Introduction
IEHP Foundation is an independent nonprofit health foundation working to improve the conditions that influence long-term health across California’s Inland Empire. The Foundation provides grants, leadership development, organisational training and place-based investments to community organisations operating in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
The Foundation was established by Inland Empire Health Plan, commonly known as IEHP, in July 2021. While IEHP provides health coverage and supports clinical healthcare services, IEHP Foundation focuses on non-clinical conditions that influence health, including food access, housing, employment, mental wellbeing, community safety and access to essential services.
IEHP Foundation’s mission is to inspire and ignite the health of the Inland Empire. Its vision is that the promise of Vibrant Health should exist for everyone in the region. The Foundation defines Vibrant Health as access to the resources, environments and opportunities people need to live healthy and fulfilling lives.
Although it was created by a regional health plan, IEHP Foundation is legally separate from IEHP. It is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity and has been determined not to be a private foundation. It does not have commercial shareholders or conventional private ownership.
IEHP Foundation can be described as a health-plan-established or enterprise-linked foundation because of its origin and financial relationship with IEHP. However, it should not be treated as a commercial division of the health plan. Its charitable resources are governed separately and must be used to advance public-benefit health and community-development purposes.
History and Background
Establishment by Inland Empire Health Plan
IEHP Foundation was established in July 2021 by Inland Empire Health Plan to expand the organisation’s ability to address the social and economic factors affecting community health.
IEHP recognised that medical services alone cannot eliminate differences in health outcomes. The Foundation states that a large proportion of health outcomes are shaped by non-clinical conditions, including housing, income, education, nutrition, transportation and access to safe community environments.
Its establishment created a separate philanthropic organisation capable of investing flexibly in nonprofit leadership, community infrastructure and long-term regional partnerships.
Early development
During its first years, IEHP Foundation developed relationships with nonprofit organisations, coalitions, public agencies, educational institutions and community leaders throughout Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Its early activities included:
- Responsive community grants
- General operating support
- Nonprofit capacity-building courses
- Leadership-development programs
- Community convenings
- Regional collaborative investments
- Health-equity initiatives
- In-kind meeting and event support
The Foundation’s first major grantmaking programs focused on strengthening the organisations already addressing food insecurity, mental health, housing instability, workforce shortages and other social drivers of health.
Growth of financial resources
IEHP Foundation has received substantial support from Inland Empire Health Plan.
In April 2024, the IEHP Governing Board approved a $20 million allocation to the Foundation to develop a place-based health and wellbeing initiative in Riverside County. The planned five-year investment was designed to support systems-level changes in partnership with Riverside University Health System–Public Health, municipalities, community organisations and other funders.
Public tax records show that IEHP Foundation reported approximately $35.7 million in revenue and more than $160 million in net assets for 2024. Contributions and grants represented most of its annual income.
Development into a regional health funder
By 2025 and 2026, the Foundation had expanded beyond smaller responsive grants into multi-year leadership funding, community-wide health initiatives and regional systems-change programs.
Its current work combines:
- Direct financial support
- Institutional strengthening
- Leadership development
- Fundraising education
- Policy and advocacy capacity
- Community engagement
- Place-based health transformation
- Coalition and network development
Mission and Purpose
Core mission
IEHP Foundation’s mission is:
“We inspire and ignite the health of the Inland Empire.”
Its vision is:
“We will not rest until the promise of Vibrant Health exists for all of us.”
The Foundation’s stated values are belonging, humility and fearlessness. These values guide how it works with residents, nonprofit leaders, public institutions and local organisations.
Addressing social drivers of health
IEHP Foundation focuses on the conditions in which people are born, grow, learn, work and live.
Its work recognises that health can be affected by:
- Food insecurity
- Unstable or unaffordable housing
- Limited employment opportunities
- Poverty
- Shortages in the healthcare workforce
- Inadequate access to mental healthcare
- Lack of safe recreational spaces
- Transportation barriers
- Substance-use risks
- Weak nonprofit infrastructure
The Foundation works with organisations that address these factors before they lead to preventable illness or worsening health conditions.
