Donda Bennett, executive director of the Good
Samaritan Clinic in Haywood County, has a passion
for helping the uninsured and the underinsured.
But passion alone doesn’t keep the doors open.
Haywood County is designated a health
professional shortage area by the
federal Health Resources and Services
Administration due to the area’s critical
lack of primary care professionals.
This, coupled with the county’s low
median income, means that many
residents rely on the services provided
by the nonprofit Good Samaritan Clinic.
More than 4,500 patients depend on the
clinic for care, and many of these patients
have chronic conditions ranging from
diabetes to lung disease.
With a staff stretched thin, Donda
finds working to provide quality care on
a day-to-day basis challenging enough.
She also has to worry about fundraising
and the complexities of health care reform.
Donda says that the average clinic director
just doesn’t have time for the important
things that ultimately sustain their clinics.
Fortunately for Donda, help with
these important things has come in the
form of Western North Carolina Nonprofit
Pathways. Pathways brings technical
assistance, training and local knowledge,
all tailored to the specific needs of
each organization. As a part of the
Foundation’s support for nonprofits and
their sustainability, Pathways convenes
staff and board members from seven free
clinics in Western North Carolina so they
can share success stories and strategies
for overcoming struggles. The purpose is
to leverage individual clinic lessons to the
broader group.
The Foundation already supports
North Carolina’s network of free clinics
as part of the Health of Vulnerable
Populations focus area. These free clinics
not only meet the acute needs of patients
but also improve patient health over the
long term. The Foundation wants to ensure
that the overall sustainability of clinics
is strong so they can continue to serve
their communities.
Aside from the valuable lessons
provided as part of Pathway’s peer–
learning sessions, each free clinic has
identified an area of growth. Donda
and her staff chose fund development.
So Pathways connected Donda, her staff
and board members with a fundraising
consultant familiar with free clinics.
“The consultant laid out a strategic plan.
She spent a lot of time putting a structure
into place; we never had that in the
past,” Donda says. “We set timelines
and goals.” They also learned how
to create relationships with donors.
Now Donda is working with Pathways
to develop marketing materials for the
