5 Facts and 3 Perspectives of the Buhl Regional Health Foundation Mission
Fact 1: Mission establishes a foundation’s commitment.
True community transformation is built through collaboration. While the Buhl Regional Health Foundation (BRHF) provides resources, the real work happens on the ground, meeting our Mercer County residents and leaders exactly where they are. We serve as a long-term resource for the area including Mercer County and surrounding areas, listening to our neighbors to ensure our efforts nurture a more equitable and healthy environment. At the center of our mission is a simple belief: by partnering on the root causes of a healthy community, we can spark a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
The following explores how these BRHF fundamentals — Longevity, Catalytic Funding, Sustainability, and Evaluation — serve as the blueprint for our work: an impact that is not just significant today, but transformative forever.
Perspectives are shared by three Buhl Regional Health Foundation leaders: Jennifer Barborak, Executive Director; Kimberly Porsch, Director of Grant Making; and Kateri Linn, Director of Programming.
Fact 2: Vision of Longevity (Jennifer Barborak, Executive Director)
Why a foundation is essential for systemic change through long-term stewardship of resources.
A foundation serves as more than just a source of funding; it can be the structural backbone of a community’s long-term wellbeing. Unlike organizations bound by short-term cycles, a foundation has the benefit of having the time to deeply analyze the barriers to community wellbeing and focus funding efforts to improve the underlying conditions that are hindering us. By strategically focusing on what isn’t working, we ensure that our resources address the source of a problem rather than merely treating its symptoms.
Our independence is our greatest asset. Free from political agendas or corporate influence, Buhl Regional Health Foundation possesses the unique ability to fund innovative ideas and bridge the gaps that local, state, or regional government programs cannot reach. We are a neutral convener, connecting the dots between social services to eliminate overlaps and fortify the safety net for every community member.
BRHF is built on a promise of permanence. To serve our community into perpetuity, we must be disciplined stewards of the resources entrusted to us. Our commitment to longevity requires a sophisticated balance: we must invest strategically today to ensure our capacity to give continues to grow for tomorrow.
This vision is guided by our Board of Directors — local leaders who represent the very community they serve. Every budgetary decision and investment strategy is filtered through a legacy-based lens. We do not simply ask what a grant will accomplish this year; we ask, “How will this investment fundamentally shift the trajectory of our community’s wellbeing for decades to come?” By prioritizing sustainability, we ensure that the BRHF remains a steadfast partner in our community’s wellness — forever.
Fact 3: A Catalytic Engine (Kimberly Porsch, Director of Grantmaking)
Funding impact supported by grants designed to be the spark that helps a good program become a sustainable community pillar.
The Buhl Regional Health Foundation (BRHF) operates on a singular premise: the right investment at the right moment can transform a community. By shifting from traditional grantmaking to a catalytic model, we move beyond simply supporting programs to actively igniting what’s possible. To us, this means using our resources to pilot new ideas, forge unconventional partnerships, and attract the external capital necessary for long-term growth.
Our support for the Minority Health HEAT Program and the Shenango Valley (SV) Pride Alliance illustrates this shift. Rather than merely financing daily operations, our involvement focused on expanding their organizational infrastructure and public credibility. Through a year of strategic mentorship and technical assistance, both groups evolved into more structured, resilient entities — positioned to grow far beyond the scope of a single grant.
The Collaborative Learning Cohort serves as a premier example of our role as a community convener. We recognized three specific organizations — Building Blocks Child Center, the Baughman Family Community Center, and St. John’s Academy Learning Center — were all working to improve youth well-being in and around Mercer County. By bringing these groups together, BRHF did more than provide the capital to increase staff and expand hours; we created a Learning Cohort that accelerated shared knowledge and dismantled professional silos. This partnership transformed individual organizations into a unified system of care, leveraging collective momentum to attract additional resources and solve common challenges together.
These investments are designed to be strategic moments that help promising ideas evolve into permanent community fixtures. We aren’t just providing financial resources; we are building a robust, resilient, and more connected ecosystem where local organizations have the strength to thrive independently. Through these partnerships, BRHF is ensuring that today’s “spark” becomes tomorrow’s sustainable solution for community well-being.