Priority populations
IEHP Foundation principally supports organisations serving families with children aged 18 and younger in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Priority populations include:
- Low-income communities
- Rural and remote communities
- Communities with low health-outcome scores
- Families experiencing significant barriers to health equity
- Communities with limited access to essential services
For several grant programs, the Foundation prioritises communities with a California Healthy Places Index score below the twenty-fifth percentile.
Priority investment areas
IEHP Foundation concentrates its investments in five areas.
Nonprofit infrastructure
The Foundation helps community organisations strengthen leadership, governance, financial systems, technology, communications, fundraising and collaboration.
Basic needs access
Funding supports access to nutritious food, healthcare, mental-health resources and other essentials needed for physical and emotional wellbeing.
Quality jobs
The Foundation invests in education and career pathways, particularly those connected to the healthcare and social-service workforce.
Affordable housing
Its work supports access to safe and affordable rental housing, pathways to homeownership and coordinated regional housing strategies.
Healthy community environments
The Foundation supports community conditions that encourage healthy eating, movement, positive relationships and reduced exposure to harmful behaviours.
Governance and Structure
Legal status
IEHP Foundation is a California-based tax-exempt organisation recognised under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code.
Its financial statements confirm that it qualifies to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions and has been determined not to be a private foundation.
The Foundation files an annual Form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service and publishes independent audit reports through its website. Its financial page currently provides audit reports for 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Ownership and relationship with IEHP
IEHP Foundation was created and initially funded by Inland Empire Health Plan. IEHP continues to be a major financial and strategic partner, and IEHP representatives serve on the Foundation’s Board of Directors.
However, IEHP Foundation operates as an independent legal organisation. It does not issue shares, have private shareholders or distribute profits to owners.
Its relationship with IEHP resembles an enterprise-foundation model in which an institution establishes a separate charitable organisation to advance social-impact objectives. Unlike a commercial subsidiary, the Foundation must use its assets for charitable purposes and is governed by nonprofit laws and fiduciary responsibilities.
Board of Directors
IEHP Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of leaders from healthcare, nonprofit management, public health, finance, communications, philanthropy and community development.
The current board includes:
- Karen Scott: Chair
- Regina Weatherspoon-Bell: Vice Chair
- Josh Candelaria: Secretary
- Stephen Bennett: Treasurer
- Dr Conrado Bárzaga
- Gerard V. Tamparong
- Andrea Cuellar
- Paul Earle
- Michelle Rai
- Dr Geoffrey Leung
- Jarrod McNaughton
The board is responsible for:
- Strategic direction
- Grantmaking oversight
- Financial accountability
- Risk management
- Executive leadership
- Community responsiveness
- Organisational performance
- Protection of charitable resources
In September 2025, Michelle Rai and Gerard V. Tamparong joined the board, adding experience in communications, marketing and institutional investment management.
Executive leadership
Greg Bradbard serves as Chief Executive Officer of IEHP Foundation.
The staff team includes professionals responsible for:
- Community engagement
- Grants and strategy
- Communications and public affairs
- Accounting and financial administration
- Events and organisational operations
This structure allows the Foundation to combine grantmaking with active community participation, training and regional coordination.
Transparency and accountability
IEHP Foundation publishes audit reports and public financial records. Its Form 990 filings provide additional information about revenue, expenditure, assets, board leadership and charitable activities.
For 2024, public filing data reported:
- Revenue of approximately $35.7 million
- Expenses of approximately $7.6 million
- Net income of approximately $28.1 million
- Net assets of approximately $160.3 million
- Contributions and grants of approximately $33.3 million
- Investment income of approximately $2.1 million
These figures represent the Foundation’s overall financial position and should not be interpreted as the amount available through any single grant round.
Funding and Grants
Main funding mechanisms
IEHP Foundation receives funding primarily through:
- Contributions from Inland Empire Health Plan
- Charitable grants and institutional contributions
- Investment income
- Partnership funding
- Co-funding from public and philanthropic organisations
- Income from invested assets
Its financial model differs from a small fundraising-dependent charity. A substantial proportion of its financial base comes from IEHP contributions and accumulated charitable assets.
