Grossmont Healthcare District Awards Nearly $4 Million to Strengthen Health and Wellness Services Across East County
East County News ServiceDec. 3, 2025 (La Mesa) -- The Grossmont Healthcare District has approved nearly $4 million in community grants and sponsorships for fiscal year 2025–26. GHD officials say that the grant shares mark the largest single-year investment in its history to support the health and well-being of East County residents.
The awards were finalized at the GHD governing board’s Dec. 2 meeting, following a highly competitive cycle that drew more than $10 million in applications from more than 100 nonprofit organizations. Sixty-four unique organizations will receive funding.
An email shared by the District reported that this year’s investment takes on added significance in the wake of the recent federal government shutdown, which temporarily disrupted and destabilized many of the most relied upon local programs — including behavioral health services, senior nutrition programs, chronic disease support and community-based clinics. The shutdown underscored the vulnerability of East County’s safety net and how important it is that local institutions step up to protect essential health services.
GHD Director Nadia Farjood, a member of the Community Grants and Sponsorships Committee said she was proud to have advocated for the District “to step up with a historic increase in our community grants program from $1.5 million to $4 million to address the health and wellness needs of East County residents.”
“These investments will support innovative organizations that care for our seniors, provide mental health and substance use services, and tackle chronic disease so that every person in East County can lead a healthier life,” Farjood said.
Another Committee Chair member, GHD Director Maggie Watkins, added, “At a moment when so many programs were shaken by the federal shutdown, this funding represents hope, stability, and forward progress. We’re investing in organizations that lift people up, strengthen families, and help build a healthier East County for years to come.”
Awards were informed by GHD’s first-ever scoring rubric, developed to ensure fairness, transparency and alignment with the District’s healthcare mission, its strategic priorities and the 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment, conducted by the Hospital Association of San Diego and Imperial counties, and led by hospital and healthcare district leaders from throughout the region.
Funding prioritized behavioral health, aging and senior services, chronic disease prevention and management, and programming for youth, immigrant and refugee families, and rural populations.
A handful of grant proposals related specifically to healthcare workforce development were deferred for review by GHD’s newly established Workforce Development Committee, which was also approved at the Dec. 2 meeting. The new standing committee will build upon the District’s existing investments and develop a comprehensive strategy to support healthcare career pathways across East County.
Major awards this year include:
- $300,000 to the Grossmont Union High School District in support of the Health Careers Pathways (a longstanding partner of GHD);
- $250,000 to the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation;
- $250,000 to Neighborhood Healthcare;
- and $100,000 to the Southern Caregiver Resource Center.
Grants will support the development of new physical spaces in East County, including a senior wellness hub in Lemon Grove and a newly expanded federally qualified health center in Lakeside.
Kristoffer Kelly, director of development and partnerships with the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation said that the District's support “puts East County firmly on the path to becoming a true longevity-ready region.”
“Every older adult today — and every one of us who is aging — deserves more life in our years, not just years in our life,” Kelly said. “Longevity isn’t luck; it’s infrastructure. When communities invest in financial stability, physical health, mental resilience, social connection, and a sense of happiness and purpose, older adults thrive. This funding strengthens our work to ensure no senior is left alone or forgotten and positions East County to become a model for how communities can age well, together.”
The latest funding follows GHD’s July 2025 decision to more than double its annual community grantmaking in response to rising needs across the region, and reflect the District’s commitment to data-driven, community-centered investment and its long-term focus on improving health outcomes for East County’s 500,000 residents.
A full list of grantees is available here.
Sixty-four unique organizations will receive funding.