BY TED M. NATT JR.

Staff Writer

Nonprofit health care organizations in Moore County have until the end of the month to apply for a $40,000 IMPACT award from GlaxoSmithKline, a grant that the Moore Free Care Clinic garnered last year.

"Our application centered on the impact we were having in one part of North Carolina," said Mark Wethington, a co-founder of the clinic and its former CEO. "They obviously agreed we were having a significant impact."

After the application was submitted last spring, Wethington said that GlaxoSmithKline sent a representative to spend "the better part of a day to witness what we were doing."

"The whole process was seamless," Wethington said.

GlaxoSmithKline, one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and health care companies, has made this year's application available for downloading on its website. The submission deadline is 4 p.m. on March 28.

The 2012 winners will be announced in the fourth quarter, and representatives from each nonprofit will attend an awards ceremony at GlaxoSmithKline in Research Triangle Park.

Tony Price, who succeeded Wethington as clinic CEO last Sept. 1, said the December ceremony was "first class."

"I was just blown away by the benevolence and professionalism that was provided to the clinic," Price said. "We were allowed to give a two-minute presentation on the clinic itself. Their executives were there to congratulate us. We had a very nice lunch afterward. It was a very nice affair."

Price added that the award should help the clinic raise funds in the future.

"It gives you credibility moving forward when you apply for other grants or approach private donors," he said. "Every dollar we receive enables us to provide $15 worth of health care."

So last year's award will result in $600,000 worth of health care this year.

"It's meant a whole lot to the clinic because we were struggling to raise operating funds for the clinic at the time," Price said. "It really helped us budget for 2012 because these were not restricted funds. We got the check right after the ceremony, so it went into our operating budget immediately, even though the funds were for 2012. We were ecstatic."

Up to 10 health care nonprofit organizations in Moore, Alamance, Chatham, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Guilford, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Orange, Person, Randolph and Wake counties will be awarded $40,000 each this year.

To be eligible, organizations must meet the following conditions:

n Have an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) letter of determination verifying tax-exempt status as an independent entity, and not part of a larger organization such as a university or hospital. The name of the organization applying must have been on the letter for a minimum of five years.

n Have annual total operating expenses between $160,000 and $3 million, as documented in its most recent fiscal year financial statement.

n Have access to health care as its primary focus and mission.

n Be located in one of the 14 eligible counties.

n Have not been a previous winner.

In total, 10 North Carolina and Philadelphia-area nonprofits will receive $400,000 in grant funding for providing access to health care for the underserved in their communities.

In North Carolina, GlaxoSmithKline works in partnership with Durham-based Triangle Community Foundation, a nonprofit that connects resources with needs through community-based philanthropy. Together, they identify potential nonprofit applicants, encourage their participation and promote the awards through grass-roots outreach.

The IMPACT Awards - which stands for Innovation, Management, Partnership, Achievement, Community focus and Targeting needs of diverse and underserved populations - honor nonprofit organizations that have a significant impact on their communities and are capable, proactive and effective in their work.

All organizations are recognized for the success and achievements of their existing overall body of work, not just for new or specific initiatives.

A panel of health care delivery experts and GlaxoSmithKline representatives determine the winners based on a strong demonstration of ongoing success in providing access to health care, commitment to serving people in need, facilitation of health care delivery, creative partnerships and policy development, and a solid record of achievement, management and leadership.