Grantmaking approach
The Foundation offers funding through two main processes.
Requests for Applications
Competitive Requests for Applications are issued approximately two or three times per year for selected capacity-building, leadership or funding programs.
Eligibility conditions vary according to the program.
Responsive Grants
Responsive Grants allow organisations to request support for projects and activities that align with the Foundation’s mission, priority populations and health objectives.
The two principal categories are:
- Healthy Organizations Grants
- Healthy Communities Grants
Healthy Organizations Grants
Healthy Organizations Grants support individual nonprofit organisations seeking to improve their internal capacity and infrastructure.
Current grants range from $5,000 to $20,000.
Eligible activities may include:
- Electronic health-record system improvements
- Financial-management technology
- Refrigeration for food programs
- Website and communication upgrades
- Translation of outreach materials
- Staff development
- Trauma-informed care training
- Fundraising systems
- Data and evaluation improvements
For the 2026–2027 second cycle, applicants generally need an annual organisational budget of at least $200,000. Fiscally sponsored organisations may be eligible.
Healthy Communities Grants
Healthy Communities Grants support collaboratives, networks and coalitions working on broader systems-level health challenges.
Awards range from $20,000 to $75,000.
Projects may include:
- Community Health Worker networks
- Healthcare internships and fellowships
- Mental-health programs for children
- Medi-Cal retention and case-management services
- Healthcare workforce training
- Affordable-housing strategies
- Coalition development
- Policy and advocacy initiatives
Applicants generally need an annual organisational budget of at least $500,000. Fiscally sponsored organisations are not eligible for this category.
Current 2026 application cycle
As of 17 July 2026, the Foundation’s second grant cycle is open for both Healthy Organizations and Healthy Communities applications.
Key dates are:
- Applications opened: 14 July 2026
- Informational webinar: 5 August 2026
- Application deadline: 31 August 2026 at 5 p.m. Pacific Time
- Selection notification: Late September 2026
- Grant period: January–December 2027
- Final reports due: 4 February 2028
Organisations may apply for only one of the two grant categories during a calendar year.
Event sponsorships
IEHP Foundation provides sponsorships for events that convene community organisations and advance its health priorities.
Sponsorships typically range from $1,000 to $10,000. Events already sponsored by Inland Empire Health Plan are generally not eligible for duplicate Foundation sponsorship.
General operating support
A major feature of IEHP Foundation’s approach is the use of flexible and unrestricted funding.
The Foundation states that strong community health requires strong nonprofit organisations. Its grants can therefore support organisational infrastructure, staffing systems, fundraising, leadership and administration rather than limiting every award to direct program expenses.
Activities not funded
IEHP Foundation does not generally fund:
- Building or capital campaigns
- Endowment campaigns
- Fundraising events
- Biomedical research
- Political candidates or political campaigns
- Lobbying for specific legislation
- Organisations requiring membership in a particular religion
Basic research funding
IEHP Foundation is not a scientific or Biomedical research foundation.
It does not provide unrestricted basic research funding for laboratory science, drug development or clinical trials. Biomedical research is specifically excluded from its grantmaking.
The Foundation may, however, support applied community research, data collection, program evaluation and policy analysis when these activities contribute to health equity or improved regional services.
Potentially relevant research activities may include:
- Community-needs assessments
- Health-outcome monitoring
- Workforce studies
- Housing and health analysis
- Evaluation of food-access programs
- Community-engaged public-health research
- Policy and advocacy research
- Measurement of place-based health interventions
Major Programs and Initiatives
Champions for Vibrant Health Leadership Network
The Champions for Vibrant Health Leadership Network is a two-year leadership and organisational-development program for Inland Empire nonprofits.
Participating organisations receive unrestricted general operating funding alongside leadership training, peer learning and advocacy opportunities.
The program includes:
- Local leadership summits
- Organisational development
- An advocacy trip to Sacramento
- Annual leadership retreats
- Networking and collaboration
- General operating support
Depending on organisational size, participating nonprofits can receive between $25,000 and $75,000 annually, with total two-year support reaching as much as $150,000.
