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Families enjoy a warm spring day at Rochester Common. (Photo by Cheryl Senter.)

Families enjoy a warm spring day at Rochester Common. (Photo by Cheryl Senter.)

Foundations collaborate to improve health and well-being of Strafford County residents

The Greater Rochester Community Health Foundation will partner with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation to award grants, make program-related investments, and provide other financial assistance to health and social service programs, organizations and projects that benefit the community.

By Kristen Oliveri, Vice President of Communications and Marketing  |  

CONCORD, NH (PRESS RELEASE) — The Greater Rochester Community Health Foundation (GRCHF) has signed an agreement with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, creating a formal collaboration between the two organizations. GRCHF will become a “supporting organization” of the Charitable Foundation, drawing on the Charitable Foundation’s community knowledge and financial and investment expertise to meet its mission.

The Greater Rochester Community Health Foundation is the new name of the Frisbie Foundation and is being funded with proceeds from the sale of the nonprofit Frisbie Memorial Hospital to HCA Healthcare, Inc. (Frisbie Memorial Hospital remains open to serve the community, under the ownership of HCA Healthcare, Inc.). The collaboration with the Charitable Foundation was approved by the New Hampshire Circuit Court – Probate Division in February 2021. GRCHF will be capitalized with an initial amount of approximately $14 million to fund grants and other community work in Strafford County. As presented to the community prior to the sale last year, it is expected the final foundation balance will exceed $20 million once the remaining sale transaction obligations and escrows are concluded.

GRCHF’s mission is to improve the health and well-being and reduce the burden of illness of people residing in Strafford County and surrounding communities. GRCHF will do this work by awarding grants, making program-related investments, and providing other financial assistance to health and social service programs, organizations and projects that benefit the community.

“The current Frisbie Foundation board is very excited to enter into this partnership with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation,” said Brian Hughes, chairman of the Frisbie Foundation and past chairman of Frisbie Memorial Hospital. “From the sale of Frisbie to HCA last year, not only do we have our local community hospital well established in Rochester but also a very significant charitable foundation with GRCHF, both here to serve our local community for many years to come.”

“Charitable Foundation staff have built relationships and local knowledge over decades of service in the community,” said Dick Ober, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. “We look forward to this partnership with the GRCHF to help bring about a healthier future for the residents of the greater Rochester community.”

The first order of business for the GRCHF will be to appoint its inaugural board of directors, which will be made up of seven people who live or work in Strafford County.

“GRCHF belongs to everyone in Strafford County, and so we are looking to the community to find people who are interested in being involved in stewarding and guiding the early development of this important community asset,” said Anne Phillips, director of grantmaking for the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

Community members interested in being considered to serve on the GRCHF board are encouraged to visit www.nhcf.org/GRCHF to learn more and to apply. Applications are due Friday, May 14, 2021.

GRCHF’s structure will also include a community advisory committee to support the Charitable Foundation in assessing community needs and in development and implementation of its grantmaking strategy and priorities. While further details about the structure and work of the community advisory committee are still to be determined, it is expected that this committee will be formed during 2021. GRCHF’s grantmaking is expected to begin in 2022.

For more information and updates about the Greater Rochester Community Health Foundation, please visit www.nhcf.org/GRCHF.

About the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation
The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation is New Hampshire’s statewide community foundation, founded in 1962 by and for the people of New Hampshire. The Foundation manages a growing collection of 2,000 funds created by generous individuals, families and businesses, and awards more than $50 million in grants and scholarships every year. The Foundation works with generous and visionary citizens to maximize the power of their giving, supports great work happening in our communities and leads and collaborates on high-impact initiatives. For more information, please visit www.nhcf.org or call 603-225-6641.


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