October 2019 - In This Issue:
WORKING TOGETHER FOR HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES
Since its creation in 1994, The Rapides Foundation has sought to improve the health status of Central Louisiana by developing initiatives and strategies intended to impact our community for decades to come.  We invite you to learn more about our work by visiting our website.

The Rapides Foundation focuses its work in three strategic areas:

Healthy People, to improve access to healthcare and promote healthy behaviors.

Education, to increase the level of educational attainment and achievement as the primary path to improved economic, social and health status.

Healthy Communities, to improve economic opportunity and family income, and enhance civic and community opportunities for more effective leaders and organizations.

Contact Us

The Rapides Foundation
1101 Fourth Street, Suite 300
Alexandria, Louisiana 71301
318-443-3394 or 800-994-3394

Visit our website:

THE RAPIDES FOUNDATION CELEBRATES 25th ANNIVERSARY
Foundation created on September 1, 1994
Under the guidance of its Board of Trustees and Chief Executive Officer, The Rapides Foundation has spent a quarter of a century fulfilling its mission of improving the health status of Central Louisiana in its dual role as part owner of Rapides Regional Medical Center and as a leading health grantmaker in the region.

The Foundation celebrates its anniversary on September 1, the day in 1994 that a joint venture partnership between the hospital and HCA (formerly Columbia/HCA) created a $140 million endowment to establish the Foundation. The partnership extended the hospital's ability to provide quality healthcare in a changing environment and created a wellspring of Foundation resources dedicated to improving the health of Central Louisiana residents. 

To honor its first 25 years of service to the community, The Rapides Foundation produced an anniversary video and compiled a special edition booklet, both of which can be viewed on the Foundation's website.

FOUNDATION RELEASES HEALTHY BEHAVIORS PROGRAM GRANT
Letter of Intent Deadline is December 19
The Rapides Foundation has released its Healthy Behaviors Program Grant. 

Through this grant opportunity, the Foundation seeks to prevent and reduce obesity and prevent and control tobacco use by funding communities committed to implementing strategic action and research-based prevention programs across the nine Central Louisiana parishes served by the Foundation.

Grants of up to $225,000 over a three-year period are available. This is a two-stage grant process with the first step being submission of a Letter of Intent by the deadline of Thursday, December 19, 2019. 

APPLICATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR CLIP PROGRAM
Deadline to apply is March 30, 2020.
Applications are being accepted for the Central Louisiana Instructional Partnership, a paid teacher residency program that develops middle school math and science teachers for high-needs schools in Central Louisiana.

Applicants selected for the CLIP residency program will complete a 15-month accelerated graduate program of study culminating in a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Northwestern State University and a professional teaching certification. CLIP residents receive full tuition and an additional $36,000 stipend during their residency. Residents agree to teach in a Central Louisiana school for at least three years after they graduate.

Now is the best time to begin the application process. The deadline to apply for the CLIP cohort slated to begin in summer 2020 is March 30.

GRADUATION HELD FOR 2019 CENLA EXECBUILDERS CLASS
Six Executive Directors Complete Program
Six Central Louisiana leaders graduated September 27 from Cenla ExecBuilders, a leadership development program for nonprofit executive directors.

The 2019 Cenla ExecBuilders graduates are Stanley Celestine, Andria Fontenot, Curtis Lewis, Ashley Mack, Martha Powell and Dallas Russell. They join a group of 50 Cenla ExecBuilders alumni who participate in the program's peer leadership network.

Cenla ExecBuilders is a free program, and is open to new or experienced Executive Directors in Cenla who want to become more effective in their roles as leaders of nonprofit organizations. 

Joe Rosier

Mission
The mission of The Rapides Foundation is to improve the health status of Central Louisiana. 

Vision
Our vision is to positively impact Central Louisiana by deploying resources to improve key factors of health status.