In January 2026, the Foundation awarded more than $2.3 million to 40 nonprofits for the second year of the initiative. The network supports 80 individual leaders.
Capacity-Building Programs
IEHP Foundation offers capacity-building programs for nonprofit organisations in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
These programs provide training in areas such as:
- Governance
- Financial management
- Fundraising
- Marketing
- Program operations
- Data and evaluation
- Strategic planning
- Leadership development
Participating organisations may receive a $5,000 grant after completing the program.
In 2024, approximately 60 nonprofits participated in the Foundation’s first Collaborative Capacity Building Grants program. The initiative combined a ten-course business-management program with general operating support.
Fundraising Training
The Foundation offers fundraising-development programs to help nonprofits diversify their income.
Initiatives have included:
- Vibrant Health Fundraising Cohort
- Major-gift fundraising training
- Donor cultivation
- Donor stewardship
- Storytelling for fundraising and advocacy
- Communications training
In 2025, 22 nonprofit leaders completed a seven-week fundraising program intended to reduce dependence on unstable government and foundation funding.
IE Vibrant Health Forums
IE Vibrant Health Forums are quarterly educational and networking sessions for nonprofit and community leaders.
The forums address topics such as:
- Public policy
- Health disparities
- Organisational effectiveness
- Community advocacy
- Funding sustainability
- Collaboration
- Regional health priorities
Vibrant Villages
Vibrant Villages is a place-based collective-impact program designed to improve health conditions within specific communities.
Residents, public agencies, businesses, educational institutions and nonprofit organisations work together to:
- Identify local health priorities
- Understand the root causes of poor health
- Improve access to services
- Coordinate existing resources
- Develop supportive policies
- Measure community outcomes
The first San Bernardino County pilot communities are Barstow and San Bernardino.
Vibrant Villages seeks to reduce conditions such as:
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Heart disease
- Mental illness
In Barstow, the Foundation partnered with Barstow Community College through a three-year investment exceeding $600,000 to lead community engagement and local health planning.
Blue Zones Project
IEHP Foundation is supporting Blue Zones initiatives in Riverside County through the $20 million investment approved by IEHP.
The project is designed to create long-term environmental, policy and behavioural changes that make healthier choices easier.
Communities identified for the initiative include:
- Banning
- Coachella
- Palm Springs
- Riverside
- Mead Valley
The Foundation is working with Blue Zones, Riverside University Health System–Public Health, municipalities and local organisations to develop sustainable health improvements.
Collaborative Grants and Sponsorships
The Foundation supports coalitions and strategic partnerships that bring organisations together around shared regional challenges.
These investments may address:
- Healthcare access
- Mental health
- Affordable housing
- Medi-Cal retention
- Food insecurity
- Workforce development
- Community advocacy
- Regional planning
In-kind support
IEHP Foundation provides meeting facilities and event support for selected nonprofits.
Eligible organisations may request space at IEHP’s Center for Learning and Innovation in Rancho Cucamonga for meetings, seminars and community convenings.
Impact and Examples of Work Funded
2026 responsive grants
In June 2026, IEHP Foundation awarded $719,500 to 19 nonprofit organisations through its first responsive-grant cycle of the year.
The one-year grants ranged from $12,500 to $75,000 and supported both organisational development and community-health projects.
Funded activities included:
- Mental-health billing systems
- Staff development
- Community healthcare access
- Housing support
- Food programs
- Organisational technology
- Coalition projects
- Community engagement
2025 responsive grants
In December 2025, the Foundation awarded $465,000 to 28 nonprofits and collaboratives across Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Awards ranged from $5,000 to $25,000 and supported organisations collectively serving more than 55,000 people each year.
Reported outcomes and objectives included:
- 75% of grantees expanding or improving services for families and children
- 32% strengthening fundraising or financial technology
- 36% improving leadership skills and collaboration
Mental-health service infrastructure
Samaritan Counseling Center received funding for a new electronic health-record system.
The investment was designed to improve data security, regulatory compliance, service coordination and operational efficiency. This example demonstrates how organisational-capacity grants can indirectly improve the quality of healthcare delivered to community members.
