NEPA Healthcare Foundation

What NEPA Healthcare Foundation does

Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation (NEPA HCF) is a 501(c)(3) private foundation established in 2011 with proceeds from the sale of Mercy Hospital in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation. The foundation's mission is to support healthcare needs — including health education, community wellness, and medical care for uninsured and underinsured residents — across a fixed three-county service area comprising Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties. It is governed by a regional board of physicians, attorneys, and civic leaders, with Laura Ducceschi (President & CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation) serving as Administrator.

The foundation's "products" are grant and scholarship programs rather than commercial offerings. Core programs include the $1.5 million Careers in Care Initiative (2020-2023, encompassing a $700,000 nursing scholarship program through which 158 scholarships and $262,500 to 44 students in year three have been awarded), a $3.2 million multi-year commitment to Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine for full-tuition medical scholarships (the NEPA HCF Scholars program), and a $1.13 million three-year Employee Assistance Grant Program launched in October 2024 in collaboration with AllOne Foundation & Charities and Moses Taylor Foundation to support seven mental and behavioral health organizations. Since 2011 the foundation has awarded over $4 million in cumulative grants and scholarships.

The business model is endowment-funded grantmaking, not commercial revenue generation. Funds flow from the foundation's endowment (originating from the Mercy Hospital sale and ongoing fundraising) through competitive application processes administered via the Scranton Area Community Foundation's online portal (GrantInterface) and direct grant awards to educational institutions, healthcare providers, and nonprofit organizations in the three-county region. Distribution channels include the foundation's website (nepahealthcarefoundation.org), the Scranton Area Community Foundation portal, and direct organizational grants, with no pricing model, software product, or commercial sales motion. Because NEPA HCF is a charitable foundation rather than a revenue-generating enterprise, traditional revenue, AI capability, and commercial moat concepts do not directly apply; the foundation's "moat" lies in its regulatory 501(c)(3) status, three-county geographic charter, and embedded regional ecosystem of hospitals, schools, and peer funders.

Name

NEPA Healthcare Foundation

Legal name

Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation

Website

https://nepahealthcarefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation, that awards grants and scholarships to address healthcare workforce shortages and community wellness in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Healthcare workforce grants
• Nursing scholarship programs
• Community health funding
• Nonprofit grant making
• Medical education scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

Scranton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Endowment and Grant Distribution: The foundation was established in 2011 following the sale of Mercy Hospital in Scranton. It operates as a 501c3 not-for-profit organization, distributing grants and scholarships to support healthcare workforce development, nursing education, and community wellness in northeastern Pennsylvania. Revenue model consists of distributing charitable funds from its endowment rather than generating commercial revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

NEPA Healthcare Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation that distributes grants and scholarships to support healthcare workforce development, nursing education, medical education, behavioral health staffing, and community wellness initiatives in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties of northeastern Pennsylvania. Established in 2011 following the sale of Mercy Hospital, the foundation operates the Careers in Care Initiative, nursing and medical scholarship programs, the Employee Assistance Grant Program for mental health services, and direct grants to healthcare and educational organizations. The foundation is administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation.

Product overview

NEPA Healthcare Foundation operates as a charitable foundation offering grant and scholarship programs rather than a traditional product company. The core offerings include the Careers in Care Initiative (a $1.5 million three-year program combining grants and nursing scholarships), the Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship program (supporting CNA, LPN, RN/BSN, and Master's level nursing education with over $1 million distributed), the Employee Assistance Grant Program ($1.13 million for mental health staffing), and the NEPA Health Care Foundation Scholars Program at GCSOM ($3.2 million full-tuition medical scholarships). These programs work together to address healthcare workforce shortages in Northeastern Pennsylvania through financial support, workforce development grants, and educational scholarships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Careers in Care: A $1.5 million, three-year strategic initiative aimed at supporting and expanding the healthcare workforce in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties. Includes nursing scholarships and grants to educational institutions.

Products and services

• Careers in Care Initiative A $1.5 million three-year strategic initiative (2020-2023) aimed at supporting and expanding the healthcare workforce in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties through competitive grants to educational institutions, healthcare providers, and nonprofit organizations, including the nursing scholarship program component.
• Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship Competitive nursing scholarship program supporting students and current healthcare workers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties pursuing nursing credentials at the CNA, ASN, LPN, RN/BSN, or Master's level, with recipients required to commit to practicing nursing in northeastern Pennsylvania. Applications are submitted through the Scranton Area Community Foundation's online scholarship portal.
• Employee Assistance Grant Program (EAP) Grant program providing approximately $1.13 million in collaboration with AllOne Foundation & Charities and Moses Taylor Foundation to support seven mental and behavioral health organizations in the three-county region with staffing needs over a three-year period, funding employee assistance programs, tuition and loan assistance, and behavioral health provider recruitment.
• NEPA Health Care Foundation Scholars Program at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine Full-tuition scholarship program for incoming first-year medical students from Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming counties attending Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine who commit to practicing medicine in northeastern Pennsylvania, backed by a $3.2 million multi-year commitment from the foundation.
• Healthcare Workforce Pipeline Grants Competitive grant funding supporting educational institutions, healthcare providers, K-12 schools, and nonprofit organizations to develop the regional healthcare workforce pipeline, including nursing profession support programs, career path development, mobile training laboratories, and early career awareness initiatives for middle and high school students.

