Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation Inc. (DNIHF)

The Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation Inc., created in 1999 and based in Swift Current, serves as a central philanthropic vehicle to support healthcare across Southwest Saskatchewan. Before its creation, healthcare donations were handled separately by local facilities; the Foundation was established to centralize fundraising and deploy funds strategically for healthcare-related activities throughout what was the Cypress Health Region.

The Foundation’s mission is to raise, administer and disburse funds to improve the quality and availability of healthcare for all residents living in Southwest Saskatchewan. It focuses primarily on capital equipment, facility projects and education, complementing but not replacing government funding or operating budgets of the Saskatchewan Health Authority.

The Foundation directs most of its fundraising toward the purchase of medical equipment and the provision of scholarships. Over time it has invested more than $17 million in funding for equipment, construction and training needs across the former Cypress Health Region, with equipment purchased for every facility in the region. Examples mentioned include a dialysis unit, digital mammography suite, cardiac monitoring equipment, laboratory equipment, CT scan upgrades, ultrasound systems, and contributions to equipping the regional hospital and 19 other facilities.

The organization manages three endowment funds—equipment, education and general—that generate income used to support ongoing purchases and initiatives. Donors can designate gifts to specific facilities, services, departments or endowment funds, or allow the Foundation to allocate them where most needed.

Recognizing that high-quality care depends on skilled personnel as well as equipment, the Foundation runs the Lee / Irwin Scholarship program through its Skills Enrichment Scholarship Program (SESP). This program supports individuals working or preparing to work in the healthcare sector in Southwest Saskatchewan who are upgrading their education or training.

SESP offers structured support for several streams—Continuing Care Assistants (CCA), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN), Medical Laboratory Technologists and other approved programs—with clearly defined maximum funding amounts over the duration of a program. Applications are submitted online during semi-annual intake periods tied to academic start dates, and recipients must sign a return-for-service agreement committing to work in the region for at least two years. The scholarships are funded from the dedicated Lee/Irwin Scholarship endowment, with a capped total disbursement per session.

The Foundation emphasizes transparency, accountability and integrity. It presents itself as an autonomous, volunteer-led organization whose board members receive no remuneration. It explicitly avoids funding projects that are eligible for government or Saskatchewan Health Authority budgets, positioning its grants as complementary investments that enhance care quality, access and patient experience.

Funding decisions are guided by alignment with regional healthcare needs and the goal of working toward healthcare excellence. The Foundation communicates that its efforts are measured against regional care priorities and that it seeks to maintain a strong, reliable donor base through ongoing communication, education and innovative fundraising initiatives.

The Foundation serves residents and health facilities across multiple communities in Southwest Saskatchewan, including centres such as Cabri, Climax, Eastend, Gull Lake, Herbert, Hodgeville, Mankota, Maple Creek, Ponteix, Shaunavon and Vanguard. Beneficiaries include acute and long-term care sites, home care services and specialized units such as dialysis and diagnostic imaging.

Through capital investments, training support and scholarships, the Foundation aims to keep high-quality services close to home, reducing the need for patients to travel to larger cities. Its campaigns, such as those for mammography equipment or new technologies like multisensory Snoezelen rooms, illustrate how community fundraising is transformed into tangible improvements in patient care.

To sustain its grant-making, the Foundation runs several major annual fundraising events known as “The Big 5”, alongside radiothons, golf tournaments and other community-led initiatives. It also receives bequests and corporate gifts, with many contributions coming from both inside and outside the region and province.

Partnerships with local businesses, municipalities, community groups and the Saskatchewan Health Authority underpin its impact. By matching donors to opportunities and showcasing impact stories, the Foundation builds long-term relationships that enable ongoing investment in equipment, facilities and health human resources across Southwest Saskatchewan.