Fact 4: Program Evaluation Learning Assessments (Kateri Linn, Director of Programs)
Evaluation isn’t about what you’ve done, it’s about taking what you’ve learned and looking forward, ensuring every dollar does the most good.
For many organizations, evaluation is viewed as a hurdle or a retrospective look back to justify past spending. At the Buhl Regional Health Foundation, we have intentionally shifted that perspective. For us, evaluation isn’t just about what we or our community partners have done; it’s about taking what we’ve learned and looking forward to ensuring every dollar does the most good.
We focus on learning and accountability to move beyond simple metrics — like the number of partners impacted — to understand how we are truly making a difference. Ongoing evaluation is a tool for growth, providing the data-driven insights necessary for BRHF and our partners to pivot and meet the real, evolving needs of our community.
Our commitment to Evaluation for Learning is best demonstrated through recent programmatic shifts based on direct feedback and data.
Ninja Courage: Through a closed-group model, we learned that teen participants preferred active engagement over traditional “talk-about-feelings” sessions. By listening to how these teens wanted to show up, we adapted the curriculum to be more activity-based, ensuring the program remained relevant and impactful for the youth it serves.
Camp Courage Programming: Annual feedback from caregivers highlighted a desire for deeper involvement. In response, we integrated a pre-session “How to Support Your Camper” workshop and established a Friday Open House. These additions allow campers to showcase their experiences and help caregivers feel like true partners in the camp journey.
Community Dental Clinic: Our original referral process involved multiple Community Based Organizations (CBOs) sending patients directly to the Community Dental Clinic. Evaluation revealed this was inefficient and not centered on patient care. We completely overhauled the process, narrowing it to two dedicated dental triage partners. This shift eliminated wasted time for both patients and providers, streamlining the path to actual treatment.
AED+ Program: While not yet a formalized assessment, our ongoing dialogue, including listening to hospital partners and the county coroner revealed a critical gap in Mercer County’s cardiac response infrastructure. We heard a clear call for unified data, reporting, and training. This collective insight is the catalyst for a new heart safe initiative, aimed at strengthening the availability of Automated External Defibrillators (AED) and synchronized response processes to save more lives.
Fact 5: Our Communities’ Future (Jennifer Barborak, Executive Director)
We invite community members, leaders, residents, and neighbors to engage with BRHF’s work, be part of the process and conversation.
The future of our community is not yet written. Our collective wisdom and the resilience of those who call this area home have the ability to create our future. BRHF’s ongoing commitment to community engagement and education is more than a programmatic; it is our primary feedback loop. By spotlighting the vital work of our partners, we act as an amplifier for local solutions, ensuring that those closest to the challenges are the ones leading the change.
Jennifer Barborak facilitating a forum for fellow grantmakers during the Exponent Philanthropy Conference in Austin, TX, 2024
Through our convening forums and collaborative workshops, we have embedded community voices directly into our strategic decision-making process. We don’t just want to be a funder; we aim to be a trusted, collaborative partner that listens first. As we look ahead, our goal is to further bridge the gap between institutional resources and grassroots innovation, ensuring that every strategic priority we set is rooted in the lived experiences of our neighbors.
We realize this vision requires more than just capital, it requires a coalition of community leaders and neighbors to engage with our work. Together, we can co-create a community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, grow, and belong. As we navigate the path forward, the Buhl Regional Health Foundation remains anchored by the five pillars that guide every dollar invested and every partnership formed:
Mission Alignment: Establishing, reinforcing our commitment.
Longevity: Maintaining a permanent, steadfast presence in the community.
Catalytic Funding: Using our resources as a spark to attract greater momentum and collaborative investment.
Sustainability: Ensuring that today’s solutions are built to last for generations.
Evaluation: Using rigorous data and community feedback to measure what truly works.
These values are more than just a framework, they are our commitment to our neighbors. By staying true to these fundamentals, we ensure that our impact is not just significant today, but transformative forever.