WEST PALM BEACH — Quantum Foundation, Palm Beach County’s largest health-funding foundation, is currently accepting applications from small, grassroots nonprofits to share in $750,000 as part of its Quantum in the Community initiative. For the past four years, the foundation has set aside nearly $4 million to help local nonprofits who are working towards a healthier Palm Beach County by meeting the basic needs of residents like food, clothing, shelter, utilities bills and transport.

Last year, 66 organizations qualified for funding through the initiative. “We’re always looking for new organizations to apply,” said Shannon Hawkins, Quantum Foundation’s Senior Program Officer who oversees this fund. “As an organization, we want to connect with small groups in the county we may not have funded before. There are so many people doing so much good work out there.”

Quantum Foundation’s President Eric M. Kelly said: “We’re a health foundation and we’ve always worked hard to ensure a robust health workforce for the county and funded the local community health center system, but we fully acknowledge that without meeting people’s basic needs, it’s impossible for them to be healthy.”

All applications are carefully considered by a committee made up of Quantum Foundation staff and board members Ethel Isaacs-Williams, Donna Mulholland and Denis Coleman, Jr.

While the application process for Quantum in the Community grants is streamlined, there are a few strict criteria that all applicants must meet:

The organization must be registered as a 501’C’3 . The initiative does not fund individuals.

Applicant agencies must have been working in Palm Beach County for at least six months.

Applicant agencies’ annual operating budget may not exceed $500,000.

Applicants must provide basic needs like food, clothing, shelter and transport to the county’s residents.

No one organization will receive more than $25,000 of the $750,000 pool.

To learn more, visit the website www.quantumfnd.org/quantum-in-the-community

All applications must be submitted online by 5:00 p.m. on Aug. 14; successful applicants will be notified during the week of Oct. 26.