Food security
San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools received funding to purchase industrial refrigeration equipment for school food-pantry programs.
The equipment allows the organisation to store and distribute more fresh food to students and families experiencing food insecurity.
Mission Hope also received capacity funding to expand food-pantry services for residents in southwest Riverside County.
Housing and homeownership
Neighborhood Housing Services of the Inland Empire received funding to expand financial education, homeownership counselling and affordable-housing work in San Bernardino.
The project supports low-income residents seeking to build financial skills and become first-time homeowners.
The Inland SoCal Housing Collective also received support for a regional housing blueprint intended to strengthen coordination around affordable housing.
Healthcare workforce development
Funding has supported organisations working to strengthen the healthcare and social-service workforce.
Examples include:
- Health Career Connection
- Autism Society Inland Empire
- Citrus Counseling Services
- Big Brothers Big Sisters healthcare mentoring
- University of California, Riverside healthcare-pipeline programs
Mental-health access in rural communities
The Foundation supported the Regional Access Project Foundation’s Palo Verde Valley Mental Health initiative.
The project directs resources towards communities in remote areas of Riverside County where residents may face long travel distances and limited access to behavioural-health services.
Leadership development
The Champions for Vibrant Health Leadership Network represents one of the Foundation’s largest investments.
The 2025–2026 network provides more than $2.3 million in annual grant support to 40 organisations and leadership development for 80 nonprofit professionals.
The program’s impact is intended to extend beyond individual grants by strengthening the region’s nonprofit safety net, improving advocacy capacity and encouraging collaboration among organisations.
Microgrants
The Foundation’s 2024–2025 impact reporting states that it awarded $200,000 in unrestricted microgrants to 37 local nonprofits.
These grants provided flexible operating resources for community organisations addressing health and social needs.
Regional reach
The Foundation serves California’s Inland Empire, a region with more than 4.6 million residents across Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Its grantmaking focuses particularly on communities facing poverty, poor health outcomes, geographical isolation and limited access to services.
Recognition
IEHP Foundation was named a 2026 California Nonprofit of the Year by Assemblymember Robert Garcia.
The recognition acknowledged its role in strengthening nonprofit organisations and advancing community health throughout the Inland Empire.
Conclusion
IEHP Foundation is a regional health-equity funder working to improve the social and community conditions that shape health across Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Established by Inland Empire Health Plan in July 2021, the Foundation is a legally separate 501(c)(3) public charity. It has no commercial shareholders and should not be treated as a private company, even though its origins and financial relationship with IEHP give it characteristics of an enterprise-linked foundation.
Its philanthropic activities focus on:
- Nonprofit capacity
- Leadership development
- Food access
- Healthcare access
- Mental health
- Housing affordability
- Homeownership
- Healthcare workforce development
- Community environments
- Systems change
- Policy and advocacy
- Place-based health improvement
Its principal grant programs include:
- Healthy Organizations Grants
- Healthy Communities Grants
- Champions for Vibrant Health Leadership Network
- Capacity-Building Grants
- Responsive Grants
- Regional Collaborative Investments
- Event sponsorships
IEHP Foundation is not a provider of laboratory or biomedical research grants. Basic research funding is outside its normal scope, and biomedical research is specifically excluded. Its funding is instead directed towards nonprofit organisations, community health initiatives and applied strategies addressing social drivers of health.
For an intern, IEHP Foundation provides valuable insight into:
- Health philanthropy
- Community grantmaking
- Health-equity strategy
- Nonprofit capacity building
- Financial due diligence
- Grant monitoring
- Leadership development
- Public-health partnerships
- Community engagement
- Place-based investment
- Policy and advocacy
- Evaluation and impact measurement
- Nonprofit finance
- Corporate and public-charity relationships
IEHP Foundation’s long-term success will depend on its ability to combine substantial financial resources with local knowledge, nonprofit leadership and community participation. Its approach illustrates how a health-focused foundation can move beyond clinical care and invest in the everyday conditions that allow families and communities to thrive.
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