Community Impact Health Grant Guidelines

What We Fund

Programs and organizations that:

  • Directly serve kids battling physical illness

  • Bring joy in the form of joyful environments, joyful experiences or joyful expressions; no grants given for unrestricted use

  • Are within geographic proximity to Dunkin' locations

Programming must align under one of these three focuses:

  • Joyful Environments: Resources in a hospital environment that support the child or the family during a hospital stay. Examples include family support, family waiting room, sibling play room, communication support (e.g., interpreters or technology), in-room entertainment (e.g., game systems/apps, books, movies, entertainers, toys), kid-friendly room design, child life specialist staff, and hospital schools.

  • Joyful Experiences: Memorable family trips, educational experiences and camps with others facing similar circumstances. Examples include: camps for kids with chronic or serious illnesses, trips for families of children with chronic or serious illnesses, schools with on-site medical staff for kids who require life-sustaining medical treatment.

  • Joyful Expressions: Arts and recreation therapy for patients with physical health care needs. Examples include: art therapy, music therapy, play therapy, drama/storytelling therapy, pet therapy, aquatic therapy.

What We Do Not Fund

Children's Health Disqualifications:

  • Unrestricted grants

  • Newborn/neonatal programming

  • Programs/events serving children that are not under medical care for illness

  • Mental health programs outside of hospital setting

  • Addiction recovery programs

  • Prevention and education programs

  • Family programs that are not in a hospital environment or do not include a child with an illness

  • Bereavement or grief counseling programs

  • Research and clinical trials

General Disqualifications

The Dunkin' Joy in Childhood Foundation does not fund:

  • Organizations/programs that do not fit guidelines

  • Organizations that do not have a 501(c)3 status

  • Organizations that have received funding from the Dunkin' Joy in Childhood Foundation for three consecutive years (organizations may apply again after a year off)

  • General operating support for the organization (general operating support for the specific program being funded is acceptable, i.e. staffing cost)

  • Individuals (including GoFundMe campaigns)

  • Capital campaigns

  • Advertising including website development or sponsorship ads

  • Technology or medical equipment unrelated to creating a more joyful experience for the child being treated

  • Endowment funds

  • Event sponsorship, including dinner and events

  • Feasibility studies

  • National organizations that do not have local chapters operating in the Foundation's geographic area of grant focus

  • Organizations that discriminate against certain groups or individuals in the delivery of programs and services on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation or disability

  • Organizations influencing legislation and/or elections; for political candidates, political campaigns