HISTORY: HFL's Founding - Today
LATE 2015
As the hospital sale approached, the IU Health La Porte Hospital Council of Chairpersons decided that the best interest of the citizens of La Porte was to direct the hospital sales proceeds to a newly created 501(c)3 organization, named Healthcare Foundation of La Porte.
HFL was incorporated as an Indiana nonprofit corporation.
2016
March 1: IU Health La Porte Hospital was sold and Healthcare Foundation of La Porte initiated operations with Maria Fruth as president and CEO.
HFL's founding Board of Directors, picture below, and terms of office, was:
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Jeff Bernel, Board Chair (2016-2020) Board Chair (2016-2020)
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Jane Nelson (2016-2020) Vice Chair (2016-2020)
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Rich Schmitt (2016-2021) Treasurer (2016-2021)
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Drumm Osborn (2016-2021) Secretary (2016-2021)
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Rory Bunce (2016-2020)
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Jim Clarke (2016-2018)
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Dan Kaminski (2016-2021)
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Kathleen Lang (2016-2022) Board Chair (2022)
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Tim Larson (2016-2018)
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Jim Laughlin (2016-2021)
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Dr. Hester Muller (2016-2018)
Maria Fruth, HFL's first president and CEO
HFL's Founding Board
Front row, from left: Kathleen Lang, Tim Larson, Jane Nelson, Jeff Bernel, Dr. Hester Muller, and Dan Kaminski.
Back row, from left: Rich Schmitt, Drumm Osborn, Rory Bunce, Jim Laughlin, and Jim Clarke.
2016-2017 - Creating the Foundation
The first two years were spent establishing HFL’s identity: creating a strategic plan, determining the mission, vision, and values that would guide HFL’s work, developing the logo, web site, and grant platform, and conducting extensive research to identify how the foundation would operate. Community health needs were assessed, and Fruth visited private foundations in Indiana and beyond to bring back best practices and inspiration. More than 40 “Get to Knows” were also conducted, face-to-face conversations with more than 120 leaders of La Porte County nonprofits, health providers, schools, and government agencies to better understand the services provided and any gaps to fill.
At the same time the leadership was working hard to establish HFL's own identity, they were equally committed to honoring the foundation’s roots. HFL continued to support what the IU Health La Porte Hospital Foundation, formed in 1978 and merged into HFL in 2016, had done previously, including scholarships, established initiatives such as the Lil FISH program in schools and AED distributions, along with the support for local patients with cancer, and their two special events. Through stewarding the proceeds of the sale of the hospital and honoring the donors’ gifts to the Hospital Foundation, HFL began working diligently toward its mission: Empowering the residents of La Porte County to live healthy and well.
"Get to Know" invitation
The first study funded by HFL was commissioned to The IU Center for Health Policy to assess opioid abuse in La Porte County; the La Porte County Opioid Study set the stage for actions to address the needs and gaps. In total, 223 community members were surveyed with 108 responses and 37 in-person interviews with stakeholders.
During the first Strategic Planning sessions, HFL’s strategic priorities were selected. These reflected the areas HFL aimed to impact through its grantmaking, strategic and thought leadership, and capacity building efforts.
HEALTHY CHILDREN: Children in La Porte County are healthy, well, and safe.
HEALTHY LIVING: La Porte County residents are healthy and well, can access nutritious foods, and enjoy active living.
HEALTHY MINDS: La Porte County residents experience positive mental health and can access support and treatment for mental health conditions, including substance use disorder.
HEALTHY LA PORTE: Expand successful programs, test new and promising initiatives, and collaborate to better meet health and wellness needs in La Porte County.
HEALTHY PARTNERS: Strengthen and grow the knowledge, infrastructure, management, and governance of nonprofit organizations in La Porte County to increase their impact.
HFL's First Home
HFL moved to its first office location at 323 Pine Lake Avenue, La Porte, Indiana.
2017
The Health & Wellness Asset Map was created from the "Get to Know" sessions. HFL learned how each of these organizations impacted health and wellness involving behavioral and physical heath, access to medical services, strengthening organizational capacity, and social determinants of health.
In addition to visiting other foundations, Fruth and the board of directors selected the Social Determinants of Health and the County Health Rankings as guiding data on which to select indicators to track. Measuring the health of nearly every county in all 50 states, County Health Rankings, funded by the Robert Wood Foundation, provides data, evidence, guidance, and examples to build awareness of the multiple factors that influence health.
The Foundation's special events were transferred, Holiday at the Pops to the La Porte County Symphony Orchestra and Tour de La Porte to the La Porte County Family YMCA.
The TEN2030 website -- ten2030.org -- was created as a first gift to
the community: the gift of data.
First Grant Awards Celebration
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HFL awarded its first grants in 2017 for a total of $2,850,561. These first grants, in HFL's strategic priority areas of Healthy Children, Healthy Living, Healthy Minds, Healthy La Porte, and Healthy Partners, were celebrated with a luncheon at the Civic Auditorium in La Porte.
Empowering residents to live healthy and well
Health Foundation of La Porte (HFL) was formed in 2016 from the sale of our local hospital. Since then, HFL has become a trusted philanthropical leader in La Porte County, Indiana. HFL is a nonprofit, private, independent foundation driven by three focus areas: grantmaking, strategic and thought leadership, and capacity building. Through funding, nonprofit education, and collaborative partnerships, HFL has invested more than $41M into the community from 2017 through 2023.
Read on to learn how HFL established itself as a changemaker in the community.