Quantifiable outcome

• 158 scholarships provided through Careers in Care program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• AllOne Foundation & CharitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Collaborative partnership for mental health staffing initiative providing approximately $1.13 million in grant support to help increase providers for mental and behavioral health services. AllOne Foundation & Charities joined with NEPA HCF and Moses Taylor Foundation to fund seven organizations providing mental and behavioral health services.
• Moses Taylor FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Collaborative partnership for mental health staffing initiative providing approximately $1.13 million in grant support. Moses Taylor Foundation joined with NEPA HCF and AllOne Foundation & Charities to support seven organizations providing mental and behavioral health services in the three-county region.
• Scranton Area Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Scranton Area Community Foundation serves as the administrator of the NEPA Healthcare Foundation. This is a foundational relationship - the foundation was established in 2011 and has been administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation, which has served the Lackawanna County region since 1954. Laura Ducceschi serves as President & CEO of Scranton Area Community Foundation and Administrator of the NEPA Health Care Foundation.
• Geisinger Commonwealth School of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEPA Healthcare Foundation committed $3.2 million to create the NEPA HCF Scholars program at GCSOM, providing full-tuition scholarships for incoming first-year medical students from Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming counties who commit to practicing medicine in northeastern Pennsylvania.
• Lackawanna CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient for a three-year plan to enhance the pipeline of local healthcare professionals and increase the number trained and retained in the region as part of the Careers in Care initiative.
• United Neighborhood Centers of NEPAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient for Upward Economic Mobility Program partnering with Johnson College to offer workforce development for unemployed and underemployed individuals interested in obtaining certification as a Certified Nursing Assistant or Medical Assistant.
• Johnson CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient to establish a mobile training laboratory providing hands-on experience to teach students what it is like to work in the healthcare field. Also partnered with United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA for workforce development programs.
• Greater Hazleton Partners in EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient for Career Pathways to Health Care Program designed to promote learning about health science and medical professions for middle school students, with discussions led by health care professionals from Lehigh Valley Health Network.
• Children's Service CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient for scholarship program addressing the lack of racially diverse behavioral health professionals, and for employee tuition and loan assistance program under the Employee Assistance Grant program.
• Allied ServicesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner2024 grantee under the Employee Assistance Grant program for enhanced assistance program for behavioral health team members to retain and attract qualified behavioral health providers.
• Children's Advocacy Center of NEPAmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner2024 grantee under the Employee Assistance Grant program for launching an employee assistance program to retain and attract behavioral health employees.
• Friendship HousemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner2024 grantee under the Employee Assistance Grant program for the Friendship House ABA Program Staff Recruitment Initiative.
• Jewish Family Service of Northeastern PennsylvaniamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner2024 grantee under the Employee Assistance Grant program for investing in social workers to support behavioral health services.
• Scranton Counseling CentermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner2024 grantee under the Employee Assistance Grant program for the Scranton Counseling Center Employee Assistance Program expansion.
• Volunteers in MedicinemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner2024 grantee under the Employee Assistance Grant program for the development of an employee assistance program in a nonprofit, free clinic setting.
• Northern Tier Industry & Education Consortium (NTIEC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient to increase healthcare career awareness and work-based learning placements for regional high school students as part of the healthcare workforce pipeline development.
• Saint Joseph's CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient for direct support professional wage increases as part of the healthcare workforce support under the Careers in Care initiative.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Heinz Endowments: A major Pittsburgh-based foundation with significant health and human services grantmaking in Pennsylvania. Comparable as a Pennsylvania-focused health and workforce funder with a much larger endowment base.
• Highmark Foundation: A larger Pennsylvania-based corporate-affiliated health foundation funding workforce, education, and community health programs across the state. Comparable as an established regional health grantmaker with broader geographic reach.
• California Health Care Foundation: A large state-level health philanthropy funding workforce and access-to-care initiatives. Comparable as a grantmaking foundation addressing healthcare workforce shortages at a state/region level.
• Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA): The federal agency funding nursing workforce development (Nurse Corps, NURSE Corps Scholarship Program) in shortage areas. Comparable as a healthcare workforce scholarship funder, though federally operated and national in scope.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: The largest U.S. philanthropy focused exclusively on health and healthcare, including nursing and health workforce initiatives. Comparable mission and population-health lens, though operating nationally rather than regionally.

Direct peers

• Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation: A national foundation dedicated to advancing health professions education, including nursing and behavioral health workforce. Directly comparable as a health-workforce-focused grantmaker with a similar scholarship/training portfolio.
• Scranton Area Community Foundation: The parent administrator of NEPA HCF and a regional community foundation serving Lackawanna County since 1954. Directly comparable as a regional grantmaking and scholarship administrator with overlapping donor pools and program infrastructure.
• Moses Taylor Foundation: A northeastern Pennsylvania-focused health and human services grantmaking foundation and direct funding partner on the 2024 Employee Assistance Grant ($1.13M). Operates with a similar regional health-workforce mission and is a natural co-investor peer.
• AllOne Foundation & Charities: A NEPA-based health foundation and direct collaborator on the $1.13M behavioral health staffing initiative. Closely comparable in scope, geography, and healthcare workforce focus.

Regional players

• Blue Cross of NEPA Foundation: A regional Pennsylvania health plan with associated charitable giving targeting community health and wellness in NEPA. Comparable as a regional NEPA health-focused funder, though operating primarily as a payer rather than pure grantmaker.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about NEPA Healthcare Foundation