What We Do

The John Muir Community Health Fund (CHF) was formed as an independent community benefit organization in 1997, when the John Muir and Mt. Diablo health systems merged. John Muir Health supports the CHF with $1 million annually in grant-making funds aimed at improving the health and wellness of underserved individuals in Central and East Contra Costa County.

Addressing the Root Causes
of Health Disparities

We focus primarily on addressing the social determinants of health. To that end, we partner with community-based organizations that address these social determinants in ways that reflect our priority funding criteria:

Healthcare Access & Behavioral Health

Increasing access to essential healthcare services; promoting mental health and well-being
Economic Mobility & Dignity

Strengthening economic power and financial well-being
Housing

Fostering stable, safe housing solutions
Education & Mentorship

Addressing systemic barriers to academic success
Food Access

Promoting equitable access to nutritious food

How We Select Our Partners

We are especially interested in partners and initiatives that pursue their work in ways that optimize their ability to have a lasting impact on the health of their communities.

Large, systemic concerns such as poverty or racism, often limit access to services. Lasting improvements in health and wellness benefit from groups willing to tackle these big picture concerns.
Because we want the initiatives we support to last, we seek grantees that build the capacity of the community to meet critical needs.
We are increasingly interested in identifying and helping to build the capacity of emerging leaders and organizations that address the root causes of poor health.
Lasting health initiatives that optimize their impact are often those in which organizations work collaboratively with existing or emerging services.
Lifting up leaders that are representatives of underserved populations is critical for redressing past and current biases while also honoring lived experiences.
The best solutions often emerge organically from individuals and communities designing solutions for their own needs.

Our Partners

Our current work is aimed at creating valuable initiatives that deliver health care services to improve and maintain the health status of uninsured, underinsured, and underserved people in Central and East Contra Costa County.