More than 130 years ago, 19th century merchant and banker Moses Taylor donated $250,000 to build a hospital in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to serve iron, coal, and railroad workers. Moses Taylor Hospital opened October 1, 1892, operating as a nonprofit health system on Quincy Avenue, in Scranton’s Hill Section. Shortly thereafter, the hospital began treating workers’ families and eventually expanded its mission to serve the broader community as well.
In 2012, more than a century after opening its doors, Moses Taylor Health Care System and its assets were sold, and Moses Taylor Foundation was created from the net proceeds of the sale. The Foundation’s vision is to continue Moses Taylor’s philanthropic legacy by supporting the health of the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
During the Foundation’s initial years of operation, a dedicated board of community leaders developed plans for the Foundation’s mission, vision, values, and funding priorities. The Foundation approved its first grant in November 2015 and invested $10 million throughout the region during the following three years—working to become a valued community partner, trusted resource, and influential advocate.
After several years of grantmaking experience, the Foundation undertook an extensive strategic planning process with a commitment to sustaining the work that partners had come to value and sharpening focus to achieve greater impact. Launched in January 2019, the five-year strategic plan sought to balance broad, responsive health grants, with a new focus on school-based health, older adult isolation, and nonprofit capacity building. The outcomes of these five years of work are detailed in the 2019-2023 Strategic Plan Executive Summary and included distribution of nearly $17 million in additional grantmaking. Also of note, the COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly and significantly impacted many of the Foundation's partners during this time. In response, the Foundation implemented a temporary, rapid grant process that resulted in 38 new grants, totaling almost $1.2 million in COVID-19 relief support.
At the close of the 2019-2023 Strategic Plan, the Foundation moved into its next phase of growth by first undertaking a period of reflection and analysis. The result of this assessment was a recommitment to the areas identified in the original strategic plan, through a forward-thinking lens reflective of the current community context. The resulting framework will guide the Foundation for years to come—with a renewed commitment to the organization’s health care roots, unwavering belief in the power of collaboration, and deep gratitude for the dedication of our nonprofit partners.
Click here for more information on key milestones throughout the Foundation’s first ten years.
