About us
The Canton-Inwood Area Health Foundation, established in 2009, is a foundation with a mission to “inspire and engage philanthropic support for Sanford Canton-Inwood to improve the health and wellness of our communities.”
However, the origins of the Canton-Inwood Health Foundation and the importance of community support can be traced much further back. Canton-Inwood Memorial Hospital opened in 1949 in a former government building which was renovated solely through community donations from individuals, businesses and civic and religious groups. The hospital auxiliary, formed of community volunteers, worked tirelessly to raise the funds needed to establish the new hospital.
In the early 1970s, the new Medicaid and Medicare acts necessitated that hospitals meet new facility requirements. It became apparent the original hospital would have to be replaced by a new one to comply with the new requirements. To accomplish this task, area residents once again joined together, raising $534,000 which was donated toward the $1 million needed for a replacement hospital. An additional $298,000 was received through the federal Hill-Burton grant program.
On December 31, 2008, Canton-Inwood Memorial Hospital, clinics, Hiawatha Heights assisted living and related assets were purchased by Sanford Health. The funds from this sale, $5 million, were used to start the Canton-Inwood Area Health Foundation.
Through working with the IRS, the Foundation has become a public charity foundation, which will benefit both the organization and its donors.
Canton-Inwood Area Health Foundation is governed by a local community board. (board members) These representatives make the decisions of the strategic planning efforts, the goals and purpose and what role they will take as a foundation. The nine-member board represents Sanford Canton-Inwood’s entire service area.
The Canton-Inwood Area Health Foundation seeks to continue the area’s proud history of community support for health care, while strategically directing investments in health care to important priorities at Sanford Canton-Inwood and toward other community health and wellness initiatives.
