The Healthcare Initiative Foundation is a 509(a)(3) grantmaking organization formed in 1973 as the Suburban Hospital Association (Md.) Foundation.   In 1980 the scope of giving broadened and accordingly the name changed -to the Suburban Maryland Health Foundation.   The current name dates from 2002.    

Benefiting from a   generally robust economy and exercising careful stewardship, the board of trustees has progressively grown  the Foundation's initial endowment of $5.6 million to  $48 million today. This has allowed the Foundation to fund an array of organizations and activities each year, while retaining an exclusive focus on   improving helathcare for residents of Montgomery County, Maryland.

Over the years the Foundation has also designated certain  organizations for ongoing, multi-year support. Due to our founding legacy,   Suburban Hospital has always been such a Designated Supported Organization.   Historically   these also included the American Red Cross Blood Services (Washington Region), the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad, the Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County and, currently, Montgomery Hospice. The  Designated Supported Organization status  is not something for which an organization   can apply.

Until recently, the Foundation operated anonymously, relying on the effort of   a dedicated, all-volunteer board of trustees. In 2007, the board hired the Foundation's first staff person  to facilitate the grantmaking and begin to build a public presence.

Our Vision

We envision a Montgomery County whose residents are served by a high-quality, comprehensive, cost-effective and sustainable healthcare system.

Our Mission

The Healthcare Initiative Foundation supports organizations that offer solutions to improve the quality and delivery of healthcare for residents of Montgomery County, Maryland.

Our Beliefs

We believe that creativity generates solutions. We support both traditional and innovative solutions to healthcare dilemmas in any form – concepts to test, best practices to implement, efficiencies to execute, equipment to employ and successes to replicate.  

We believe that innovative solutions flourish and are sustained in strong nonprofits. Strong nonprofits need solid leadership and the organizational capacity to plan, implement and assess their programs. We consider grants to build organizational capacity in the county’s healthcare nonprofits.

We believe that strong nonprofits exercise responsible stewardship. Responsible stewards aim for sustainability by raising and managing sufficient funds, operating cost effectively, and leveraging all manner of resources and relationships.  

We believe that responsible stewards are accountable. Accountability is demonstrated through leadership integrity and competence, responsiveness to consumers, transparency, and systematic efforts to track meaningful results.  

We believe that the Healthcare Initiative Foundation and our grantee partners are accountable to the residents of Montgomery County, Maryland for improving healthcare in our community.  

  Crystal  Carr Townsend,   President     Crystal.Townsend@hifmc.org