a new funding partner.

This spring was the first time the Trust offered the advocacy funding opportunity. These grants are designed to support a better community through the advocacy of policies and systems change to increase family resiliency, social inclusion, and civic engagement.

“Our community can be a place where everyone can thrive,” said Beth Worthen, CEO of the NCHT. “This requires commitment to a long-term, systems change approach that includes building coalitions and working with policymakers. Our nonprofit partners receiving advocacy grants are doing exactly that, and we are privileged to work alongside them,”

As with the general operating grants, the advocacy grants are multi-year, with distributions in 2023 and 2024. The spring grant cycle recipients are listed below.

Organization Amount awarded each year
Casper Pride  $                    80,000
Child Development Services*  $                    80,000
Equality State Policy Center Healthy Wyoming*  $                    40,000
Wyoming Community Foundation*  $                    60,000
Wyoming Equality*  $                    20,000

* Denotes a new funding partner.

The Trust also introduced boost grants for the first time in the spring cycle. This funding is intended to assist Natrona County nonprofits in strengthening their internal capacity and infrastructure through  staff and board training, marketing, and technology enhancements.

“Of all our spring cycle grants, I think the boost grants excite me the most,” said Samantha Smith, Senior Director of Programs and Community Engagement. “This is an opportunity for the Trust to partner with a wider range of nonprofits who don’t necessarily fit into our primary focus areas, but whose contributions to the community are equally important.”

The boost grants are one-time awards up to $15,000. The spring recipients are listed below:

Organization Amount awarded
CASA of Natrona County  $                      3,265
Casper Soccer Club, Inc.*  $                      3,180
Central Wyoming Hospice and Transitions  $                    15,000
Central Wyoming Senior Services*  $                      8,549
Citizens for a Civic Auditorium, dba The Lyric*  $                      5,313
Impact Wyoming*  $                      6,000
Interfaith of Natrona County  $                    10,000
I-REACH 2, Inc.  $                    15,000
Iris Club House  $                      7,000
Jason’s Friends Foundation*  $                      7,750
Joshua’s Storehouse*  $                      2,484
Montessori School of Casper*  $                      5,000
Natrona County Meals On Wheels*  $                    15,000
Self Help Center  $                      7,000
Special Olympics*  $                    14,100
Wyoming Counseling Association*  $                    10,000
Wyoming Housing Network*  $                    15,000

* Denotes a new funding partner.