Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut

Universal means Everybody.

aka Connecticut Health Advancement and Research Trust   |   Middletown, CT   |  www.universalhealthct.org

Mission

To accelerate the movement for health justice for everybody because health is a human right and core to social justice and equity.

Ruling year info

2000

President

Ms. Frances G. Padilla

Main address

425 Main Street, 2nd Floor PO Box 714

Middletown, CT 06457 USA

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EIN

06-1590060

NTEE code info

Alliance/Advocacy Organizations (R01)

Research Institutes and/or Public Policy Analysis (E05)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

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Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Power Building, Influence and Health Care Advocacy

Stepping into Universal's 3rd decade, we expanded relationship circles and focused on partnerships to build shared power. We committed to center our work in communities led by Black, Brown, Indigenous and other people most left behind in the unjust health system.

Partners include:
Grassroots organizing groups working for social justice
Women making health care decisions for their families or small employers - or working in health care
Organizers and advocates working for immigrant access to health coverage
Long-time advocacy allies

Our work to nurture shared, sustained power is rooted in the belief that the status quo must be disrupted and change forced to realize justice. We determined to transform Universal into an anti-racist organization, one that inside and outside will act with resolve against institutional and structural racism.

Population(s) Served

We put our grants to work to support community organizers and advocates with $300,000 to work with us to define “health justice” on the ground, and map a 5-year strategy to build the sustained grassroots power needed to achieve real change.

Population(s) Served
Adults
Children and youth
Ethnic and racial groups
People with disabilities
People with diseases and illnesses
Adults
Children and youth
Ethnic and racial groups
People with disabilities
People with diseases and illnesses

In 2022, one of our most robust advocacy partnerships is with Connecticut Students for a Dream and the HUSKY 4 Immigrants coalition they lead. Universal testified, encouraged others in our network to testify, and ultimately won in the state legislature. HUSKY health care extended to cover all who are income eligible, regardless of immigration status for prenatal care for pregnant people, which started April 1, 2022; children ages 0 to 8, beginning January 1, 2023; postpartum care for a year post-pregnancy, beginning April 1, 2023.

In the 2022 legislative session, we stepped up and called for our friends and followers to join in support of legislative advocacy led by HUSKY 4 Immigrants to extend health coverage to immigrant children through age 18 and won coverage through age 12, grand-fathered until age 19.

Population(s) Served

In 2021 and 2022, Universal brokered an introduction with a national funder which resulted in a grant to Rand Corporation to conduct immigrant health policy research in the state.

Universal applied for and received a grant to support the HUSKY 4 Immigrants coalition with opinion and messaging research.

Working hand-in-hand with HUSKY 4 Immigrants, we gave mini-grants to five organizations to collaboratively develop comprehensive, nonpartisan message research then disseminate the findings.

Population(s) Served

Universal analyzes the health justice landscape in Connecticut and produces content to inform residents and policy makers, build power, and inspire action.

Universal generates video, social media, e-news, blogs, website, and white paper content.

Population(s) Served

Where we work

Videos

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut's next decade focus is on building power for bold change that delivers health justice to people -- especially those left behind today. Health justice means that everyone has a fair and equitable opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Health is determined by so much more than health care. Quality housing, equity in education, jobs with fair pay, good food and safe environments are all factors in our health. Systemic racism, discrimination and poverty obstruct health justice.

  • How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?

    Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Community meetings/Town halls, Suggestion box/email,

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,

  • What significant change resulted from feedback?

    In response to feedback, Universal updated it mission, vision and values and adopted a new strategic priority to build power. We have reshaped messaging and outreach based on the feedback from focus groups and online surveys. We used survey feedback to inform the content and format of outwardly facing programs. Feedback informed advocacy priorities in the face of COVID-19.

  • With whom is the organization sharing feedback?

    The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,

  • How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?

    The transformation is significant, ongoing and impossible to describe in 800 or fewer characters. Please, contact us to find out more. We are enthusiastic to talk about what we're learning, how we're changing and the impact on the health of Connecticut residents!

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded,

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback,

Financials

Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut

Board of directors
as of 05/09/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Nancy Burton, CNM, MS

Hartford Hospital, Retired

Term: 2021 - 2023

Beverly Brakeman

United Auto Workers, Region 9A

Cornell Wright

The Parker Wright Group, Inc.

Nancy Burton

Hartford Hospital

Candida Flores

Family Life Education

Dan Livingston

Livingston, Adler, Pulda, Meiklejohn & Kelly, P.C.

Evelyn Mantilla

Grossman Solutions

Janee Woods Weber

CT Women's Education and Legal Fund

Lawrence Young

Charter Oak Health Center

Laura McCargar

Perrin Family Foundation

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 5/4/2022

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Decline to state
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 05/04/2022

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.