Community Health: Community Investments
Community Investments
Shared Community Investment Fund (SCIF)
The Milwaukee Health Care Partnership (MHCP) Shared Community Investment Fund (SCIF) is an annual fund made possible by contributions from the health system members of the MHCP – Aurora Health Care, Ascension Wisconsin, Children’s Wisconsin, and Froedtert Health.
The SCIF was created in 2007 to support the mission of the MHCP—to improve health care for low-income, underserved populations in Milwaukee County with the aim of improving health outcomes, advancing health equity, and lowering the total cost of care.
Since its inception, the health system members of the MHCP have collectively contributed more than $37 million through the SCIF to support improved health care for vulnerable populations in Milwaukee County. The health systems’ SCIF funding pool for CY2024 is $2 million.
SCIF Objectives:
- Align community benefit investments around members’ shared coverage, access, care coordination, and community health improvement goals
- Provide an alternative for unaligned, non-strategic, and externally pressured donations
- Leverage extramural funding for MHCP-sponsored and supported initiatives
The health systems’ SCIF funding has been made alongside – and has often informed – each health system’s unique community investments and charitable contributions.
Mental Health Improvement Fund (MHIF)
The United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County (United Way) and the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership (MHCP) came together to launch the Mental Health Improvement Fund (MHIF) to support organizations that provide mental and behavioral health care services for low-income, underserved people of all ages in Milwaukee County, with the goal of increasing access to mental health care, improving mental health outcomes, and promoting health equity.
The first iteration of the fund, known as the Health Improvement Fund, had a broader health care access focus (medical, behavioral health, and dental) and was launched in 2012 by the United Way and MHCP in support of their shared priorities of coverage, access, care coordination, and community health.
In 2024, the fund shifted to a narrowed mental health scope recognizing the increased need for mental health services in the community and to create a more targeted impact around the shared United Way and MHCP mental health priority.
MHIF pledges are received via donor designations through the United Way fall campaign. MHIF grants (based on the amount pledged) are investments to non-profit, health and human service agencies in Milwaukee County. Grants are awarded to organizations providing mental or behavioral health services to children, adults, or families. This could include activities such as increasing access to mental health outpatient diagnostic or treatment services, or improving care coordination for people of all ages needing mental health services.
Since its inception, the Milwaukee health systems—Ascension Wisconsin, Aurora Health Care, Children’s Wisconsin, and Froedtert ThedaCare Health Inc.—have passed their MHCP Shared Community Investment Fund (SCIF) contributions through the United Way to bolster its annual campaign and sponsor the Mental Health Improvement Fund (previously HIF) challenge grant. Health systems have committed $2 million in 2024 and a cumulative $20.8 million in SCIF pass-through dollars since 2012.
Promote the MHIF
We encourage our members, partners, and affiliates to promote the Mental Health Improvement Fund within their organizations and externally with colleagues, vendors, and contacts. Find easy-to-use resources such as email copy, video, social media images, posters, and flyers by clicking on the button below: