Frequent Questions

The Public Health Fund of Ohio (PHFO) was created as a nonprofit public charity foundation to advance the health and wellbeing of Ohioans by supporting the mission of the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and the State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP).

The PHFO is a Type I Supporting Organization to the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

The PHFO has been endowed with approximately $8 million and is managed as a traditional foundation. The amount distributed each year is a percentage of the endowment, typically 5% of a 20-quarter rolling average of the endowment.

Each year, the PHFO Board of Directors decides how to distribute grant funds. These methods include responsive and strategic grant making through distribution of Requests for Proposals (RFPs). In 2023, the PHFO distributed approximately $350,000.

The PHFO issues grant funds for:

• Public health awareness and education campaigns

• Innovative public health program and prevention strategies

• Priority public health issues

• Other work related to advancing positive changes in population health in Ohio

The PHFO service area is the whole state of Ohio.

The PHFO will invite groups of organizations to apply for funding. These groups may include county and city health departments, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and charitable clinics. Eligible groups may expand as the endowment of the PHFO grows.

If you would like your organization to be added to a mailing list, please get in touch at our homepage—and we'll confirm your organization's contact information.