GFCN Receives Grant To Establish Technical Assistance Program

With very generous support from the Healthcare Georgia Foundation, the Georgia Free Clinic Network will begin a technical assistance program for free clinics in Georgia. GFCN will lead and coordinate the programming to provide each eligible organization with technical assistance tailored to their individual needs, to improve and strengthen their missions and ultimately provide resources to benefit other clinics in the Network.

The program will provide assistance in the areas of sustainability, volunteer recruitment and training, grant writing, board development and program evaluation. (A recent study from the Brookings Institute found that organizations with increased organizational effectiveness showed an increase in funding from donors and grantors.) Watch for more details soon.

Sales Tax Exemption Legislation

Last week, Governor Sonny Perdue signed HB 957 into law. This law, which passed the General Assembly at the end of the legislative session, provides for an exemption from state sales and use taxes on sales to certain nonprofit volunteer health clinics:

"For the period commencing July 1, 2008, and ending June 30, 2010, sales of tangible personal property and services to a nonprofit volunteer health clinic which primarily treats indigent persons with incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level and which property and services are used exclusively by such volunteer health clinic in performing a general treatment function in this state when such volunteer health clinic is a tax exempt organization under the Internal Revenue Code and obtains an exemption determination letter from the commissioner."

GA Department of Revenue

Click here to find out how to apply for the sales tax exemption.

Needed: Stories & Ideas

The Network is collecting impact stories from member clinics as evidence to support our mission and to make health care more accessible. Tell us about the vital role your clinic serves in your community, or about that special volunteer. Also, consider sharing a good idea that you've put to use or a resource that you've found indispensable to your work.

The collected information will be featured on the GFCN's web site, utilized for media coverage, or posted in this weekly update. Please submit stories and information by email to ed@gfcn.org.