Unlocking California Health Care Foundation Funding

A Blueprint for Healthcare Innovation

California's health system is vast, complex, and rapidly evolving. With nearly 14 million Medi-Cal members, it demands care models that are equitable, efficient, and data-driven.

At the center of that transformation is the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) — a statewide philanthropy with more than $800 million in assets dedicated to improving care for Californians with low incomes and underserved communities.

CHCF isn’t a traditional grantmaker. It operates more like a venture catalyst, investing in scalable solutions that unite policy, technology, and practice to strengthen California's healthcare ecosystem. For innovators such as Pillar Community Healthcare, that combination of mission and modernization opens real opportunity.

CHCF’s Vision: Funding Systems That Last

CHCF’s mission is simple yet profound — to make healthcare in California work for everyone.

The foundation funds projects that transform how care is delivered, not just treat symptoms of system failure.

Strategic investment areas include :

• Digital health & telehealth expanding access for Medi-Cal populations.
• Behavioral health integration connecting physical, mental, and substance-use care.
• Workforce development programs are building clinical and leadership capacity.
• Data and analytics are improving population health management.
• Maternal health equity addressing racial and regional disparities in outcomes.

Grants typically range from $ 100,000 to $ 1,000,000 for pilot and scaling projects, with multi-year investments for statewide initiatives. CHCF also deploys program-related investments (PRIs) through its Innovation Fund to back technologies that enhance care coordination and affordability.

What CHCF Looks For

1. Evidence of Impact – Funders want results. Show validated data or pilot outcomes proving your model works.
2. Statewide Scalability – Demonstrate adaptability across regions, populations, and resource levels.
3. Medi-Cal Focus – Align solutions with CalAIM and the needs of low-income populations.
4. Technology Leverage – Highlight how digital tools amplify human care and reduce cost.
5. Sustainability – Present a post-grant funding path through reimbursements or partnerships.

Winning proposals are data-driven, equity-centered, and practical — built to integrate into California's existing care framework.

Crafting a Compelling Proposal

Successful CHCF applicants balance vision with verification:

• Start with measurable impact. Example: “Our care coordination model cut avoidable ER visits by 42 percent.”
• Define the statewide relevance. Explain how your innovation supports Medi-Cal modernization.
• Show infrastructure readiness. Integrate technology, policy alignment, and implementation partners.
• Measurement plan. Include metrics for outcomes, equity, and ROI.

Where Pillar Community Healthcare Fits

Pillar Community Healthcare exemplifies the kind of partner CHCF champions — organizations combining compassion with technology to make care brighter and fairer.

Pillar's integrated EHR and analytics platform provides the infrastructure that turns CHCF's vision into operational reality:

• Interoperability : Seamless exchange with statewide health-information networks.
• Predictive analytics : Early identification of at-risk Medi-Cal patients.
• Behavioral health integration : Unified records bridging physical and mental health.
• Equity dashboards : Real-time insight into population gaps and outcomes.
• Automated reporting : Simplified HEDIS, UDS, and quality tracking.

For CHCF reviewers, this technology demonstrates readiness to scale — measurable, interoperable, and aligned with California's equity and efficiency goals.

Your 90-Day Path to Funding Readiness

Three months before submission:

• Review CHCF’s Current RFPs and funded-project database.
• Gather pilot data and success metrics.
• Identify coalition partners (clinics, payers, community organizations).

Sixty days out:

• Meet with CHCF program officers.
• Build sustainability projections and value-based models.
• Design visuals or dashboards that showcase outcomes.

Thirty days out:

• Finalize evaluation methods, budget, and partner commitments.
• Refine the executive summary — make the first paragraph unforgettable.

Why Digital Health Wins

Healthcare's future is digital — and CHCF knows it. Programs that use technology to close care gaps and consistently measure impact earn higher funding success.

Platforms like Pillar's EHR ecosystem offer the clarity funders crave: transparent analytics, measurable outcomes, and proven scalability.

Seizing the Moment

The California Health Care Foundation stands at the intersection of innovation and equity, deploying millions annually to initiatives that blend technology, evidence, and compassion.

For organizations that share that vision, now is the moment to step forward — equipped with data, strategy, and the infrastructure to deliver results.

With CHCF's investment power and Pillar's digital capabilities, California's healthcare future can be brighter, stronger, and truly equitable.

Sources (publicly available)

• California Health Care Foundation – About CHCF, Innovation Fund, Grants & Funding Opportunities ( www.chcf.org )
• California Health Care Foundation 2023 Financial Summary (IRS Form 990)
• California Department of Health Care Services – CalAIM Framework (2021)